N.V.Moiseyenko, I.I.Ozarko

Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas

Connectivism as a Theoretical Framework for Understanding Learning

There is a need for students to learn these important learning and innovation skills in order to be successful in the work and life. For the 21st century skills, the students need to be taught to facilitate their success in the future. They need to attain the “3R’s & 4C’s”—Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Critical thinking and problem solving, Creativity and Innovation, Communication, Collaboration —which are the most important and necessary 21st century skills as defined by businesses, economists, and education experts (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2011) An aspect of student-centered learning involves questions learners themselves generate from direct experiences. In student-centered learning, the teacher has a number of roles, including scaffolding questions of students when needed in order to make the initial questions more accessible to answering and anticipating sufficient time and tools that help learners pursue their own questions.The goal of the education reform is to instill learners with skills that are compatible with the changing economic landscape in the 21st century skills (e.g., critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity). ICT has become an indispensable part of the 21st century. Having basic ICT skills is now seen as an important attribute that students should possess in order to be successful in life. Because of the digital age, there is new learning theory which related ICT workplace and the 21st century skill. It is the connectivism learning theory.

Connectivism learning theory and connective knowledge as ways to understand and explore learning in the digital age are timely and particularly useful, both in what they offer and what they question. Siemens states the eight principles of connectivism:

1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

4. Learning is more critical than knowing.

5. Maintaining and nurturing connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

6. Perceiving connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill.

7. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of learning activities.

8. Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

Siemens proposed connectivism taxonomy that a staged view of how learners encounter and explore learning in 2006. The taxonomy begins with the basic and moves to the more complex:

1. Awareness and receptivity – at this level learners acquire basic skills for handling information abundance, have access to resources and tools. (e.g., internet, blogs, wikis, aggregators)

2. Connection-forming – at this level learners begin to use tools and understanding acquired during level 1 to create and form a personal network. Learners are active in the learning ecology/space in terms of consuming or acquiring new resources and tools. Selection (information filtering) skills are important. Affective/emotive factors play a prominent role in deciding which resources to add to the personal learning network.

3. Contribution and involvement – at this level learners are fairly comfortable within their self-created network (though instructors or teachers may continue to guide and direct their access to particularly valuable resources toward intended educational competencies or outcomes). The learner should also be capable of choosing the right tool for the right learning task.

4. Pattern recognition – at this level the learner is “network aware” and competent. As a dynamic participant in the ecology, the learner has moved from passive content consumption to active contribution. Time in the network has resulted in the learner developing an increased sense of what is happening in the network/ecology as a whole. Having mastered the basics of being a participant, the learner is now capable to recognize emerging patterns and trends.

5. Meaning-making – at this level the learner is capable of understanding meaning. What do the emerging patterns mean? What do changes and shifts in trends mean? How should the learner, adjust, adapt, and respond? Meaning-making is the foundation of action and reformation of viewpoints, perspectives, and opinions.

6. Practice – at this level the learner is actively involved in tweaking, building, and recreating their own learning network. Metacognition (thinking about thinking) plays a prominent role as the learner evaluates which elements in the network serve useful purposes and which elements need to be eliminated. The learner is also focused on active reflection of the shape of the ecology itself.

The problem solving skill as an individual thought process because the previously learned law can be applied in solving problems in any situations. It is also deemed to be a new type of learning and is the result of application of knowledge and procedures of the problems. Generally, each individual requires knowledge and skills to solve problems. Halakova and Proksa stated that the solution of problems in any subject area is a highly complex human behavior. This matter is documented in a large number of studies and articles which have appeared in journals of research and teaching. It has reflected a new interest regarding how students solve problems. Problem solving has always been a stumbling block for students who are studying English, and most of the teachers in the field of English are aware of this. According to Jawhara, problem solving activities can open opportunities for students to learn freely. In their own ways, students will be encouraged to investigate, seek for the truth, develop ideas, and explore the problem. Students are also trained not to be afraid to try various ways to solve problems, as well as having the courage to make decisions, act on the decisions and be responsible for the products of the action. The experiences gained through problem solving will help our students to become progressive, creative and ambitious. These features are necessary in order to face the challenges of becoming a developed country based on science and technology . Problem solving is also deemed to be what is done by an individual when faced with a question or situation where the solution is not available. In seeking a way out from any obstacle, students should think, make decisions and use specific strategies. Therefore, to achieve this, the activity of thinking and skills to rationalize a solution plays an important role. It will require students to generate and induce a systematic and logical thinking. This ability requires students to follow certain steps and logic because it requires a revision to determine the reasonableness of a settlement. Thus, any successful attempt will encourage a students’ positive attitude towards problem-solving skill. A problem is said to exist when a person feels the gap between where it is and where it should be but do not know how to cross the gap. This broad definition also covers social issues and what might be stereotyped exercises by problem-solving trainers. Students’ problem solving abilities is the desired result after going through the process of continuous education as emphasized in the National Education Philosophy and Philosophy of Science Education. Trouble- shooting is also the highest hierarchy of learning and problem solving ability reflects the level of student learning. The ability to solve problems is being considered as an integral part of each science course. In addition to strengthening and clarifying the principles taught in each lesson, systematic approach to problem solving enable students to learn better. Furthermore, they will have to explain their thoughts and thus promote intellectual development. This ability enhances students’ opportunities when they are faced with daily lives problems. Although the benefits of problem solving as an educational tool has long been known, appreciating the skills, techniques and procedures required for effective problem solving have not been adequately taught specifically. This teaching method is significant in order to address and solve problems involving new situations.Concurrently, application of knowledge and skills which are based on connectivism learning theory and ICT will enable students to make decisions and solve problems in life more effectively. As a result, they will be able to explore the treasures of nature, adapt to the environment, make innovative creations, and even manage to overcome problems and difficulties. Hence, these visions become one of the goals emphasized in the national curriculum, especially in science education. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to analysis and design learning activities styles to be appropriate with the learners that integrated with the concept of connectivism learning theory and problem based learning. The question then becomes, “How to develop the appropriate instructional model based on connectivism learning theory; and to what extent the on-line learning environments were associated with certain learner characteristics”. The expected benefits are the appropriate model that is the systematic approach to enhance university student’s problem-solving skill. More over the results of quality assessment of instructional model that is body of knowledge to develop the problem-solving skill of students. In addition the results can be the information to support the higher education systems policy.

The research results exhibited that the instructional model based on connectivism learning theory to enhance problem-solving skill in ICT for daily life of higher education students was appropriated and fit to the quality of education. The study was successful in connectivism learning theory the importance of incorporating problem-solving skill approaches in order to enable learners to acquire the 21st century skills, and create a learning environment where they are engaged in the dynamic contents and process. Here the results provide very suitable and encouraging results for using ICT for daily of higher education student.

References:

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4. Jawhara Tak Problem solving and creative thinking in education. New York: Oxford University Press language,2005.

5. Siemens, G. Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1): 3-10,2005.