If Illich seemed radical when he was asking his contemporaries to rethink the way they were facilitating learning, Siemens and Downes are a lot more radical in that they ask us to reconsider the very notion of knowledge. Their theory of learning posits that knowledge is not a thing: It isn’t acquired or transmitted. Instead, due to digital media, knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, or nodes. Learning is the ability to traverse those connections and what we know is the result of connections formed by our experiences. It is for this reason they prioritise the process of learning over content: Knowing where and how to access information is more important than the content itself. Unlike previous paradigms in the theories of learning, which required a change in how we conceptualized the way we acquired knowledge, connectivism invites us to adopt a new way to practice knowledge.
In order to adapt to the ever increasing amount of information available in our world, we need to transform the way we handle that information. Just as the advent of the combustion engine required that we learned new ways to travel over the developing networks in our transportation infrastructure, we need to learn new ways to access, filter, and communicate ideas over the new digital infrastructure afforded to us by the advent of the Internet. A very simplistic representation of connectivism can be depicted in an image where people’s brains are connected to each other as well as to a series of computers. For example, I no longer need learn a second language if I have access to someone or to a computer who can translate for me or, I don’t necessarily need to go through years of medical training if I can effectively access and use tools to identify my ills and their remedies. Obviously, this is an extreme scenario, but it makes the point that in theory we can gain a better understanding of our physical condition by tapping into resources–people, websites, blogs, games, simulations, books, conversations and discussions– that are available to everyone.
MOOCs
George Siemens and Stephen Downes ran a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in 2008 called “Connectivism & Connected Knowledge.” It had 2000 participants and was designed as a connectivist course, in that it embodied principles of connectivism in its structure and delivery. There were no requirements to read, memorise or learn specific course materials. Instead, Siemens and Downes invited participants to become immersed in the topic they were learning about (connectivism), and learn through this experience of observing, engaging and practicing within this community.
In an article in the Huffington Post, Downes described the four elements of the MOOC, and how they embody connectivist learning (2011).
Aggregate: The diversity of opinions, amongst experts, learners and the wider community is vast. Every day, the facilitators published a newsletter aggregating many of these sources, e.g. blogs, tweets, websites, videos, discussions, etc. Participants could pick and choose what to engage with, depending on what resonated with them.
Remixing: Learners access a multitude of perspectives and then make connections between the materials they have engaged with. They may make these associations public via social media, which then feeds into the discussion.
Repurposing: Learners actively participate in the discussion, providing their own thoughts and opinions, and in doing so, create new understandings.
Feeding Forward: Participants share their work with the wider community, because they feel engaged, they feel part of the community, and they feel they have created something worth of sharing.
Connectivism vs. Connected Learning
Connectivist principles of learning, developed by George Siemens (2004) run in parallel with Connected Learning. For example:
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Connectivist learning seeks accurate and up-to-date knowledge.
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CL is about real world, interest-based knowledge with an academic focus.
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Learning resides in a diversity of opinions.
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CL relies on full participation and communities to support the learner.
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Learning is a process of connecting information sources, and nurturing and maintaining connections.
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CL sees this as a key 21st century skill.
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Knowledge may reside in non-human appliances, e.g. a community, database or network.
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In connected learning knowledge resides in many places at once, the community of like minded people and the technology they use to share and build knowledge.
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The process of learning is more critical than the information that is known.
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CL networks can foster apprentice-like models or communities in which people share information with others who have similar interests. Establishing networks and understanding how to operate within communities are the key to continual learning.
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Decision-making is a learning process, dependent on the context, and the needs and viewpoints of the learner. What is the right answer now, may change tomorrow due to the shifting nature of information and context.
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This principle is illustrated by an example like the Hive project, an online community driven by common interest which is subject to trends.
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The interconnected and collaborative aspects of CL help the learners to develop the skills necessary to effectively use and develop the knowledge networks available to them. CL is adaptable and dynamic, it uses tools that can easily take into account new ideas and realities. Connected learners don’t have to wait for the next edition of the science textbook to know that Pluto is no longer a planet. Connected learners use their connections to extract knowledge about what is relevant to them; they don‘t have to learn something just because someone decided to put it in a textbook.