How Do You Learn? EM203

Originally I thought the learning style that best pertained to myself was learning by doing because I have grown up in a sports infused household that stresses to ‘practice how you play’.  As a previous athlete, practices would entail a visual portion (recapping the previous game) and outdoor practices, that adjust our flaws are then worked out on the field. For myself, I responded to the physical component of practice because I would work out the tactical issues I was struggling with in real-time game mode. Sports and physical activity are forms of experiential learning because it allows individuals to reflect on previous experiences, understand flaws, and adjust accordingly. However, upon researching the various other categories I believe I fit into the connectivism theory. There is an amplitude of learning styles that accommodate each person differently. As a communications student, it is crucial that I remain interconnected at all times to ensure clarity on a given topic. My laptop is the primary medium that I revert to because it allows me to make links between ideas and facts where uncertainty may arise. In a classroom setting, my laptop usage varies anywhere from My Learning Space to course curriculum, Microsoft Word, Readings and simple Google searches. Since technology has reorganized our lives, it has greatly impacted our daily routines, the way in which we communicate, and learning techniques.

What is Connectivism?

Connectivism is described as the way in which knowledge is spread throughout a digital network, allowing users to share and acquire information at real-time. Connectivism can be an overwhelming learning style because of the surplus of information that comes and goes as more recent information is released. As new information is continuously released, it encourages individuals to filter through facts, deeming it important or unimportant.  As Siemens and Downes discuss, the teacher’s role in connectivism learning relies more on the individual participant as it is self organized and continuously shifting core elements (Simens). As Bates discusses, ‘learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database)” (Bates, 2.6). It is argued that connectivism focuses on the interrelating information sets and the connections that allow individuals to increase their knowledge rather than the state of simply knowing. Connectivism considers mediums as extensions of knowledge. A learning environment that is constructed around connectivism is characterized by teacher’s providing environments that inspires individuals to create their own successful setting among peers. The intent of this learning theory is that knowledge will develop when students are amongst others that are sharing information acquired and personal bias. The exposure of information from alternative viewpoints promotes diversity of thought and allows for the autonomous to reflect and form a conclusion that summarizes their opinions.

Connectivism and I?

Connectivism pertains to my learning style most accurately because wherever I go, I am always searching for new stories, defining words and looking up particular places. Technology has shaped the way I look at information that I encounter and encourages further research to take place. In particular, connectivism is the learning theory that best supports my approach to EM203; students are arranged in groups where we share our knowledge about the past week’s material to better our understanding and gain diverse perspectives. Connectivism is considered the generation of knowledge and fluidity of interconnected ideas that are created in a given network. This learning theory works best in settings where there are outlets such as Wi-Fi that extend globally allowing individuals to retain and share knowledge with others. The multi-way transfer of knowledge promotes diversity of opinions because often mainstream media contains a heavy bias and frames news stories in ways that benefit certain ideologies. Being able to connect with individuals in different regions of the world is a component of connectivism that relates well with my type of learning because as a writer, I strive to acquire the true facts and aim to filter out fake news. For many assignments, including this one, I have reverted to the Internet as a source for scholarly articles and examples that support my claims.

Education should allow the presence of digital technologies in classrooms because it makes way for teachers to engage students in unconventional ways that regain attention such as YouTube videos, articles and links to images. Students often doze off when sitting in a lecture of 200+ people… teachers could incorporate digital technologies to create an appealing learning environment for students. 140 Characters is a different classroom in the sense that online courses help students with time management. The weekly Twitter challenges along with posting to class Wiki’s or our group discussions are all methods that I have partaken in. Additionally, I am learning how to work new programs such as ToonDoo, building graphs and completing challenges. I prefer online courses because I am able to arrange my extracurricular activities based on due dates. This course specifically has exposed me to a class wiki, group chats and different ways to acquire and deliver information. The data gathered from class surveys proves the use of technology is an imperative component of our daily lives. More often than not, when walking into a classroom, 95% of students are writing notes digitally while searching the Internet for clarification on topics to better their understandings.

My blog fits into the Connectivism theory because the Internet has deemed itself to be a useful tool in completing this given assignment because I am posting on my personal blog along with a visual aid (poster). I chose to post this assignment on my blog because I have an established following base, and have made connections with bloggers worldwide. This allows the flow of information and work I created to circulate digitally, I also can share other bloggers posts and build off of the opinions of others. Without the notion of connectivity and the digital network, I would be unable to complete the “How Do You Learn” assignment due to the digital databases ability to broaden individual perception and knowledge in order to support theories and cite work.  I included the poster listing the ‘pros and cons of connectivism’ in my blog post because when individuals are researching particular concepts, they often choose information with visual components because it helps process notions. Also, by including a visual component I am able to draw in individuals that pertain to that form of learning. EM203 is a course that stresses the importance of connectivism because of the weekly Twitter challenge, it is boosting conversation in the twittisphere between peers to share and acquire knowledge.  One note that many of my group members pointed out in our chat was the negative component of digital technologies in classrooms because of the heavy distractions. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the countless websites that students browse through while in an uneventful lecture. Personally, I am also guilty of straying off topic. However, group members brought up the importance of interaction between prof and student in lecture. The usage of clickers, powerpoints, surveys and in class responses are all viable factors that can reinforce the importance of focus in classrooms.

Normally online courses consist of readings paired with a discussion post however, EM203 has taken the concept of learning by doing and applied it to digital platforms. By assigning different ways to foster creativity, it allows students to broaden their sense of knowledge and test out programs that they were unfamiliar with. I have not experienced an online class that encourages students to complete a hard task and submit evidence until last week. Completing a difficult Sudoku puzzle is an example of learning by doing because I had to work though all my individual struggles. In all honesty, I did use Connectivism to help complete the assignment because I had to refresh myself on instructions and acquire the puzzle to complete it. Therefore, I believe learning by doing and connectivism are learning theories that pertain to my personality. Memorization within classrooms are not as prevalent in the 21^st century as they historically once were (Downes). The influence of digital technologies has provided society with the option to “Google it”, rather than take time to work on memorization.

Connectivism is a model of learning that is aware of the current shifts in modern day society where the traditional notebook and pencil has become outdated and the emergence of digital technology in classrooms, daily lives and careers has become prominent. Learning has shifted from being an internal, individualistic activity to an interconnected culture. The education system has been slow to accept connectivism because there are some teachers that believe digital technologies are distractions due to the endless possibilities that linger on the Internet, drawing students away from the task at hand. However, in my opinion, living in a digital era, the use of digital technologies and connectivism as a model of learning will not only benefit students by teaching them the imperative skills of the given era, but also transferrable skills that can be used in careers.

Works Cited

Bates, Tony. "The nature of knowledge and the implications for teaching." Teaching in a Digital Age. Tony Bates Associates Ltd, 2015.

Downes, Stephen. Connectivism as Learning Theory. 21 April 2014. <http://halfanhour.blogspot.ca/2014/04/connectivism-as-learning-theory.html>.

Simens, George. "Connectivism." A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. ELearnSpace, 2004.