Connectivism is defined as a theoretical framework designed for the understanding of learning. In connectivism, learning’s starting points occur “when knowledge is actuated through the process of a learner connecting to and feeding information into a learning community” (Kop & Hill, 2008, para. 5). In turn, learning communities are viewed as the clustering of areas of interest for interaction, dialoguing, sharing, and thinking together. As connectivism presupposes the existence of a large network that consists of multiple learning communities, or nodes, knowledge may be distributed and stored in various digital forms.
For connectivists, learning is a cyclical process of both knowledge consumption and creation using networks. In addition, it refers to the modification of one’s beliefs affected by new information. While the accuracy and validity of information are constantly changing on the basis of new contributions, a learner’s ability to understand and use new knowledge in relation to a particular subject is changing as well. Thus, connectivism defines the ability to extract core information and filter extraneous and secondary information as the most essential for learning. In general, according to collectivism learning theory, learning is a critical and continuous process that presupposes self-directed exploration, opinions’ diversity, and the involvement of emotional aspects (Gamboa, 2018). At the same time, it focuses on maintaining connections between ideas, areas, concepts, and fields for receiving accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information.
Connectivism may be regarded as a highly beneficial approach as it creates collaboration empowers teachers and students, and embraces the diversity of opinions and perspectives. When students share their ideas and viewpoints in a respectful way, they shape communities, facilitate the spread of knowledge, create learning ecologies, and take responsibility for the learning process. At the same time, connectivism undervalues the role of a teacher and concentrates only on the process of knowledge gathering without the evaluation of its outcomes (Siemens, 2005). Nevertheless, the principles of connectivism may be applied to classroom teaching through modern technologies. According to this theory, they play an intrinsic role in learning, providing connection and information flow. That is why teachers may implement learning programs, classroom social media, and learning-based applications to help students stay connected, facilitate learning through digital modeling, and improve motivation through the elements of gamification.
In contrast with connectivism, which emphasizes the process of identifying, updating, and contributing knowledge, cognitivism focuses on the inner processes of learning, viewing it as the retrieval of stored information. To be precise, cognitivism recognizes “that people are not blank slates, but that they have ideas and experiences, or existing schema in their minds, that they can connect to and build on as they learn new things” (Gamboa, 2018, para. 1). It explores retention, attention, motivation, and other mental processes involved in learning and looks at its structure to improve its effectiveness. Nevertheless, similar to connectivism, cognitivism emphasizes the important role of a learner in knowledge-gathering.
Cognitivism has multiple advantages – it enhances learning and comprehension and helps obtain new information faster on the basis of previous ideas and individual skills. Therefore, it boosts students’ confidence and improves their motivation in the academic process. However, his theory does not consider additional factors that may impact learning and address mental processes that cannot be observed. The application of cognitivism in the classroom implies the use of approaches and material for the organization and structuring of thought. For instance, a teacher may apply the methods of questioning, note-taking, or summarizing to help students evaluate their knowledge, refine their thinking, and assess mistakes.
References
Gamboa, A. (2018). Cognitivism and connectivism. Medium. Web.
Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? Web.
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Web.