Connectivism: Museums as Learning Ecologies

Presented to Canadian Heritage Information

NetworkMarch 9, 2006

George Siemens

Learning TheoriesTheory Learning model Learning

resides

Behaviourism “Black box” Behaviour demonstration

Cognitivism Computer-model

In the mind of the individual – processed

Constructivism

Creation or construction of meaning (Building)

In the mind of the individual –constructed

Connectivism Networks and ecologies, connections

Distributed, in network

What is the museum’s view?

What is the museum’s definition of learning?

Function of museums

• Memory• Study/research• Knowledge sharing• Learning

How well are museums doing?

Challenge: how to improve learning

• Improving the learning aspect of museums:– In recognition of existence (public head space)

– Valuation– In process– In Method

• Online• Face to face• Blended

Democratizing Learning

• Let the learners decide• In all cases? What about educational

targets, standards, established criteria within fields?

• Link tool with intent– Facets - Bloom, Fink, Wiggins:

• Integral• “Small pieces, anywhere, any tool, any

time” (learning is in the aggregate)

The 5 C’s of learning today

What about community?

• Spaces for industry professionals to dialogue with each other…

• Spaces for learning providers to learn• Spaces for visitors to learn• Where does community fall short?

Where is the new value point?

• User-controlled Integration– Time– Device– Space– Format

• Content• Dialogue• Aspect of ecology

Blending realities

• Online and face-to-face• Online is physical is online

It’s coming undone…

• “Things fall apart; the Center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world” (Yeats)

• Decentralization and distributed representation of knowledge– Critical in diverse, rapidly developing

knowledge spaces

• Conundrum: complex environments, without a filtered center, are overwhelming

What’s happening in libraries?

Intent: Relevance• Connections: people, technology,

information…in context• Device independent• Ubiquitous • Move to openness• Multi-faceted: experts, conversation-

based, information-coaching• “Learning commons” - integrated

Connectivism

• Learning as network creation• Knowledge rests in networks• Diversity• Non-human devices• “Know-where” more important than

“know-what” and “know-how”• Pattern recognition is key• Currency of knowledge is critical

Connectivism Taxonomy

• Awareness and Receptivity• Connection-forming• Contribution and Involvement• Pattern Recognition• Meaning-making• Praxis

Move from creating content to creating space in which content

is explored

Functionality of ecologies…

• DIVERSITY• Learning informally• Self-expression• Dialogue/debate• Archived knowledge• Structured learning (courses)• Apprentice/mentor• Tool-rich• Capacity for “centering elements”

Tools and death by buzzwords

• Blogs• Wikis• Podcasts• Games• Story telling• Immersive learning• Situated learning• Communities of

practice

• Social bookmarking• Tags and

folksonomies• Video logging• Wireless• Emergent• Ubiquitous• RSS• Aggregators

Transitioning museums

• Create ecologies• Teaching teachers• Networks/CoPs for practitioners• Extending technology (ubiquitous)• Blending

– Adding tech to F2F– Adding sociability to online

Begin…grow capacity