CCK08 – Connectivism – Week 1: Amazing!!

Amazing! Learning on learning with 1900 active class mates.

This was the first week of George Siemens and Stephen Downes MOOC on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge organized by University of Manitoba. We are 1900 people all over the world. And for sure very active. 

Two coments:

1. Content: A new theory of knowledge and learning emerges out of the construction and navigation of knowledge networks: Connectivsm. At the neural, conceptual and external, networks manifest its connecting character allowing the flow of distributed knowledge. Based on networks structure in a complex changing environement and distributed congnition, Connectivism is being leveraged by technology.

As said, we find networks at the three levels of learning:

a. Neural. The most fascinating network Nature has developed.

b. Conceptual. Read James Burke book “The pinball effect” and visit his Knowledge Based Project at http://www.k-web.org/

c. External. Social Network and the Infostructure (at least Internet and the Web).

What an amazing fractal structure!!!!

2. Context: Participating with other 1900 class mates of very different academic and professional experience is a challenge. But, what if the same platforms and tools to be used are the one to be observed as a practice and collective experience of Connectivism. Wiki, Moodle, blogs, mails, Groups, twitter, PageFlakes, e-lluminate, UStream, Facebook, Second Life and Flickr are just what we begin using this week very actively. Texts, audios and videos proposed by Siemens and Downes are being enriched by same students with their comments, blogs and references. Couldn’t be better!