Connectivism and constructivism are two separate frameworks that demonstrate different ways teaching can be delivered, along with how students can benefit as learners from either concept.  Constructivism, unlike connectivism appears at the surface as a much more rudimentary and archaic way of learning when comparing it to the more modern and technology centric idea of connectivism.  Back at a time when bandwidth limitations did not allow for a seamless video streaming experience, constructivism demonstrated how educators engaged with technology in a rather conceptual manner compared to the central role that it plays in a connectivist style of education.  One large similarity that both styles share is the idea that reflecting and utilizing prior knowledge or experiences is essential in creating a strong base of information or data that helps with a current problem or assignment.  The proposal from Carr-Chellman and Duschatel (2000) for what make up an “ideal online course” were things that I believe are still relevant in todays education world.  The idea of no online textbook with an assignment based content schedule, paired with ample communication channels such as open discussion forums is a formula that really works for certain students (including myself).  This system provides a clear outline and format for what is expected and due at a certain time and place, leaving little to no confusion.  I feel that connectivism is just an evolved form of constructivism that effectively integrates the copious amounts of technological resources available to us while trying to fix some of the previously discovered issues of constructivism.

After reading Weller’s (2018) article, I was intrigued at the concept of open educational resources (OER’s) and how crucial they are in creating an openly available database of resources for us students to use online for FREE at any time.  For example, I took an english course last semester that always referred to the University of Perdue for things such as citation and writing formatting.  At first I was confused because I almost thought of it as stealing another schools intellectual property.  But after this week’s content and readings, I now see the convenience and reason behind open educational resources, because there is no need for each educational institution to have their own extensive citation and formatting guide, creating a space of confusion and inconsistencies as each guide would not be the exact same.  But rather using one or a few guides creates less confusion and simplifies an already complex topic.  The example shared about MIT releasing all materials for their over 1800 courses was one that initially shocked me.  Wouldn’t such a prestigious and highly regarded institution not want to release what students pay tens of thousands of dollars for each semester?  But clearly that has not effected them, and rather bolstered their reputation and popularity as their highly regarded materials can be now found all over the web for us students to use.  I think that the idea of having open educational resources greatly benefits a connectivism style of learning whose assumptions are that content is free, abundant, varied and easy to share.  With more and more institutions publishing their content online it only benefits the bank of data available to us  as connectivist learners.  The course readings have really expanded my knowledge about the growth and history of e-learning and how a traditional lecture style compares to the more modern online approaches and how us as students can benefit and mature as learners.  In the upcoming days and weeks I hope to continue learning about how connectivism continues to be an effective way for us to learn and also how studying can tie into this topic.

Resources

Weller, M. (2020). Chapter 4 – Constructivism. 25 Years of Edtech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/0442be0f-0347-40eb-9c19-de80b7e13d47#ch04

Weller, M. (2020). Chapter 17 –Connectivism. 25 Years of Edtech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/198057f5-1a3e-4436-a4b8-c6e1a3e0bd69#ch17

Weller, M. (2018, August). Twenty Years of Edtech. EDUCAUSE Review, 53(4). Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/198057f5-1a3e-4436-a4b8-c6e1a3e0bd69#ch17