Strengths, Limitations, and Implications of Connectivism
Week 5
Strengths and Limitations of Connectivism
Strengths
Today, in the digital age, Connectivism helps acknowledge and follow societal and technological changes that distribute information and knowledge using diverse outputs or media services. It highlights that today, learning resides outside of ourselves, connected through an extensive network. Connectivism helps learners tap into the rudimentary and digital learning skills needed to help individuals thrive in a digital era where we are constantly bombarded with random information. This means that the learner needs to know how to gather information from reliable and trustworthy sources and combine them correctly to understand better the topics they are exploring or learning, in other words, digital literacy and self-directed learning.
Limitations
In Connectivism, knowledge is not constructed. It is accessed. For example, when it comes to instructional design or corporations, most knowledge resides in databases or other digital platforms, so transferring that knowledge to the right individuals becomes a challenge or limitation. Since there is a constant flow of information that keeps evolving, individuals must stay up-to-date and assertive when searching for relevant and appropriate online information. Since corporations are not creating that knowledge, they are simply "plugging in." Also, not everyone has easy access to technology like in more developed countries, and even then, we still have complications with equitable digital practices that all people of all backgrounds can access.
Implications of Connectivism for Instructional Design
Connectivism fosters digital readiness and literacy by discerning the reliability of all online materials and information, self-directed learning, discovery, and social connections via several digital platforms. It equips learners to succeed in the digital world. It supports learning as a social process, aiding collaborative work among individuals from around the world. Connectivism is a way of describing the way knowledge is presented, acquired, and distributed nowadays. People from diverse backgrounds participate in online discussion forums, group projects (formal learning or professional platforms), and entertainment (social media platforms) not just to collaborate but to coach, support professional growth, create lasting connections (networking purposes), and become life-long learners by using digital tools. Instructional Designers use all of the digital tools available to them to create and foster learning spaces that corporations, individuals, e-learning services, government, or businesses can use to distribute their services or knowledge.
Sources and Citations
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Bates, A. (2022c, August 18). Teaching in a Digital Age: Third Edition - General. Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev3m/
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​Siemens, G. (2022). Connectivism. Cc_By. https://open.byu.edu/education_research/connectivism​
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​Kimmons, R. (2022). Education Research Across Multiple Paradigms. https://doi.org/10.59668/133