Friday, November 30, 2007
isms, schisms
Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, and now Connectivism. The first three isms are well-defined learning theories developed, studied, utilized, and followed by educators and scholars for centuries. Names such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Skinner, Pavlov, Bloom, Gagne, just to name a few, are associated with these learning theories. . . and now Seimens. George Seimens has proposed a new learning theory for the digital age . . . the next ism in the list . . . Connectivism. Notice the root word—connect. You are connecting to me right now as you read this blog. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, Web 2.0, folksonomy, the wisdom of the crowds--this is all part of the whole “connect” learning theory. We are now learning through interconnected, ever-connected, always connected means. Is it time to put a new learning theory in the books? I say, yes. But rather than in the books, better in e-books, blogs, wikis, podcasts, del.icio.us, digg, flickr, twitter, youTube, chat, blogger, skype, google reader . . . shall I go on?
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3 comments:
You put this is perspective for me. It is true that connectivism is one more theoretical approach in a world where theoretical approaches are popping up like Kleenexes. But you do point out that, when the situation changes, our theoretical base has to acknowledge the change. And the situation is changing rapidly.
I absolutely agree with your point of view. Where I disagree is this--Skinner, Piaget, and all the others started somewhere. Their widely accepted theories were could have been as controversial in their infancy as connectivism is now. I don't know enough about the history of the learning theories to throw that out there as any more than speculation.
I love your title ISMS, SCHISMS!
It took me a second to get it, but I chuckled there after. I think you are right. I 'm not sure I would go looking for reading material about connectivism, it just doesn't thrill me.
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