Unlimited Connection: The Impact of Connectivism on My Learning Network

Technology has always been a part of my learning network in one form or another; I can recall several mornings learning numbers with The Count from Sesame Street or catering to my love of all things science through The Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet. In his discussion of Connectivism, George Siemens (2008) states “information abundance requires that we offload our cognitive capacity onto a network of people and technology.”  Although learning occurs within the individual, Vygotsky emphasized the importance social interactions and co-construction of learning through social interactions (Timeline of the History of Learning, 2008).  Even though I was born in the eighties and could be considered a “digital native” because I grew up using the internet and using various forms of technology, I have witnessed my learning network grow more intricate over the last twenty-seven years.  Before using the internet for the first time in 1998, my learning network was mainly built around my teachers, family, friends, books, and television.  Now it includes these resources and many more.

            The instantaneous accessibility to knowledge has affected my network the greatest.  I can remember going the library and going through the card catalog to find the resources I needed to complete a research assignment.  A few years later, I began looking for printed resources in the electronic database in the library and combining those resources with information found online.  Now with the inclusion of scholarly databases, pdf files, and eBooks, I rarely leave the comfort of my own home to find knowledge on any given topic.

The internet has been my greatest instrument for learning because it provides the opportunity for distance learning.  I am able to connect to my classes through my gaming device at home, my cell phone, and laptop. Without it, I would not have been able to conveniently further my education and balance my work and home life.   In the digital age, it is very rare to have unanswered questions on a topic because the retrieval of knowledge is at my fingertips.  If one author can make—let’s say the behaviorist theory—understandable, I have the option to read discussions about the theory from classmates, email my instructor for clarity, or research the topic online and see the opinions and research of other scholars in the process.  The options are endless due to Connectivism.  

Flash Media Program: Timeline of the History of Learning. http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6115/01/mm/tec_timeline.html

Siemens, G. (2008). Connectivism. Laureate Education