Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age: Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age:

Michael Crawford and Christine Crawford

Instructional Design and Technology

UND

Using Connectivism and Technology in the ClassroomUsing Connectivism and Technology in the Classroom

IntroductionsIntroductions

• How I heard about it

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My NetworkMy Network

The GoalsThe Goals

• Foundations

• Teach the basic concepts of Connectivism– Decreasing half-life of knowledge

• Define and describe networks

• Define their implications for the classroom– tools

• How they (the implications) effect lifelong learning

FoundationsFoundations• Behaviorism - “black box” of behaviorism (we don’t know what

happens inside, so we just focus on the behavior).

• Cognitivism - Ausubel and others presented a computer-processing model (inputs, processing, coding for retrieval and outputs).

• Constructivism - More recently, constructivism has been presented as a free-floating theory of learning as an individually constructed experience.

• Connectionist – the connection strengths among processing units which allows a pattern to be activated

• But…they can’t support the knowledge explosion without some new way to understand learning.

Cog

nitiv

ism

Constructionism

Connectivism

Connectivism - What is it?Connectivism - What is it?

Principles of Connectivism:• 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.

• Why do I care?

What is knowledge?What is knowledge?

• Soft knowledge– Rapidly changing

• Hard knowledge– Relatively consistent over time

1938Behaviorism

1969Social Learning

1978Social Development

Half-life of knowledgeHalf-life of knowledge

ALL knowledge?ALL knowledge?Encyclopedia-

The idea of collecting all of the world's knowledge into a single work was an elusive vision for centuries. Many writers of antiquity (such as Aristotle) attempted to write comprehensively about all human knowledge. One of the most significant of these early encyclopedists was Pliny the Elder (first century CE), who wrote the Naturalis Historia (Natural History), a 37-volume account of the natural world that was widely copied in western Europe for much of the Middle Ages.

-wikipedia.org

What is Learning?What is Learning?

NetworksNetworks

• What is a network?

• How do we build networks?

• How do we develop networks?

• How do we maintain networks?

• (by applying the principles of Connectivism)

• What networks have you found to be most beneficial?

ToolsTools

• Blogs

• Wikis

• E-books (Knowing Knowledge)

• What else?

The digital native disconnect & knowledge management

The digital native disconnect & knowledge management

• Prenksy‘s “digital natives”

• Charactoristicss of entering students– High tech / limited exposure

– Low discernment

– Social oriented use of tech

– Uninformed unsophisticated knowledge consumers

• Desired traits of Graduates– Lifelong learners

– Intelligent knowledge consumers

– Basic knowledge and ability to adapt

– Learning and networking technology use

IncorporatingIncorporating

• How do we incorporate Connectivism into our learning environments?

ImplicationsImplications

• How does the difference between types of knowledge effect how you teach?