Education Atlas

How Knowledge Is Built
Learning Theory and Concepts

Connectivism

Networked Learning Theory

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Connectivism is a theory of learning for the digital age, proposed by George Siemens in a 2004 blog post and published as an article the following year, with Stephen Downes developing the idea alongside him. It argues that in a networked information environment, actionable knowledge can reside outside any individual, distributed across people, organizations and databases, so the ability to form and navigate connections between specialized nodes of information matters as much as what a person already knows personally. Siemens and Downes tested the idea directly in 2008 by teaching an open online course to more than two thousand participants worldwide, widely credited as a founding example of the connectivist MOOC. Critics argue connectivism describes a genuinely different information environment without yet establishing that it constitutes a new theory of learning distinct from existing accounts.

Facts
Core Claim
In a networked, digital information environment, learning consists significantly of forming, navigating and maintaining connections between specialized nodes of knowledge, some of which reside outside the individual learner altogether. 1
Origin Year
2004 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Developed By

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Connectivism
Wikimedia FoundationOverview
Quote, Overview
Connectivism is a theoretical framework for understanding learning in a digital age.
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1. Wikipedia: Connectivism
Wikimedia FoundationCore Claim
Quote, Core Claim
learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves
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1. Wikipedia: Connectivism
Wikimedia FoundationDefinition and Development
Quote, Definition and Development
Connectivism was first introduced in 2004 on a blog post which was later published as an article in 2005 by George Siemens.
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1. Wikipedia: Connectivism
Wikimedia FoundationDeveloped By: George SiemensView the Source
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