Week 3 – Networks Properties
U Stream Connectivism
2200 potential participants
Making some sense of the weeks activities :
- Blogs versus moodle debate ? I have been engaging with blogs as I have found that I could follow up on topics of specific interest, they are not so daunting as the moodle forums. seems that writing needs to be reading for publising, doesnt seem to be a place to share fragments of ideas.
- What is a quality connection in a network? Looking at my engagement in this course I feel I am connecting to the readings/presentations but not to the conversations that are happening. it only seems like a flow of information to me at the moment. If I connect to a colleague am I learning something?
GS : Learning coming through the network- GS. Going to each tree I learn something
SD : learning is a property of networks… not something you get from the network. Network learning as a whole ( SD) Different types of different networks learn differently. The forest knows
External social network – learning comes from network eg connect to blog . Because I am connected – those connections form my conceptual networks.
In what way do we say learning is networked ? – neural, conceptual, social/external. -domains
What people get from people in the network ? what part are we playing in the network? Is it a participant centred understanding? Individuals contribution to a network – plays a role- different perspectives – knowledge is contained in the network- it is a result of perpsectives combined
Knowledge is distributed – no one person
Is learning a shared process when we learn together? Compared to an individual task ? If I am well connected to other people I am more intelligent.
This collaborate or cooperate struck a chord with me. Is working together always about developing a shared understanding ? what is the actual difference between collaborate and cooperate.? I think the terms are misused and misunderstood. To me developinga shared understanding and shared meaning is a deep process and takes lots of time. I can work together with someone and not actually want to share understandings with them.
Can I be in a network and work cooperatively and not share understandings?
Do networks serve different purposes ? or is this about groups?
I liked this idea about processes of engagement and processes of interaction ….
- Liked GS reflection that we seem to be flirting with connectivism and networks. I would see myself as beginning to think about flirting…… eg trying to find a way into the conversation at conceptual and social domains. Trying to find a space where i am comfortable to flirt.
i am on the pathways of confusion …. before you get out the other side.
Am I finding spaces to converse in the centralised spaces and/or decentralised spaces.?
Learning Networks Theory and Practice SD
Traditional online learning based based on traditional notions of learning, control, management, cost, individual accreditation, cost effectiveness. Based on out moded ideas about learning, technologies, experts and knowledge formation, Learners as consumers of prepackaged content.
Learning Networks – learning as engagement and conversations, open access, identity, webased, services and integration. Personal, creative, interpret in own context.
How do Learning Management Systems fit in with new ways of networked learning?
How can I take a small step towards networked learning in classroom?
Properties of Networks- density,speed,flow, plasticity – entities and connections
Networks working in a rapidly changing context?
- decentralised
- distribute
- disintermediate
- disaggegrate
- disintegrate
- democratise
- dynamise
- desegregate
Practice : content authoring and delivery
organise, syndicate sequence and deliver
identity and authorisation (CC)
chatting, phoning and conferencing
collaboration
Leave the cocoon and experience the web, stop trying to do online what you would do in a classroom.
If these are the practices for e learning in a decentralised system what are the capabilities we need to be developing in our learners to work in this world?
As a life long learner I have been challenged to identify and acquire the knowledge and skills I need to get started in this course how much more difficult for educators/teachers avoiding/not entering the digital world?
Will there be a learning revolution, are we having it now, or will the old traditional approaches to learning continue to dominate and just die a slow death ?
George S on Networks
KEY ASPECTS and ATTRIBUTES OF NETWORKS
Notes to slides by George S in Week 3
Different types of networks.
Small worlds
Hubs – central station certain nodes in a network are connected above other nodes. Network that exhibits powerlaw is a scale free network
Scale free networks
Connectors – individuals who have many weak ties. Numerous ties . Introduce you to a wide range of people . Is it the connectors that result in the flow of information?
Duncan and Dodds – it isn’t the connectors or influences who spread means. It may be the those most easily influences
Weak Ties – much info we need don’t find from well connected ties actually through weakier ties than provide more information. Solve problems and get access to information
Centrality, cohesion, density, features of networks
IF we wish to better understand learning we need to better understand networks,
Primacy of the network?
Neural biological
Conceptual
External social - how we form connections with other people or information sources.
Network influentials etc social based networks . Principles and attributes can be applied well and widely.
CONCEPTUAL NETWORKS
Not well researched
Concept + concept – changed meaning
STARS and STRIPES – individually different to separateness
Combinations of concepts – one idea changes or influences another that is prominent at the time.
If we can related concepts on a map- possibility exists certain types of relationships may be present. Eg eg political view/social world.
Research has not be done extensively
Neural Networks = structure shows small world and scale free worlds. Brain as complex system
Network attributes common at a neural level.
Learning at any level we are dealing with network structure
Concluding Thoughts
Networks are an underlying structure at all aspects of our learning at any level.Educators – how do networks create/form.How are education systems conceived?
Knowledge is distributed and learning is the process of creating those networks. This is aided by technology
H ow it is that knowledge shows it is distributed?
IS knowledge continually changing?
Valdis Krebs Social Network Analysis
Some thoughts from irmeli.aro@findeco.fi> wrote in google groups and I have been pondering this challenge
> is: “The pipe is more important than the
> content within the pipe.”
I am trying to think this through and its not making much immediate sense to me.
Learning comes from information gathering. this info comes from
contacts, networks, resources, thoughts, ideas, concepts, dialogue – lots of sources.
Different thoughts can have different tags – Different tags create different meanings at
> ” different times and in different contexts. All tags boost learning. It
> is a matter of self-confidence – working from one’s own worldview – to
> make this happen and work. Widening one’s own world view – becoming
> more conscious of the process of building of self – affects the pipe
> and the pipe affects the process of widening ones own world view. “
thanks Irmeli for putting up your thoughts
Adding to Irmeli’s description.
I find that usually questions of coping with information abundance are
questions about ‘keeping up with everything’ this is not possible and its also stupid and time wasting as much information is irrelevant at times.
Sensitive to patterns, and people and connections
Follow and check on certain people as I know they will be following trends, information and what is important to me This varies according to the context I am thinking in.
