EDUC - Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

 

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

          Perhaps the most interesting topic to me as an educator in this technological world is the idea of social learning theory. With the advancements in technology today, we have become a world of social networks. We are now able to interact with people that we have never imagined we could interact with before. We can use those interactions to learn more information about a given topic, obtain feedback about something we are working on, and use that feedback to reflect and improve on practices and ideas that we may use in our job, our education, or our personal lives.

            Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a) says social learning theory principles build upon constructionist thoughts in that individuals learn best when they build or create something. Social learning theory takes that idea a step further and says the creation of a product or artifact becomes more powerful when individuals work together, share responsibility, and articulate their thoughts about what they are doing/learning. Davis, Edmunds, and Kelly-Bateman (as cited in Orey, 2001) discussed the idea that learning does not happen in isolation. “It is at the intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs” (para. 1). These thoughts relate to the idea of connectivism, where according to Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b), learning occurs when networks are formed and knowledge is distributed across networks. Environment is a key factor in connectivism because we construct meaning based on how we make sense of the world. Obviously, technology plays a role in connectivism and social learning because it allows students to create content to teach ideas to each other and participate in the social aspects of learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). Futhermore, Heenan (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c), a teacher who uses VoiceThread in her classroom, says technology allows teachers to differentiate lessons and meet the needs of all learners.

Cooperative Learning

            Cooperative learning can take place in a variety of ways and can be used to accomplish a number of tasks, products, or assessments. It displays many principles of social learning theory in that students can interact with their peers to either build a product or artifact and/or construct meaning about a given topic. According to Pitler, Hubbell, and Kuhn (2012), the key component in social learning is the social interaction because “as students talk through material, they deepen their understanding of it and become more conscious of the strategies necessary for arriving at an answer” (p. 73). Cooperative learning can be implemented for almost any type of learning activity from class discussions, debates, and questioning activities to creating plays or skits, making multimedia presentations, or even a web site.

According to Pitler et al. (2012), the key to cooperative learning is to create opportunities for students to engage in positive interdependence while also being held accountable for their role in the group as well as understand content knowledge. Cooperative learning can be done through various social networking sites and collaboration tools. Let’s take a look at some examples of those useful tools now.

Social Networking

            Blogs, Skype, and Facebook seem to be the big social networking tools that everyone is using today. Tools like Facebook are a huge influence in today’s world. Facebook allows people to have access to a wealth of information in just one place. Many adults do not know the benefits of RSS feeds and therefore Facebook helps alleviate some of the need to search multiple sites for information. My daughter’s school has a Facebook page that shares updates, weekly activities, and fundraising information. I love that the information comes right up on my newsfeed and I have no need to actually visit their web site when the information is all in one place I visit often.

            The only problem with some social networking sites like Facebook is too many schools take the stance that it is bad rather than opening up to the idea that knowledge is power. If we embrace these tools and teach kids how to use them the right way, some of the negativity and inappropriate use will diminish. Edmodo is a tool similar to Facebook but it is a safe version of the site that can be used in the classroom setting.        

            I have also talked about blogging multiple times in my class discussions and previous blog posts. It has truly engaged and motivated my students while creating a sense of community. Pitler et al. (2012) say these factors are important aspects of social learning. While our class blog does not necessarily focus on content knowledge, the students can offer suggestions about their ideas and feedback about their written content and conventions. Students are more engaged in creating written work now because it is no longer just for the teacher to read; it is for an audience of their peers.

            Check out our latest blog assignment here: http://kidblog.org/MrsDerflersClass/fb471027-c8b2-4826-a7b2-07ca192b3a73/blog-assignment-2-your-choice/

            Here is the main page to see some of the students’ blog posts: http://kidblog.org/MrsDerflersClass/

Collaboration Tools

            Wikis, Google Sites/Docs, and WebQuests are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the tools available for group activities and social learning. VoiceThread was a tool we were asked to experiment with this week for our application assignment. While I was unable to present a problem to my students because they were hard at work completing their blog posts, I was able to get a glimpse of the possibilities of this tool. Students could use this tool for just about any project, concept, or problem. The audio/text feedback from peers and teachers is a great tool to allow students to reflect on their work while also hearing positive comments about their effort and ideas.

In the past, I have had students create a PowerPoint to go along with a descriptive essay they write that describes a song and how it relates to their school year. This year, I may experiment with VoiceThread to see more social interaction with the final product.

Here is a link to my VoiceThread that discusses a current problem I face in my teaching world today: https://voicethread.com/share/5593966/

           

Overall Thoughts

            The classes through Walden University have really opened my eyes to the ideas of collaboration and cooperative learning in the classroom. As a special education teacher, much of my focus has been on individualized instruction, addressing IEP goals, and meeting the diverse needs of my learners. What I have come to realize is that instead of doing things separately, students can work on things together and use their strengths to help others improve on areas of need. I have made so many changes within my classroom during the past year to include collaborative group efforts while using technology to address those needs, and it has truly benefitted my students. They are excited to come to class, and they are learning wonderful things in the process.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program nine: Connectivism as a learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program ten: Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.