Connectivism

Twenty years ago the average person was limited in their acquisition of knowledge. As a child, I remember thinking that my ancient set of encyclopedias held all of the world’s information. One of my first research papers I remember writing was on starfish. I found the book labeled “S”, and since it was the biggest book, I expected to find tons of information about starfish. I was disappointed to find only two or three paragraphs on the sea creature and none of the specifics I was looking for. My next step was the library where I had to sort through the card catalog to find books I needed. I jotted down the numbers, and went in search of the perfect book only to discover it had been loaned to another library. Since I couldn’t find the information I needed, I had to switch topics to complete the paper.

The internet has changed the way individuals learn new things. No longer is information limited to experts in the field or hidden in the words of an unobtainable book. Today if I wanted to research starfish, a few clicks would take me to endless information and pictures. I could access videos of experts discussing all of the neat and interesting things I wanted to know. The internet has greatly influenced learning by providing networks for virtually unlimited access to all forms of knowledge.

Not only does technology provide us with information, but it gives us digital tools to help individuals deepen their learning. When learning new things, I prefer visual aids along with graphic organizers to help me organize my thoughts. Streaming video along with a good mind mapping software to help make connections are some of my favorites for personal learning. Despite your learning preferences, there are digital tools available to help deepen your learning.

Today, if I had to write a research paper on starfish, I would begin with the internet. Wikipedia provides a plethora of information on nearly any topic imaginable. From there, I would identify experts that can be contacted through e-mail, blogs, or websites. I could ask social networking contacts for information and even follow experts on Twitter. If I needed to find out about the latest research conducted on these interesting animals, I could search online databases to find current studies conducted. The options are limitless. The information I am looking for about starfish is probably identical to what I would have found twenty years ago. However, now I can efficiently access the information.

Constructivism and Collaboration

Collaboration has become an overwhelmingly popular term that is used throughout multiple fields and disciplines. It is rare that I can sit through a commercial break during primetime television without hearing this word used as a selling point. So what is all this hype about collaboration?

Howard Rheingold (2008) believes that it is a basic human instinct to “interact and work as a group”. Whether it’s human instinct or common sense, I believe that a group can accomplish much more than an individual. This idea isn’t new. Assembly lines show us that quantity increases when multiple people work together for a common cause. Is this collaboration? This has been known for over a century, so it still doesn’t explain the sudden focus on this single word. The problems facing our world today are too great for any one person to solve. Many are too great for a single discipline to solve. Collaboration is a platform for individuals to come together to produce a creative solution towards a common problem or cause. The quality of the end result is the key to collaboration.

Collaboration isn’t only receiving attention in the business world. Educators are beginning to understand the importance of collaboration as a learning tool in the classroom. The constructivist learning theory “rests on the assumption that knowledge is constructed by learners as they attempt to make sense of their experiences” (Driscoll, 200 p. 387). Students must experience complex problems before they can begin to solve them. Technology provides these opportunities for students. According to Edelson as cited in Driscoll (2005), with technology, “the potential is there for technology to play a “revolutionary role in supporting new forms of learning conversations in educational settings” (p. 398). As new technologies emerge, the capabilities technology will provide classrooms are limitless.

Edutopia and the George Lucas Foundation have discovered that “More than 1200 studies comparing cooperative, competitive, and individualistic efforts have found that cooperative learning methods improve students' time on tasks and intrinsic motivation to learn, as well as students' interpersonal relationships and expectations for success” (Vega & Terada, 2012). The multiple benefits discovered using collaboration in the classroom can be further explored at Edutopia. Educators are responsible for preparing for the future. In order to do this, we must prepare our students for the unknown.

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Vega, V., & Terada, Y. (2012, 12 5). Research Supports Collaborative Learning. Retrieved from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/stw-collaborative-learning-research

Conversations on Learning

Psychologists have been arguing over which learning theory is the “best” ever since their existence.  Arguments for or against cognitivism, behaviorism, connectivism, and connectivism dominate many intellectual debates on how learning occurs. Today these conversations can be found on blogs. I recently read one of these discussions between Bill Kerr, Karl Kapp, and Stephen Downes here where Kerr opposes cognitivism in favor for a behaviorist approach. Meanwhile Downes suggests behaviorism treats learners as machines and removes the human from the learner. This conversation led me to ponder where the individual teachers fit in with the debate.

