Note: This post is in response to Week 4 Module 4 Blog 1
How do we learn in the 21st Century? Indeed, what
do we need to learn in an age where information is both readily available and
changing rapidly? Siemens proposed addressing the requirements of a digital age
with a new learning theory of Connectivism (Siemens, 2005). This theory proposes that “connections” are the
primary objective of learning and in order to teach, we need to understand how
to build, influence and strengthen connections. Connections are the process via
which we link information sources. Knowledge is considered to be distributed
and the concepts of “know-how” and “know-what” are being supplemented with “know-where”
(Siemens, 2005). Students are learning how to access information
and connect with appropriate sources.
Connectivism appears to have been designed to replace
previous learning theories such as Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism
though some authors regard it has more of a phenomenon (Bell, 2011)
or an instructional theory (Duke, Harper, & Johnston, 2013) than a learning theory. In
general I feel that being a staunch proponent of any one learning theory can be
problematic – even when learning foundational skills a combination of
strategies is used – e.g. children will usually learn to recite the alphabet or
count to 10 before they truly understand the meaning of letters and numbers and
construct their own views and uses. Learning theories do not need to be
exclusive – they can be merged and, based on research, cherry picked, depending
on the task at hand. Robyler and Doering (2014)
suggest this merging, advocating for teachers to make a conscious effort to
match technology resources to problems which are better or more easily addressed
with the use of technology (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 62) rather than attempting to
align with a particular learning theory.
Does technology need to change pedagogy? Whilst Siemens (2005)
would seem to have made this assumption in saying that many processes
previously handled by learning theories can now be offloaded to technology, I
would have to disagree with this. The introduction of technology on its own
does not necessarily change the way we teach (Wright, 2015).
Ultimately, unless a wholesale change is made to curriculum and assessment, we
still need to teach the same skills, albeit supplemented with the ability to
use technology appropriately. The Technology Integration Model (TIP) for
teachers (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 67) offers a model which, whilst
ensuring that technology is appropriately considered, also ensures that the
pedagogy and content outcomes are also addressed. Importantly TIP also includes
an analysis and revision phase which will help to determine the impact of the
technology integration and improvements for future lessons. By measuring our
impact we can ensure that technology is used in a way which positively
influences outcomes.
Bell, F. (2011).
Connectivism: Its place in theory-informed research and innovation in
technology-enabled learning. 2011, 12(3),
21. doi:10.19173/irrodl.v12i3.902
Duke, B., Harper, G., & Johnston, M. (2013). Connectivism as a
digital age learning theory. The
International HETL Review, 2013(Special Issue), 4-13.
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2014). Integrating educational technology into teaching (Sixth
international ed.). Harlow, Essex: Pearson.
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital
age. International Journal of
Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3-10.
Wright, N. (2015). Vignettes of pedagogical practices with ipads:
Reinforcing pedagogy, not transforming it. International
Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD), 3(5), 62-73.
doi:10.4018/ijopcd.2015070105
Some insightful questions! I might have to reconsider some of the points made in my blog now after reading this! I particularly like your point about technology alone not changing pedagogy in terms of skills taught, but I do believe it does have the potential to transform teaching practices.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Lauren
Thanks Lauren! It is exciting to know I've actually made someone think. I'm finding this subject quite interesting - I think there is a real tension between curriculum, pedagogy and technology use.
DeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI agree one hundred percent with your concern about teaching students just one way of doing things. One of the most powerful experiences for me to learn a mathematical concept is to see how it is approached in many different ways. When that happens I can see what is the same and what is different. It helps me to see the key points from the peripheral. Your point is well made and important.