EM203Stephanie

Stephanie Liu 

EM203 OC6 - Learn 280 Characters or Less 

Professor Robin Persad 

February 7, 2022

It is the Winter term at Wilfrid Laurier University. I am currently taking EM203 - Learning in 280 Characters or Less as one of my electives to complete my last semester here at Laurier. I have already gained so much knowledge regarding learning in the digital age despite only taking the course for only a couple of weeks. Not only does this course examine innovative approaches in the digital learning age, but this course also utilizes different learning theories and mediums to help individuals learn. One of the benefits of taking this course is to explore different learning theories. So far, important theories that we have discussed within our discussion groups are behaviourism, cognitive, constructivism, learning by doing, and connectivism. After discussing each theory with our learning groups, I have decided to focus a little more on connectivism and why it relates to the way I learn in this course. I hope this blog brings you a little more insight into connectivism and learn something new from it!

What is Connectivism 

Connectivism is a learning theory that emerged recently as a relevant theory to the digital age. Connectivism essentially connects all the 'nodes' within a network that result in new forms of knowledge (Bates, 2019). However, knowledge in connectivism is constantly changing as nodes come and go. It can be considered chaotic as information flows across different networks (Bates, 2019). Although there are some backlashes regarding connectivism, it is actually the first theory to re-examine the implications for online learning and exploring new mediums to communicate with.

Connectivism accepts technology as a major form of a learning process for us students as it gives us opportunities to make decisions about our learning (“Connectivism Learning Theory,” 2021). It also promotes collaboration and discussion to collect a combination of different perspectives during decision-making or problem-solving tasks. Most importantly, connectivism encourages learning through different forms of mediums such as social media, online networks, or blogs (“Connectivism Learning Theory,” 2021).

How Blogs Support My Learning Approach 

I believe that blogs best fit the connectivism theory as it provides a perfect platform to share ideas, connect with others, and many more. Specifically, I have decided to use Tumblr as my form of communication medium. Tumblr is a very convenient platform where it allows you to be connected to many others through easily accessible features. The simplicity of Tumblr is one of the major reasons why I decided to utilize this platform to post my blogs. It is similar to the concept of Twitter, where I can interact with others and comment on another person’s blog to exchange ideas. Tumblr also utilizes features such as hashtags like Twitter - if you click on the hashtags, it will give you more posts regarding the same topic.

As mentioned above, connectivism connects all the 'nodes' within a network that may result in a new form of knowledge. A medium such as Tumblr allows us to easily facilitate connection within our community in the form of blogs. Not only can Tumblr connect thousands of others through blogs, but it also allows us to share knowledge and different perspectives through online platforms. As a result, if you would like to educate someone about a specific culture, you can easily post a blog that will reach thousands of people across different countries. Tumblr also suggests new topics and feed for me to follow; I began to read more about blogs regarding culture, food recipes, vacation tips, and many more. Tumblr allowed me to connect to other bloggers that might be an expert in an area I am interested in and allows me to ask questions to acquire new knowledge. Aside from blogs, mediums such as videos, discussion posts, and Twitter responses are all forms of connectivism. Especially during the pandemic, digital platforms were the only connection people had with one another. I believe during this time everyone became more grown into social media and are spending more time on their phones. I realized that I enjoy connecting with others and sharing my thoughts or perspectives in a group setting, thus, connectivism allows me to be able to achieve those characteristics.

As a result, connecting with others became my priority throughout the pandemic. This is also one of the reasons why I took the course EM203, to learn more about the digital age. I have learned lots from this course and I am very excited to keep extending my knowledge in this course. I hope those that are reading my blog post learned something new! If you would like to share your opinion regarding connectivism please comment in the comment section and we can discuss more about it!

Sources:

https://www.wgu.edu/blog/connectivism-learning-theory2105.html#close