Most teachers are probably learned the multiple learning theories in an educational psychology class while working on their undergraduate degrees. Some may even have identified themselves as a “behaviorist” or “cognitivist” during the course. However, as they progress through college and become educators themselves, these labels seem to fall away. If you casually ask a classroom teacher about how students best learn, I doubt “constructivism” or “connectivism” (or any other specific theory) would be a popular response. You are probably more likely to hear “hands-on activities” or “meaningful learning experiences”. I’m not saying teachers don’t know how students learn. Depending on your preferred brand, you could argue that these instructional approaches align with any of the learning theories. Which is basically the point I’m trying to make.

By the end of our bloggers’ debate, opinions and beliefs appear to merge closer together. Bill Kerr concludes his post with, “It seems to me that each _ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right.” Karl Kapp followed suit in his blog by stating, “The issue many forget is that “learning” is not one thing…it is a multi-layered word that tends to get treated as if it were just one thing…and it’s not. It is multi-facetted and that is why developing new models for “learning” is so difficult…there are too many levels for one school of thought or one model to do it all.”

I believe most teachers understand at some level that there is no single “correct” way to teach because there is no universal learning model. Making the assumption that there is would “dehumanize” our educators.

The Metaphorical Role of Educators

There are different beliefs about the role of educators in the learning process. Identifying the differences between learning models can be difficult. Therefore, using metaphorical roles can assist with understanding. Siemens (2008) uses metaphors to describe four of these different opinions. These learning models describe educators as a master artist, network administrator, concierge, and curator (Siemens, 2008).

John Seely Brown compares the role of an educator to that of a master artist and the classroom to an art studio. In this setting, the educator observes the work of the students and praises exemplary work. Students derive inspiration from not only the educator but from each other. “The activities of all students can serve to guide, direct, and influence the work of each individual” (Siemens, 2008 p. 15).

Clarence Fisher’s theory gives educators the role of network administrator. This model suggests that educators are responsible for assisting students in creating learning networks. Students acquire information from within their networks. The educator helps the students make connections between different sources to increase knowledge and addresses any possible gaps within the individual networks (Siemens, 2008).

Curtis Bonks uses the term concierge to describe the role of educators. In this model, educators lead learners to different resources and learning experiences. The educator then steps back, providing minimal guidance, while students explore and learn on their own (Siemens, 2008).

Siemens believes that educators should hold the role of curator. According to Siemens (2008), “a curatorial teacher acknowledges the autonomy of learners, yet understands the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map” (Siemens, 2008 p. 17). Within this model, students are free to explore knowledge and information within boundaries of the field.

Each of these learning models addresses the need for student autonomy with the educator being an expert in the field. However, the way the educator interacts with students throughout the learning process differs for each. I believe that in a digital classroom, educators should hold the role of curator. Without a guide, students could become lost in the vast amount of information and knowledge found on the Internet.

I relate a curator to a zoo keeper. A zoo keeper is an expert in the field and has a plethora of knowledge and information to share. He provides time for visitors to explore and discover based on personal interest. He sets up groups for visitors to explore with and learn from. A curator encompasses the roles of master artist, network administrator, and concierge. It provides a balance that allows students to explore and discover personal learning without ending up in the lion’s den.

This only displays four prospective roles of educators in a digital classroom. Bernard Bull provides additional roles here and suggests that educators need to take on multiple roles.

Resources

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved fromhttp://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf

Video Presentation Responses

On Saturday, February 16, 2013, LeAnn Morris, Sharmaine Sharusan, and I met synchronously on Skype as a learning community to discuss our video presentations.  Our meeting lasted roughly 55 minutes.  

Responses to my learning community:

LeAnn:

http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-6-video-presentation.html?showComment=1361137648116#c6787139894291661480

Shar:

http://docshar.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-6-video-presentation.html?showComment=1361138596090#c6952112504852694358

Additonal responses were made to the following:

Marha:

http://marthabless.posterous.com/video-presentation-trial-run

Lori: 

http://loridodd.blogspot.com/2013/02/sychronized-interactions-in-virtual.html?showComment=1361140468358#c3502841797757553335

Allison: 

http://allisonsedtechviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/plagiarism-video.html?showComment=1361141305270#c4172041738170403069

Credibility of Online Learning Video Presentation

Annotated References

Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC.

            Presents the research findings on the state of online learning in the United States.  This was the tenth year this research has been conducted.  Surveyed items include the growth in online education, perceptions and acceptance of online learning by faculty, as well as the effectiveness of online education in comparison to traditional educational settings.  Statistical graphs portray the changes occurred during the varying time frames.

