Towards a Connectivist Analysis of Classroom Learning Environments

Building Student Networks

Dr. Gerald Ardito!Pace University!

EdMedia 2015

Be careful what you wish for

It all started with an insight

What would it look like if students drove their own learning?

Conceptual Framework

Conceptual Framework

Distributed Constructionism

"(Distributed Constructionism) focuses particularly on the use of computer networks to support students working together on design and construction activities, and it argues that these types of activities are particularly effective in supporting the development of knowledge-building communities." Resnick, 1996.

Conceptual Framework

Connectivism"At its heart, connectivism is the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks." Downes, 2007.

Research Questions

Research Questions

1. What type of learning environments can promote self-directed learning in middle school science students?!!

2. How does a self-directed learning environment (re)shape student learning networks?

If you build it ...

Instructional (Re) Design

Is this my beautiful house?

If your only tool is a hammer ...

How did it work? You may find yourself in another part of the world

A journey of one thousand miles...

Where are we going? What's the Big Idea?

The Tools

Follow the yellow brick road...

Moodle Building a container for learning

There is no try. Do or do not.

Google Docs Sharing is caring

What we have here...

Edmodo Easy communication

What it looked like

Findings

Findings❖ Students did as well or better on

state mandated year end exams!!❖ Student work demonstrated more

depth than in previous years!❖ Students managed themselves

spontaneously, creatively, and productively!!

❖ Students' learning networks were enlarged and made more robust for the most part (success was correlated to having viable networks)

Regents Scores Year 1

Regents Scores Year 2

Run silent, run deep

Depth of Student Work

Sometimes more is more

Intrinsic Motivation

Students Managing Themselves

"Conditions supporting the individual’s experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are argued to foster the most volitional and high quality forms of motivation and engagement for activities" Selfdetermination.org

How were the students connected

Types of Student Networks

Getting connected. Staying connected

Student networks

Traditional Classrooms

A small number of nodes

Student networks

Constructivist Classrooms

More than a sum of parts

New Student Networks

How were students connected?

More than a sum of parts

Pairs Parallel Play Mother Hen

A rising tide raises all boats

Next steps Learning from failure.