Connectivism as an emerging approach to the learning-teaching complex
A case for NING
“Problems emerge when new findings are pressed into immediate service, while the academic
routines on which they depend remain unchanged.”
The incontestable technological drive, which is transforming the infosphere at an exponential
rate, is moving both our epistemologies and ontologies into and emerging virtual dimension.
Those who disregard the role of technology as the enabler of new means of learning and being are
dooming themselves to obsolescence.
All our efforts should be directed towards the development of critical and self-directed skills
required for lifelong learning rather than just providing content to be memorized. Our role as
facilitators has not been more urgent than now and we should be up to the challenge.
Anyone wanting to serve as a facilitator should not only have a degree since it does not guarantee
he is up to date. He should be a lifelong learner himself; he should possess the traits he wishes to
transmit. Ignoring what Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 represent is more than just a mere oversight, it is a
major handicap in the 21st Century.
Connectivism has been considered by various theorists and scholars an emerging trend in
pedagogy. It is important to highlight this distinction: It should be regarded AN EMERGING TREND,
not a final stage in the evolutionary teaching arena and it is our responsibility as facilitators to
know and understand what it is about.
Connectivism can be understood as a higher order that embraces all the teaching practices we are
familiar with ranging from Behaviorism to Social Constructivism. It pays particular attention to the
essential role technology has in shaping our perception of the world and the ecology of minds that
inhabit it.
Connectivism outlines different elements that any current learning-teaching enterprise should
have: Digital Literacy, Media Literacy, and Information Literacy. Those elements should be blended
in order to guarantee the levels of achievement and accomplishment our world demands.
In light of this approach, learning should be considered a technologically enhanced social event
where the creation of dynamic personal learning networks is paramount. Thus, facilitators are
required to design physical and virtual spaces where this process can take place.
Social networking has been considered an unparalleled tool whose structure not only influences
but also fosters learning. It provides an external virtual environment for reflection, knowledge and
self-expression where learning occurs by means of collective interaction.
After sharpening our approach to social networking in the space of trial-error and feedback, NING
has emerged as a tentative solution that can satisfy our needs and expectations. It serves as role
model and/or training ground for our students to develop their autonomy and lifelong learning
skills.
Being always in the lookout for strategies to maximize the learning gains of my students while
integrating the CALL philosophy and the 21st century skills framework, I came across this social
network where the whole idea of virtual community acquires a new dimension.
The rapid transition of communication technology has taken learning to the ground of
complexification where people are no longer passive consumers but active participants of their
own process. NING allows people to broadcast their ideas in text, audio and video which, in turn,
enhances diversity, autonomy, interactivity and openness.
By using NING as a learning tool, students are able to expand their digital synapses in the
electronic infosphere and therefore radically modify their own learning styles.
NING has a series of features that lend themselves to asynchronous and synchronous
communication. Students can access the network whenever they find it convenient or in a
previously agreed schedule in case they want to interact with their peers or teacher in real time.
The aforementioned features provided by NING have allowed me to improve the levels of
interaction, autonomy, and accomplishment in my students. By having understood the workings of
the network and having implemented different action plans, I have been able to talk a great deal
of teachers in Colombia into using this remarkable resource.
Teachers can easily create their social networks at no cost by simply dropping by their website.
The good point about setting up your own community is that it does not take a rocket scientist to
put it together. The instructions are crystal clear and the FAQ forum is very enlightening.
FEATURES AND BEST PRACTICES
By default, there is a set of features that you can activate, deactivate and organize as you please. I
will now mention the ones I use and how I use them.
VIDEOS
You can either upload your own videos or embed the ones available in websites like YouTube. I use
them to illustrate some grammar points or to create listening exercises from authentic material. I
just have to embed the video, title it, and add a description of what I want my students to do.
FORUM
In order to start a discussion that can be later socialized in the classroom, I create forums where I
can upload files or share links that will enrich the content of the activity. By default, the replies will
be chronologically organized which might be a bit of a mess if a student replies to one reply posted
by one of his classmates. In order to avoid this, I click on the manage tab, and then on the
discussion forum icon. Once in there, I change the way I want the replies to be organized, so
instead of having a flat forum, I select the threaded one.
BLOG
I have my students post their compositions as blog entries. This way they can see what their
classmates are creating and also comment on each other’s work. It can be used as a journal where
students can socialize their experiences in the learning process.
MUSIC
Since most textbooks come along some audio material which is not available for students, I usually
upload the tracks we have practiced with in class. Students can access this information outside the
classroom in order to review and practice what has been done in class. It is important to mention
that you can only upload MP3 files.
Besides having the textbook audio tracks available, I also have my students record their own track
in order to assess their oral production. In order to do so, we use a free piece of software called
Audacity. It is a fool-proof program students and teachers can use to create high quality podcasts.
TEXT BOXES
I use the text boxes in many different ways. In some of them, I post the objectives of the course, or
the unit at hand. In some others, I share different files such as answer keys and other supporting
material I consider convenient. I can also post a brief profile so students can get to know me
better.
One of the most important uses text boxes have is as widget recipients. I can embed different web
tools in my community by just copying and pasting the code in one of them. Some of the ones I
use are Text-to-Speech, Voice Thread, Word Reference, and some other Flash applications shared
in other websites.
RSS BOXES
I can use them as RSS readers where students can find relevant and reliable information about the
topics being discussed in class. By clicking on the headlines, students can get access to different
articles relevant to the class. Of course, the idea is to have a good variety of topics so every
student can have his share. I usually have Colombian news in English, articles from Scientific
American, or New Scientist since the latter ones offer texts that somehow resemble the kind of
readings they will face in the TOEFL exam.
By using this feature, you can also subscribe to different free podcasts which are unparallel
sources of listening practice. Teachers can also integrate tools that do not provide an embed code
such as Voxopop. By doing so, students can be easily directed to the place where the virtual oral
discussions take place.
MAIL BOX
I use this feature to provide personal feedback. I think it is not a good idea to single out students in
front of their peers. From experience, this has been an excellent strategy since students feel you
really care. Likewise, students can mail me to share their concerns about their learning process.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
When it comes to creating the web address of your social network, type in something general
since you might want to use the network again with a different course in the future. So, instead of
selecting www.basiccourseoneseptember2009.ning.con, you might want to come up with
something like www.englishlearners.ning.com. Remember that once created, the address cannot
be modified.
I suggest teachers keep their networks private in order to create a sense of exclusivity. Students
feel they belong to a community where their new persona is able to grow in a safe environment.
Teachers can also create new tabs by clicking on the manage tab and then on tab manager. This
way, it is very easy to centralize the different web resources they think are useful for the projects
at hand or the websites provided by their textbook publishers. Teachers can also rename the
existing tabs in order to personalize their projects. For example, by default, the name of one of the
tabs is blogs. I decided to name it journals because it is more connected with the kind of projects I
am developing.
CONCLUSION
The positive results I have been getting by using NING have exceeded my expectations. Students
have not only complied with their tasks but also have generated unintended interactions that are
not explicitly considered when I am planning my lessons.
The teachers I have trained are more than satisfied with the results they have achieved with their
students. They have also become lifelong learners with a new boost of passion for their
profession. They have been able to leave their comfort zones in order to explore uncharted
territories rowing in the same raft towards higher levels of accomplishment.