Raj, S., & Al-Alawheh, M. (2010). A Perspective on Online Degrees Vs. Face-to-Face in the Academic Field Proceedings of the Fifth Conference of Learning International Networks Consortium. Cambridge, MA; LINC.

            Described the perspectives of employers in regards to the acceptability of online distant education programs of online doctoral degrees.  Delivers insight into the minds of hiring officials from multiple fields depicting the uncertainties surrounding online graduate degree programs.  Suggests new approaches to instructional design for online courses could improve these perceptions.

Richardson, J. (2010). Online Credentials: A State of Wariness. School Administrator, 67(8), 18-22.

            Discusses the skepticisms found in personnel directors towards individuals with a graduate degree that was primarily obtained online.  School districts are noted as being reluctant to hire administrators without a traditional education.  Research suggests that individuals with a degree obtained online are viewed as under qualified to potential employers.

Shelton, K. (2011). A Review of Paradigms for Evaluating the Quality of Online Education Programs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume IV, Spring 2011(Number I).

Sinow, R. &.-B. (2012). The Value and Acceptability of an Online Degree in Hiring Gatekeepers’ choice for Employment in the Multimedia Production Industry. Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 1918-1927). Chesapeake: AACE.

            Describes the acceptability of online degrees in the multimedia production industry.  Studies show that individuals with experience in online learning are more likely to accept online degrees.  Hiring personnel from technology-based fields find online degrees more credible than that of management fields.  Limitations to peer interaction is viewed as a weakness of online education.  General acceptance of online degree programs rises.

Udegbe, I. (2012, March). Attitudes of Prospective Human Resource Personnel towards Distance Learning Degrees. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, XV(1).

            Discusses the attitudes of human resource personnel towards obtaining online degrees.  The majority of those surveyed believed traditional campus-based universities provided a more rigorous experience.  Nearly 43% of respondents stated that they would not hire someone with an online degree.  Overall, only a third of employers surveys had favorable attitudes towards online learning.

Vukelic, B. &. (2011). Employers' evaluation of online education. Annals Of DAAAM & Proceedings, 1471-1472.

            Research studies conducted in Austria discovered employers held negative opinion towards applicants with online degrees.  90% stated that online degrees did not provide adequate skills and/or knowledge for successful potential employees.  It was noted that often it is difficult to differentiate between degrees obtained online and degrees earned from a traditional academic setting.

Zain-Ul-Abdin, K. &. (2010). The acceptability of online degrees in teacher training and hiring. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2010 (pp. 995-1000). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

            Provides research findings on high school principals’ acceptance of potential teachers with licensure degrees obtained online.  Findings showed that 95% of those surveyed would not hire a teacher with an online degree.  Meanwhile, 99% stated they would choose an applicant with a traditional education over one with an online degree.  The participants’ reasoning was that online programs could not provide adequate socialization required of effective teachers.

Additional Resources

Todd Oppenheimer clips retrieved from YouTube: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYPLM4PoZSU&feature=share&list=PLDNCUyHEfxsAG3Wg9HDiEnvFbMIWGKlqm

Images retrieved from:

www.openculture.com 

www.123rf.com

www.franklin.edu

www.onlineuniversities.com

www.geteducated.com

Static versus Dynamic Technologies

I believe I fall somewhere between static and dynamic on this continuum.  According to Moller (2008), "The middle-of-the-road approaches allow learners to interact with the content." However, in thinking of distance education, I believe that higher levels of learning occur when using more dynamic tools.  In order for me to move towards dynamic technologies, I must first gain a deep understanding of how to use the technologies.  While I have experience in Google Apps, wikis, and Dropbox, I don't feel like my level of knowledge is enough to be able to successfully integrate them into a distance education setting.  Research shows that a teacher's experience with the technologies is more important than teaching experience (Fahy, 2008).  Therefore, as I increase my abilities with the different dynamic tools, I will become more effective as a distance education educator.

Fahy, P. (2008). Characteristics of Interactive Online Learning Media. The Theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed., pp. 305-340). Edmonton: AU Press

Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper].

Reply to LeAnn
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-5-moving-toward-dynamic_3.html?showComment=1360441368126#c6055820194136637570

Reply to Shar
http://docshar.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-5-static-versus-dynamic.html?showComment=1360441780522#c256110228732031420