Connectivism

Learning Network Reflection

My learning network has changed the way I learn in a few ways. First, I am more efficient of a learner since I have several resources available with the click of a button. If I move beyond my network, out into the Internet, my resources become unlimited which is a huge benefit when following my digital pathways. My learning network has also changed my effectiveness as a learner. I am able to compare and contrast a piece of information with other sources, ensuring that I am using relevant and reliable content. This is an important aspect to my network, because my integrity could be compromised if I use information that is inaccurate or just plain wrong.

The digital tools that best facilitate learning for me include Google search, PowerPoint, YouTube, Articulate, Camtasia, and Skype. With Google search, I can type in any term, concept or idea, and 99% of the time, I get relevant links back. This provides a quick method for validating an idea or checking references. PowerPoint allows me a quick delivery method for content. I primarily use it to mock up eLearning courses prior to going into full authoring mode. YouTube has a vast amount of educational videos. I’ve learned several computer programs on my own using tutorials that I found through YouTube. Articulate has a great suite of software. I regularly use Storyline 2 for authoring. It is very intuitive and easy to create a quick course, as long as content is readily available. Camtasia is a tool that I recently began to use. It’s great for producing video clips which I then can import into Storyline to increase the impact of the courses I develop. Lastly, Skype is great for collaboration and provides a quick method for getting questions answered or leaving feedback for a team member. Private groups can be created so the conversation flows around a focused topic.

A long time ago (before 2003), when I had questions that peers couldn’t answer, I would have to go to the library to do a little research. During my first couple of years in school, I could always ask my teachers as well. As technology has evolved, my first source for answers is Google. It’s the easiest, and I admit laziest, way to start a search for answers to questions that I may have. I can still use the help of my peers through the ISD community, but I’m still using a computer to do so. I am dependent on technology to answer my questions.

My personal learning network definitely supports the central tenets of connectivism. My network relies heavily on the presence of technology as a way to collaborate and distribute knowledge. My network promotes learning at the social and external levels. The Internet is a major tool that supports connectivism, because in an instant, I can connect to an unlimited amount of resources (digital and human) throughout the world. It seems that the Internet’s primary benefit is the amount of connectivity it provides to its users.

Brain Processing

While researching brain processing, I found a few good sources relevant to the topics of interest. One of the sources focuses on functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and the other was an article by Bertil Osterberg called The Information Processing Mechanism of the Brain.

The page on the FMRI breaks down the process to a basic level. It covers what it is, common uses, benefits and risks, and how the procedure is performed. This source can be used as a quick reference because of the efficient way it is organized.

Bertil Osterberg’s article describes “the physical reality of how mental objects, such as perceptions, inner visions, thoughts and feelings exist in the brain in the form of patterns of neural activity.” He attempts to identify the interconnections that make the pathways possible. One area of note was his section on the structure of information in the brain. He explains that different features of an object are located in different parts of the cortex. This really blew my mind. This was a great article, which I’ll definitely have to re-read a couple of times in order to understand each section.

Some interesting ISD/learning theory blogs

Today, I found some interesting ISD/learning theory blogs.

LearnLets is a blog ran by Clark Quinn and has the tagline “Learnings about Learning.” On his learning blog, Clark covers many categories including design, games, meta-learning, mobile, social, strategy, just to name a few. I found one of his blogs, “The Grail of Effective and Engaging Learning Experiences,” interesting enough to post a comment. I never do that, and guess what, it felt great. He discusses several elements that contribute to engagement and offers up some very innovative ideas.

Educational Theory and Practice is a blog with the tagline of “Random musings by people who think about educational psychology and the practice of instructional design.” Stuart T. Haines is the blog owner and has blog entries going back to 2005. He is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Stuart covers a large range of topics. From embracing mobile technology to social learning and diffusion of knowledge. He provides spot-on references and naturally applies learning theories/concepts into each of his blog entries.

Online Learning and Distance Education Resources is a blog moderated by research associate, Tony Bates. One thing I find interesting is that Tony has been writing a textbook through his blog, dedicating each blog entry that correlates to a chapter of his “virtual” book. This is actually a neat process, because visitors to his site can watch his book come together and access the knowledge within the book at no cost. This is a novel idea and it seems to be working out for him. Chapter 12.2, “The development and training of teachers and instructors in a digital age” is interesting.

I couldn’t really rank these blogs on helpfulness. They all brought a unique strength to the focus of learning which ultimately helps everyone out. I can see myself utilizing all of these blogs in the future as a way to promote discussion and debate.