If you’ve been reading this blog and following me on other social media, you might have figured out by now that i’m interested in all things that relate to the new modalities and affordances that ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) grant the human species in terms of new possibilities for facilitating learning.
Among the people i have a lot of respect for in this field, is one Stephen Downes. Along with George Siemens, they developed the “connectivist” approach to learning, which can be one-lined as “a learning theory for the 21st century”. This theory considers the particular aspects of a learning environment where contents are widely available, and making connections to others learners is fairly painless, so that working through the content, instead of spending untold hours to access them, is the key challenge. Older authors had not accounted for this game-changing scenario, which makes a significant difference, in my opinion.
So, @Downes is getting this course started, with the hashtag #el30. According to connectivist MOOC standards and etiquette, Stephen will provide the topics and a few pointers, and then will let the participants make the most of the time devoted to the topic to bring ideas, share resources, create contents, discuss, explore, and enjoy each others’ perspectives. Yes, it might look a little bit like a farmers’ market, and even share some similitudes to the chaos of a tavern brawl, and this is where the fun is found. It’s not all neat, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is a very real thing. But to me it’s one of the purest forms of learning: having a knowledgeable curator, exploring together, sharing what we reflect on, and truly respecting peers’ work might just be the right recipe for this century’s entire outlook on learning.
Anyways, the skeletal touchpoint for the course can be found here: https://el30.mooc.ca/course_outline.htm
And if you’ve never stared into the maelstrom of a connectivist course, this description outlines its key aspects: https://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2018/09/approaching-e-learning-30.html
Me, i’m buckling up and getting ready for some thrills and the enjoyment of learning with others.
Outdoing Education 