Knowledge+Building+and+Connectivism

Nov 5, 2011 ~ Joan's class notes:

**Knowledge Building –**
This is different than acquiring knowledge

How does it become a common shared growing knowledge?

Student note taking - must examine all aspects:

Teacher output (lecture) – student intake – student recap (note taking)

Knowledge Forum software – online space where students can work together (similar to moodle). This is the tool, not the method.

Students do inquiry-based studies – interpreting together, building on each other’s ideas.

__Themes that underlie knowledge building__: ( Marlene Scardamalia and Carl Beretier, who are constructivists)
 * Knowledge advancement as a community rather than individual achievement
 * Knowledge advancement as idea improvement rather than as progress toward true or warranted belief
 * Knowledge //of// in contrast to knowledge //about//
 * Discourse as collaborative problem solving rather than as argumentation
 * Constructive use of authoritative information
 * Understanding as an emergent (not something that you have or don’t have .. it is always emerging)

// Is this a cross-over between connectionism and constructivism? //

__ Principles of connectivism: From: ____ A Learning Theory for the Digital Age __

( George Siemens)


 * 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. Information? – Aritficial intelligence: robot or knowledge resides in our artifacts or we learn through the creation of artifacts :constructionism?
 * 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.

~ Explore the ways that these two lists of principles/themes are similar.

__ How do you learn online? __

(How do knowledge building and connectivism relate to learning online?)

Internet is a way to blend learning about and learning of?

Is the internet the new version of the textbook?

Web1.0 – old style approach to … it was “publishing.” Everyone who used the web was a consumer. There were very few ‘experts’ / ‘producers.’ One-way communication

Web2.0 Now we are both the creators and consumers. Multiusers. Collaborators. Two-way communication.

__ Personal Learning Network __ – network created individually using technologies tools. Intentionally trying to go to places that are disseminating information that you are interested in. Learners create connections to develop and expand their knowledge. We’ve always had this … it is whoever it is you live, work with, and learn from. This is expanding exponentially because of the internet. How can social networks be harnessed into PLNs?

__ Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) __ – Large … course where the participants are distributed and course materials also are dispersed across the web. This is a way of connecting distributed instructors and learners across a common topic. Not for everyone?