Connectivism: Reflection

Connectivism: Get Connected!


Having the memory of an elephant is not one of my strong suits. That being said, in this ever changing technologically advanced society of ours, how could I possibly manage to retain much of anything I've learned and are continuing to learn? Connectivism is driven by the understanding that our decisions are based on rapidly changing underpinnings, so the decisions themselves are not stagnant either (2008). So keeping up with this new information becomes necessary in order to be able to apply pertinent information to the learning process rather than that which is no longer relevant. That's where the connections factor in. I'll return to that concept in a moment. 


According to Davis, Edmunds and Kelly-Bateman (2008), where prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility come together; learning occurs. Thus, if one has the prior knowledge, experience, perception and flexibility, but lacks the reality and comprehension because that web-based application that they were familiar with as a learning tool now has new enhancements and the older version virtually obsolete, how does he/she learn? Returning to the prior discussion on connections may clarify these concepts: Connectivism explains how I, the memory-failure, and others may hope to reduce the amount of immaterial information we retain and gain that which keeps us up to date. A central concept of Connectivism is that people learn through the networks they construct to obtain knowledge. These networks are certainly how I am able to keep up with rapidly changing substance in order to facilitate learning.


I'd never joined a blogging network or posted one myself prior to taking this online course. I'd also had no clue how an RSS feed works or why it is important. I now utilize these tools both to post things that are new to me and my understanding of them, as well as, to read how others have interpreted similar information. I have found that through using blog sites and RSS feeds to keep up with related information, I am learning a lot more than I would have through my research alone or through simple lectures or reading assignments. The ability to gain access to other's thoughts and have them critique your own, fosters deeper understandings of referenced topics and aids me in the learning process. Networking tools such as Facebook and Linked in also keep me abreast of new and exciting information. There is so much going on daily, that I'd never be exposed to even a third of what I learn were it not for the information I gather through reading and sharing on these social networks. YouTube is another digital tool that has changed the way I seek and share information. I mean seriously, how would any of us have learned how to "jail break" iPhones, or take the case apart to reconnect the home key, were it not for YouTube? I seriously had no clue how to disassemble my phone to fix a simple problem until I saw the video online. That information saved me hundreds of dollars! Have questions? All I have to do is simply post them on the related site through sharing comments and people from all over have answers (some very right, and others way off the mark).



References


Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 7/26/11, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism






 

Connectivism

To Learn or Not to Learn? – That is the Question

This week, I went on an expedition where I explored the brain and several theories related to how we learn. The most interesting of which, in my humble opinion, is the Information Processing Theory. This theory according to Ormond, Schunk, and Gredler (2009) focuses on how people think about their surroundings; how information is gathered from those surroundings and turned into knowledge; and what people do with the knowledge. Thadani (2010) explains in simpler terms that Information Processing Theory shows us how information is received, processed and then retrieved in the human brain.

 

 

In the article Information Processing Theory, Rahul Thadani explains, the theory by breaking it down into sub categories, as well as, offering links to more websites containing information on related theories. The sub categories are arranged as follows:

1. Information Processing Model
   
2. Information Processing Theory
   
3. Information Processing and Management
   

Although, I gained more specific information from required reading, I found this article to be particularly helpful in that it explains the Information Processing Theory in an organized and simplistic manner for readers/researchers. The links to related sites may also be a useful tool for future research. You can access this article through the following link: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/information-processing-theory.html.

 

Another interesting piece of information I found in my research was related to the same theory, however, it focused on a specific area of the theory: The Encoding Process. Through accessing the following link, I found a webpage entitled the Memory Expansion Channel, which explained the encoding process in detail: http://www.brainchannels.com/Memory/encoding/encoding.html.

 

The site, which is focused on several areas of the brain, explains the encoding process in terms of helping others to maintain memories. In it, the following topics are discussed:

The Encoding Process - Laying Down Memories

Shallow Encoding

Elaborative Encoding

Engrams: How the Brain Stores Memories

 

 

Again, though not as detailed as what may be found in Learning theories and Instruction (Ormond, 2009), this page gives the reader more direct and (possibly) understandable explanations of the encoding process. I found it interesting and memorable due to the graphics and organization. As a research tool, this site can also serve one in understanding the learning process and finding alternate ways of presenting such information.

 

References

 

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson

Schacter, Daniel L., MD. (1996). Memory Expansion Channel: The encoding process – laying down memories. Searching for Memory, the Brain, the Mind, and the Past. Retrieved July 10, 2011, from http://www.brainchannels.com/Memory/encoding/encoding.html : Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group.

Thadani, Rahul. (2010). Information Processing Theory. Buzzle.com Intelligent Life on the Web. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/information-processing-theory.html

Instructional Design Blog Resources: Dummy Proof?

Instructional Design Blog Resources: Dummy Proof or Expert Only?

As a novice in the area of instructional design and technology, locating tools to aid in the development of skills in this area is of great importance. Also, being a beginner, my opinions in the area of whether or not a blog, newsletter, or other related tool for seeking information is sufficiently “dummy proof”.

The first site, WordPress.com, offered significant amounts of informational blogs (offered by various authors) related to instructional design. In my exploration of several posted blogs/articles, I found content related to everything from making movie trailers and instructional design tips, to learning theory discussions and using specific programs to design computer based training. This site can be accessed through the following link: http://en.wordpress.com/tag/instructional-design/

This site is seems very useful when one is simply looking to read up on instructional design opinions/articles, without a specific focus. In this case, the information available can seem limitless. However, it can be time consuming and a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, if you are looking for information in a particular area of instructional design. I found the organization to be much like exploring internet search engines without a specific enough topics to narrow down your search results.

Next, I explored the Internet Time Blog through the following link: http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html

This blog seemed a lot more simplistic in its layout/organization and also offered a large amount of insight into instructional design. In this blog design principles, history, effectiveness, types of designs, designing tips, and much more was offered.  The blog ordered instructional design information in sections, by title (Instructional,  User Interface, Learning Objects, Graphic, Web, Information Architecture, Visual Thinking, Software, Industrial). I found the organization to be very useful and it will serve as a definite reference tool and or guide when developing my instructional design program.  

Lastly, the Instructional Design for eLearning approaches blog, where one person offers insight into instructional technology and eLearning, at http://ideas.blogs.com/ is another very useful tool. In this blog, there is a brief discussion of instructional design learning objectives, planning and management, and online learning benefits.  Then, there are chapters offered on faculty development. There were categories with alternate links to varying topics of use as well.  I see this blog as a development tool for pushing for eLearning within departments/learning institutions. However, I wouldn’t rely on it solely for the purpose of learning about instructional design.

.