Connectivism learning theory

1. Connectivism Learning Theory
Kurdistan Regional Government
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Nawroz University
Centre of Pedagogy
Presenters: Mohammad Faisal
2020 - 2021

2. An Overview
Siemens and Downes initially received increasing attention in the blogosphere in
2005 when they discussed their ideas concerning distributed knowledge. An extended
discourse has ensued in and around the status of ‘connectivism’ as a learning theory
for the digital age. This has led to a number of questions in relation to existing
learning theories.
Do they still meet the needs of today’s learners, and anticipate the needs of learners of
the future? Would a new theory that encompasses new developments in digital
technology be more appropriate, and would it be suitable for other aspects of learning,
including in the traditional class room, in distance education and e-learning?

3. Connectivism is defined as “actionable knowledge, where an understanding of where
to find knowledge may be more important than answering how or what that
knowledge encompasses” (Duke, Harper, and Johnston, 2013, p. 7).
Siemens (2004) states, “A community is the clustering of similar areas of interest that
allows for interaction, sharing, dialoguing, and thinking together.”
According to connectivism, knowledge is distributed across an information network
and can be stored in a variety of digital formats. Learning and knowledge are said to
“rest in diversity of opinions” (Siemens, 2008, para. 8).
Learning transpires through the use of both the cognitive and the affective domains;
cognition and the emotions both contribute to the learning process in important ways.

4. What does connectivism look like in the classroom?
From a learner-centered teaching perspective, Connectivism provides opportunities for students to
make choices about their learning. Connectivism promotes group collaboration and discussion,
allowing for different viewpoints and perspectives to aid in problem-solving, decision-making, and
making sense of information.
The following is a basic lesson based on Connectivism in a higher education technology lab course.
For this example, the undergraduate students are preparing to become secondary agriculture education
teachers.

5. Principles of Connectivism
1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
2. Learning is a process of connecting information from specialists.
3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
4. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
5. Connections are needed to facilitate continual learning.
6. Ability to see connections between information is a core skill.
7. Decision-making is itself a learning process.

6. Connectivism as a Unifier

7. Impact on Education
Positive
- Information are readily available
- Building a network of new connections
- Students are the main focus of the learning process
Negative
- Retention of information is no longer important
- Connections lose their value over time
- Many ambiguous information available