An interview with George Siemens - a leading theorist on the changing

nature and needs of learning.

Connectivism started as my frustrations with existing learning theories rose.

I started to see, in classrooms and online, that the theories of learning I

had been taught were no longer adequate for (or representative

of) how people were learning. Instead of cognitivism (and the views of

cognitive schema) or pure construction of knowledge, I notice learners

were actually connecting - with each other and technology.

Simultaneously, our learners were experiencing a tremendous increase in

information. Some (like ASTD) have stated information doubles every 18

months. We simply are not able to handle and process information the

way we used to. We need to offload the act of learning to a network.

Karen Stephenson has stated that she stores her knowledge in her friends.

This is very much in line with how we learn. We learn by forming

connections and creating rich networks of distributed cognition and

meaning-making. The skills we need are different today - we need to learn

how to learn for life. We need to learn how to recognize patterns in the

rapid knowledge landscape. We need to stop thinking of knowledge as a

river, and begin to see it as a reservoir.

With connectivism, I wanted to create a conversation about what it

means to learn and know today. All of the theories used by educators

come from an era where computers didn't exist (or if they did, they were

housed in university research centres). We are trying to use theories of

learning from a predominantly physical era, and force them to work in a

digital era. We need a new pedagogy, a new view of learning, a new

view of knowledge, or interacting.

Technology, as with any tool or invention, has certain affordances. As

McLuhan has stated, we try and get new tools to do the work of the old.

With technology, we are still attempting the same duplication (i.e. we are

trying to create virtual classrooms). So many online courses I've

encountered have been an attempt to transfer content online...rather

than transform it for the online space. Technology's potential to facilitate

this transformation will be unearthed once we can shed our existing views

of learning. We are seeing a continual rise of change pressures - social

networking tools (myspace), personal publications (blogs, podcasts), and

collaborative work tools (wikis) are prominent enough to demand

educators to rethink what it means to learn and know. Unfortunately, our

institutions are not structured for change. We have built them for stability.

The true capacity for technology to transform learning rests in:

- Access to content and dialogue

- Personalization

- Power shift to the learner

- Bringing learning to the point of need

- Integrated learning with life - so it's as natural as breathing and as

constant as a beating heart.

institutions are government funded dictatorships. While that statement is a

bit harsh, and intended to force thought and reflection, few spaces in

society suffer the power differential of education.

In terms of learners today, it's important to understand what we mean by

"learner's needs" and "learner's wants". After almost a decade of being

involved in a laptop education program, I feel that some component of

structure and direction needs to exist for learners. There are times where

the best learning happens in an engaged conversation in small groups...or

in the reflection of writing a journal entry. While these can be mediated

with technology, we need to ensure that we are not adjusting our

institutions to meet the daily fads of today's learners. Different learning

needs require different levels of structure. A student without much of a

foundation in a discipline requires more structure than a third or fourth

year student.

Unfortunately, we do our students a disservice by not understanding how

learning needs change as competence and knowledge base increases.

So we have schools trying self-directed learning with learners without a

clear foundation...or we pursue lecture/test learning models with

advanced learners. People might still learn in these situations, but the real

question is one of how effective the experience is (and if it could be

better if we made changes).

I think we are at the beginning stages of significant research work on what

really happens in learning with technology. Most of us function by

theories, assumptions, and our classroom experiences. We encounter the

odd article on technology's effectiveness (or lack of it), but the research

itself is not prominent (and where the research is clear, corporations and

schools are not always acting on it).

To get back to your question - we need to begin creating learning

ecologies and networks for learners - spaces where we can attend to the

diverse needs of learners at different levels.

Blogs and social technology as a whole can be very effective for

enabling learners to form connections...and to promote deep or reflective

thinking.

Too much of education is passive. When we blog, or connect and interact

with others, we are actively involved. If we adhere to Vygotsky's notion of

social/cultural learning, or Wittgenstein's emphasis on language as giving

life to thought, we quickly see the value of getting learners into social

spaces...and getting them talking to each other, to experts from around

the world, to students in other countries. I recently wrote that our coworkers

no longer sit at the next desk...the sit in the next country. The same

is true for learners. And blogs in particular can enable this global

conversation.

ICT role in education is primarily one of support, though ICT and education

do influence (and drive) each other. Our real challenge is one of creating

a compelling vision for education, learning, and knowledge in our society

today. And then to leverage the tools at our disposal in making that vision

a reality.

• Elearning in education and training

• Careers in a connected environment

• Designing educational web services

• Understanding transformation in education

• Emerging trends in a connected world

I will discuss how we need to rethink and redesign the structures and

spaces of our society (businesses, schools) based on my book "Knowing

knowledge" (which will be available by mid-Sept).

I will discuss the changes that are impacting and altering knowledge -

namely, what does it mean to know today? What is causing changes?

Many of George's ideas have been recorded and presented in videos across the world. Unfortunately due to technological difficulties they would not embed in this page. However for further information, understanding and as well as visual aides, check out George's broadcast on:

The Conflicts of Human Learning:

http://www.ninjaproxy.com/index.php/1000110A/cb74cf56d938364424862546c2fd3766bb6ac0e0617a791fe1deaa22da6474842646402d3f6416fb19959

The Impact Of Technology on Learning:

http://www.ninjaproxy.com/index.php/1000110A/cb74cf56d938364424862546c2fd3766bb6ac0e0617a791fe1deaa22da7b52aa2e5a4c40336510a819959

The Changing Of Learning:

http://www.ninjaproxy.com/index.php/1000110A/cb74cf56d938364424862546c2fd3766bb6ac0e0617a791fe1deaa22da456d80257a1a1c356c7aa819959

The Learning Network:

http://www.ninjaproxy.com/index.php/1000110A/cb74cf56d938364424862546c2fd3766bb6ac0e0617a791fe1deaa22da456d80257a1a1c356c7aa819959