6 Connectivism (Jan. 5 - 11)

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Siemens (article)

World without Walls: Learning Well with Others (article)


The Changing Nature of Knowledge - George Siemens (video)


Siemens on Knowledge Part I (video)


Siemens on Knowledge Part II (video)

"Gonzalez (2004) describes the challenges of rapidly diminishing knowledge life:

“One of the most persuasive factors is the shrinking half-life of knowledge. The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete. Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD). To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”"

"Principles of connectivism (Siemens article):

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
• Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision."

Those of us at CCSNH who are advocates of the critical importance of online learning, social networking (Facebook), using a constantly updated online CCSNH knowledgebase to support students and faculty, the essential nature of technology skills for all students and people who work at CCSNH, career networking sites (Linkedin), etc. are constantly dealing with faculty who are advocates of outdated learning. We are appalled to hear people say students don't need to know technology, online learning is a fad, and social networking is a risky thing to be avoided. Faculty who like small courses dominated by lecture and some group discussion are often hard to persuade that students need to be completely conversant with technology, need to master networking skills and have to become adept at collaboration, sharing, group work, building, communicating with technology, building networks to draw upon for social and professional reasons or they will not be prepared for the 21st century work place or life in this age of connected learning.

The fact that knowledge is doubling every 18 months should be enough to help faculty understand that major change is underway and what students will need to be successful is now very different. Some faculty are preparing students for a world that no longer exists. Some teachers are stuck in other era and outmoded ways of teaching.

CCSNH is a learning organization, but within it are many faculty, teaching in their own silos, who are not aware of the connected nature of learning in 2009 or what students need to be successful in the workplace. Students have a richness of connections in their personal life - cell phone, text messaging, instant messaging, gmail, Facebook, Myspace, computer technology, Blackboard, video chat, videogames, , AOL chat, online dating, Google, Flickr - online pictures, Youtube, etc. When they encounter a course taught by faculty in a sequential, read the textbook, take quizzes, write a paper, get a grade manner - they are not interested, not engaged, are bored by lack of technology or richness of content and often drop the course or worse yet, drop out of the college.

I like the video Jeff posted so much that I added it here to future reference:

The Networked Student