4. Connectivism
A significant contemporary approach to teaching is connectivism, a learning theory that emerged at a time when the application of digital technology in education already enabled not only classical teaching supported by technology, but also teaching that was conducted entirely online.
According to George Siemens and Stephen Downes, the authors of connectivism theory, learning is no longer just a process that takes place within the individual, but also involves external networks: technology, digital tools, databases and other people. Active learning in connectivism is a process of connection. In the learning process, the student recognises that knowledge is networked, that information is not stored only in the human mind, but in the entire network of digital and social sources. The ability to find information is more important than having information.
In online and hybrid classes, connectivism is achieved by directing students to identify, build and maintain connections with different nodes of knowledge:
- people: fellow students, teachers, mentors, experts, online communities, forums, social networks (e.g. LinkedIn, ResearchGate)
- sources of information: educational content of the course itself, external sources
- systems: technological platforms and digital tools that enable the connection and exchange of information, e.g. internet browsers, learning management systems, social networks, knowledge bases or artificial intelligence tools.
By combining constructivist and connectivist approaches in online and hybrid teaching, not only are the desired learning outcomes achieved, but students are also empowered with skills for continuous learning and improvement. With constructivism, the student continues to build new knowledge on the foundations of existing knowledge, skills and attitudes, while with connectivism, the student establishes connections, and learning is a long-term dynamic process of adapting to new information and connections.
Connectivism as a theoretical concept was created at a time when the possibilities of including technology in the teaching process were only being considered and re-examined. However, with the maturing of technology in the 1990s and its application in education, there is a redirection of strategies and approaches to learning and the opening of space for new directions, such as connectivism. According to Siemens, the originator of this latest trend in education, existing lines of interpretation of learning built by behaviorists, cognitivists and even constructivists, do not explain technologically supported learning in a satisfactory way.
A theory is needed that will consider the new and restructured technologically based learning context. Siemens believes that it is necessary to pay more attention to the direct impact of technology, specifically chaos and networks and the new questions that arise: what happens when knowledge is not acquired linearly and systematically and when cognitive processes, which were once performed by learning individuals, are left to machines (e.g. information storage and retrieval). Technology and the establishment of new connections affect learning activities. In this way, connectivism integrates the principles of chaos theory, networks and self-organisation.
Learning is a process that takes place in ambiguous and complex environments and cannot be fully controlled by individuals. It is essentially focused on connecting with specialised sets of information, and the connections that allow us to expand our knowledge are more important than the current knowledge we possess. (Špiranec & Banek Zorica, 2008).
Examples of the connectivist approach in teaching:
- Economics/marketing study: Network Market Analytics and PLE/PLN. The student builds a personal learning environment (PLE) and a personal learning network (PLN): follows experts, newsletters and data sources, uses dashboards and data repositories to monitor trends. Knowledge is created by connecting the nodes of the network: tagging terms, short blog summaries and sharing examples on community platforms. The assessment includes a portfolio, a network map of connections and a reflection on how connections influenced decisions in the marketing case study.
- Architecture study: a studio with open online references. The student shapes the concept through online research of references and communities of practice: open libraries of details, competition databases, forums and workshops. In the process, he uses collaborative boards, parametric design and open evaluation templates. Learning is documented through a learning diary, online mentoring and peer assessment; the final proof is a public presentation.
- Journalism study: online research and fact-checking. The student develops a network of sources and tools for open intelligence gathering (OSINT), participates in a community of verifiers, and maintains topic dossiers in shared documents. Through social media and newsletters, he builds a network of relevant sources, and shares learning outcomes as guides and micro-lessons.
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