Joyful Connectedness – “Learning occurs in social networks”

Term (and the learning) is over, and so is LIBR534 – our course on ‘Health information sources and services’. In our last class, the student health librarians formed small groups and brainstormed what they will ‘take away’ from the 13-week course on health librarianship. We asked them to consider core issues related to the new pedagogies we used in LIBR534, including what worked well – and what didn’t. What did they found most memorable? How many want to be health librarians?

Now, we are in the throes of assessing term papers, search assignments and participation. To encourage connectedness, we used a blended ‘social learning’ approach of in-class discussions and online sharing of ideas and information via Vista, a Blackboard-like content management system. All of the connections that were made reminded me that the work we do using educational technologies belongs to an emerging pedagogy called connectivism.

This 5-minute video provides a good introduction to George Siemen’s connectivist ideas. Take a good look and let me know your thoughts…~Dean

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