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