Post on 12-Apr-2017
Theoretical and empirical foundations of connected learning as
practiced at VCU
Laura Gogia, MD @Googleguacamole – www.lauragogia.com
Academic Learning Transformation LabVirginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA
Slides: http://www.slideshare.net/LauraGogia/
Additional Resources:Rampages.us/connectedlearningcollection
Let’s start from the beginning.
The VCU quality enhancement plan aspires to learning that matters, or generalizable
education: “education that has substantial and lasting impact beyond any particular course,
major, or degree.”http://sacs.vcu.edu/quality-enhancement-plan/Photo Credit: http://graduate.admissions.vcu.edu/why/
The QEP identifies two learning goals: Integrative Thinking & Digital Fluency
http://sacs.vcu.edu/quality-enhancement-plan/
Photo Credit: http://graduate.admissions.vcu.edu/why/
Identified educational approach:Exploring the intersection of connected & open
http://sacs.vcu.edu/quality-enhancement-plan/
Photo Credit: http://graduate.admissions.vcu.edu/why/
VCU: “Learning that matters”
Integrative Thinking
Digital Fluency
Connectivity(Experiential Learning)
Open Education
Connected Learning
Emergence Theory
Social Constructivism
Connectivism
Progressive Education
1. EDUCATIONAL APPROACH
2. LEARNING GOALS
Course Design:Openness—Creativity—Participation—Agency
Social Learning
Knowledge Transfer
Constructivism
Cognitivism
Connectivism
3. Pedagogical Strategies
Personal Learning Networks
E-portfoliosRam
Pages
ConnectivityDigital Fluency Integrative Thinking
4. Evaluation&Assessment Strategies(for Connectivity)
Student Use of Annotation Devices
Hyperlinks
Embedding
Mentions
Hashtags
In terms of
Rubrics
Dashboards
Network Maps
Consistent with Connectivity Learning
Outcomes & my research findings
Educational Approach: Intersection Between Open & Connected
Open Education
Connected Learning
• Edu-Equality and Access• Networked Participation• Self-determined Learning• Active Learning• Authentic Experiences
VCU
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
MISSION:
The development & promotion of high quality, democratic, sustainable, & scalable education
through open educational resources & practices.
(Veletsianos & Kimmons, 2012)
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Open educators tend to cite social constructivism
Knowledge construction through relationships between individuals; individuals & societies &
cultures; individuals & technologies
Bruner, 1966; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1980
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
In addition, open education is closely tied to digital technologies.
Digital spaces are the default environments of most open education discussions.
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
The digital nature of open education is supported by emergence theory.
(Engelbart, 1963; McLuhan, 1967; Siemens, 2004; Veletsianos, 2010)
Emergence Technologies:• Co-evolve with the humans who use them• Exist in a state of “coming into being”• Not necessarily new, but not fully researched• Digital networks and pedagogies are examples of
emergence technologies because the over abundance of information is altering the way we think learn and act even as we continue to innovate.
(Engelbart, 1963; McLuhan, 1967; Siemens, 2004; Veletsianos, 2010)
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Open Education Perspective: The integration of the digital into formal learning environments is not an optional thing. Without it, formal learning environments will eventually become irrelevant to the world in which they exist.
White, Connaway, Lanclos, Hood, & Vass, 2015
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Connectivism is a digitally-situated augmentation for social constructivism
Downes, 2006; Siemens, 2004
Connectivism argues that learning is networked on three levels:
• Neural - Dendrites, axons & synapses • Schema - Heuristics for storage & retrieval• Environmental - Social interactions
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Networks are embodied by the creation, preservation, & utilization of information flow (workflow) that takes place within & between them. Learners should focus
on developing workflows rather than memorizing static content.
Barbarasi, 2002; Gleick, 1987; Downes, 2006; Siemens, 2004
OPEN EDUCATION
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Learners must develop capacity to make decisions about filtering, curating, & connecting pieces of information within rapidly shifting environments
around them.
Downes, 2006; Siemens, 2004
AGGREGATION: Collecting from the information stream
ORGANIZATION: Filtering information to
make it manageable
ANALYSIS: Understanding implications &
critiquing sources
REPURPOSING: Synthesizing & transforming
information pieces
FEEDING FORWARD: Sharing new
knowledge to receive feedback & assist
others
Connectivist Workflow
Downes, 2008; Kop, 2011
CONNECTEDLEARNING ALLIANCE
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
MISSION: To design and advocate for the use of digital
technologies in ways that improve educational equity and opportunity for all young people.
http://clalliance.org/who-we-are/
CONNECTEDLEARNING ALLIANCE
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
The Connected Learning approach to student success:• Increasing student engagement• Diversifying pathways to academic &
professional success
http://clalliance.org/who-we-are/
CONNECTEDLEARNING ALLIANCE
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Educators & students must begin to value, discuss, & incorporate student agency as well as student hobbies, passions, & peer activities into formal academic environments.
http://clalliance.org/who-we-are/
CONNECTEDLEARNING ALLIANCE
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
“Learning Lives:”The compilation of informal & formal learning
experiences that makes up the student’s learner identity.
Kumpulainen & Seton-Green, 2014
CONNECTEDLEARNING ALLIANCE
MISSION
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Ito et al., 2013
“Progressive education for the digital age”Dewey & Montessori
Student Agency – Production & ExperiencePurposeful Interactions with the Environment
Putting it together: The intersection of open education &
connected learning
Fostering student engagement with opportunities for active & social learning
through acts of digitally networked participation.
