COGNITIVISM & CONNECTIVISM
Cognitivism refers to the study of the mind and how it obtains, processes, and stores information (Stavredes, 2011).
Connectivism knowledge exists outside of the learner, and the learner makes connections between information to build knowledge.
A Visual Comparison
Cognitivism or Connectivism Example?
Read the example below and see how you interpret it. Hover over the story to see if you guessed correctly!
When I was with GE Plastics they sent me to a Professional Selling Skills 3-day seminar. The seminar was taught by a certified PSS instructor who had a great command of the materials. This was the first course I had taken that had facilitator's guides, participant guides, job aids, and planned activities. We learned using the 70-20-10 method and it was so fast-paced! We would review previous material, learn our segment objectives, learn the new material (some by reading, some by video), role play, review, and test. I was a Sales and Marketing Manager at the time, and I knew this class was going to show me how to perform better. Some of the topics were exactly what I needed to close more sales. Some of the modules were on things I already knew, but I was willing to listen in case there was something I could improve.
Here's how my Professional Selling Skills course fit the Cognitivism Learning Theory:
-
As a professional salesperson, I brought my experience and schema into the classroom.
-
I was excited and very proactive as a learner. After all, I thought this could help me land more sales and larger commissions.
-
The instructor was a former $1 MM salesperson. She was the Knower I wanted to duplicate in every way.
-
The instructor connected old knowledge to new throughout the course by incorporating answers from a Pre-class survey into her examples and by customizing our role plays.
-
During one of the review modules, the instructor would give us a scenario from class and ask us, "What should you do?" We had to talk her through our thought process incorporating the day's materials and the appropriate sales response script.
Sources
Krist2366. (2015, June 01). Connectivism (Siemens, Downes). Retrieved July 14, 2018, from https://www.learning-theories.com/connectivism-siemens-downes.html
Mcleod, S. (2016). Social Learning Theory. Retrieved July 14, 2018, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
Mergel, B. (1998, May). Instructional Design & Learning Theory [Scholarly project]. In University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved July 14, 2018, from https://etad.usask.ca/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm
Mind Tools. (n.d.). Cognitive Load TheoryMaking Learning More Effective. Retrieved July 14, 2018, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cognitive-load-theory.htm
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3-10.
Smith, M.K. (2002) ‘Jerome S. Bruner and the process of education’, The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. [http://infed.org/mobi/jerome-bruner-and-the-process-of-education/ Retrieved: July 14, 2018]
Sorden, S. D. (2005). A Cognitive Approach to Instructional Design for Multimedia Learning. Informing Science Journal, 8, 263-279. Retrieved July 14, 2018, from http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol8/v8p263-279Sorden34.pdf
Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.