This week we reviewed connectivism learning theory and adult learning. According to Siemens, “connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired and the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. Also critical is the ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday.” (Siemens, 2005) George Siemens’ theory of connectivism combines three different components:
According to Davis, “The ability to see connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill.” (Davis, Edmonds and Kelly-Bateman, 2008) Brainstorming techniques are a way to visualize the connections within a network of information. As learners in today’s complex world we must utilize our own personal networks to facilitate learning. “We must create networks which, simply defined, are connections between entities. By using these networks - of people, of technology, of social structures, of systems, of power grids, etc. - learning communities can share their ideas with others, thereby “cross-pollinating” the learning environment.” (Davis, Edmonds and Kelly-Bateman, 2008) One of the ways we can visualize networks is to create a mind map. According to Connie Malamed, “Mind maps are a fluid way to visualize ideas through a diagrammatic structure. They graphically depict the connections between related concepts and ideas.” (Malamed, no date) Mind mapping promotes visualization, critical thinking, and decision making skills and other benefits. It allows us to make visual connections to complex pieces of information and allows us to organize it into smaller chunks of related data. Mind mapping also promotes information retention and retrieval. Our assignment this week was to create a mind map of our own learning network. (I used a free trial of the mind mapping tool called Mind Genius Business 6.) The process of creating a mind map allowed me to brainstorm and then organize the data in a way that made sense to me. The visual aspect of mind mapping allows me to visualize all of the complex parts that make up my learning network. It is apparent that my network of learning is constantly growing as I meet new people, have new experiences and learn new ideas. Every node of my learning network contributes to how I process new information and serves as a reference to new experiences and knowledge. Based on my mind map I can see how collaborations between learners can provide a huge amount of information that can be shared and built upon in the educational process. It also underlines the fact that each learner brings his own perspectives to the educational process. Overall, I see value in mind mapping and how it can be utilized to organize large amounts of information of seemingly unrelated information into a structured that highlights hidden relationships, ultimately bringing chaos into order. So have you tried mind mapping in your instructional design? I would love to hear your experiences! References
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism Malamed, C. (no date) The eLearning Coach. Available at: http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/designing-with-mind-maps/ (Accessed: 4 October 2015). Mind Mapping in Education (2015) Available at: http://www.mindmapping.com/mind-mapping-in-education.php (Accessed: 4 October 2015). Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, Retrieved November 03, 2008, from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
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Stacy SpringerWelcome to my blog! I am passionate about great Instructional Design and Educational Technology. Let's start a discussion! Archives
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