Educational inclusivity & relevance though theintegration of informal & formal learning &
recognition of the co-evolutionary qualities of digital networks & technologies
VCU: “Learning that matters”
Integrative Thinking
Digital Fluency
Connectivity(Experiential Learning)
Open Education
Connected Learning
Emergence Theory
Social Constructivism
Connectivism
Progressive Education
1. EDUCATIONAL APPROACH
2. LEARNING GOALS
Course Design:Openness—Creativity—Participation—Agency
Social Learning
Knowledge Transfer
Constructivism
Cognitivism
Connectivism
DIGITAL FLUENCY
Ability to leverage digital processes to develop
productive, meaningful, & flexible workflows within
& across networks of people and platforms.
(Jenkins et al., 2009)
INTEGRATIVE THINKING
Ability to embrace the existence of multiple
perspectives & generate creative solutions that move all stakeholders
beyond the tensions that lie between them.
(Sill, 2001)
CONNECTIVITY
The ability to make connections with people and across concepts, space, and time to create cohesive
meaning and inform future action.
CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIESBandura, Bruner, Harel & Papert, Lave & Wenger, Mezirow, Vygotsky
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERBransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2010; Anderson, Krathwohl, & Bloom, 2001)
SCHEMA THEORY & THRESHOLD CONCEPTSAusubel, Bruner, Downes, Meyer & Land, Novak & Canas, Piaget, Vygotsky
People
Concepts
Space and Time
CONNECTIVITY
3. Pedagogical Strategies
Personal Learning Networks
E-portfoliosRam
Pages
ConnectivityDigital Fluency Integrative Thinking
4. Documentation Strategies(for Connectivity)
Student Use of Annotation Devices
Hyperlinks
Embedding
Mentions
Hashtags
In terms of
Rubrics
Dashboards
Network Maps
Consistent with Connectivity Learning Outcomes & Research
Findings
What is a Personal Learning Network?
Pedagogy
Sociology
Technology
Self-designed, self-initiated systems meant to support life-long learning through the development of digital learning communities
A platform for having voice and being significant in a global, multi-way conversation.
A savvy use of a combination of search engines, websites, self-publishing, and social networking sites to support information gathering and dissemination.
(Ching, Santo, Hoadley, & Peppler, 2015)
Three ways to think about personal learning networks.
People & Topics
Digital Platforms
Workflow
(Cormier, 2010)
People & Topics in my Twitter Network
Digital Scholarship
Networked Learning
Open Education
Connected Learning
Higher Education
Social Justice
Social Network Analysis Strategies
Medical Education
PLN workflowI participate in the Twitter component of a c-MOOC.
Through my participation, I become recognized as someone researching connected learning for her doctoral work.
I share my mock prospectus slides on my blog (via an embed from slideshare.net)
I advertise my blog post on Twitter, using the c-MOOC hashtag.
I notice a trend in the comments (both on my blog and Twitter) towards an interesting research question.
I propose the research question and summarize the comments through a Storify (which I publish on my blog and promote through Twitter).
Several scholars express interest; we communicate through google plus and arrange times for regular google hangouts.
We collaborate via google hangout and google docs towards a conference proposal and publications.
The same people with whom I tweet in the c-MOOC look at my presentation and provide feedback through comments.
Key Points about PLNs
Personal Learning Networks can support a number of public & private, peer & mentoring interactions.
These scenarios put people with different skill sets and levels of experience together for rich learning experiences
These mentoring scenarios span geographic distances, which can be particularly helpful for marginalized voices or niche interests.
They belong to the student not the institution, so they have access to them at all times.
Cormier 2010; Ito et al., 2013
E-Portfolios
Digital, electronic, or e-portfolios help students demonstrate coherence and integrated learning
while developing a sense for connections, reflectiveness, and intellectual community.
Definition
Affordances
(St. Olaf College, 2015)
E-Portfolios
Definition
Affordances
Public writing
• When students write in public, they engage with the concept of writing for an audience.
• The commenting feature of blogging allows for peer as well as instructor feedback on work
(Deng & Yuen, 2011)
E-Portfolios
Definition
Affordances
Embedded, multimodal expression
Opportunities for connectivity, creativity, illustration, metaphor, imagery, and the development of aesthetic sensibilities.
(Yancey, McElroy, & Powers, 2012)
E-Portfolios
Definition
Affordances
Hyperlinking
Hyperlinks connect the main content of the post with other web documents to provide source, background,
or supportive information.
(Gao, Li, and Zhang, 2012)
E-Portfolios
Definition
Affordances
Hyperlinking
As students order and re-order, link, unlink, and relink their learning points and accomplishments,
unexpected patterns and connections emerge across academic achievements, professional pursuits, and
personal interests. (Yancey, 2004)
E-Portfolios
Definition
Affordances
Categories & Tags
Organizing systems that allow bloggers to label, order, or filter and provide options building narrative and
forging connections across posts.
(Efimova & DeMoor, 2005))
3. Pedagogical Strategies
Personal Learning Networks
E-portfoliosRam
Pages
ConnectivityDigital Fluency Integrative Thinking
4. Documentation Strategies(for Connectivity)
Student Use of Annotation Devices
Hyperlinks
Embedding
Mentions
Hashtags
In terms of
Rubrics
Dashboards
Network Maps
Consistent with Connectivity Learning Outcomes & Research
Findings