Learner as Navigator

Today’s learner is like a GPS, the name we commonly call a navigation device that receives signals from the Global Positioning System to direct us from point A to point B. GPS gadgets, such as those mounted on a car dashboard, rely on their connection with a network of satellites to provide real-time information to the traveler. Similarly, 21st century learners are increasingly reliant on external sources, or their cumulative collection of “satellites,” to formulate an informed position. For both the GPS device and the learner, the key to knowledge is in the network. George Siemens, in his learning theory of connectivism identifies and expands on the idea that knowledge is the function of a network. He asserts that in today’s world the network itself becomes the learning, or that learning is the process of making connections. In his article, Connectivism: A learning Theory for the Digital Age, Siemens claims that “The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe.”

Going back to the GPS analogy, the information that is needed from a GPS changes regularly; the start and end points may differ with every trip, and roads may change. Therefore, it is much more effective for a GPS to rely on established real-time networks, than to store driving instructions in a database. Today’s learner is faced with a similar situation. Traditional practices of memorizing content are more difficult to rationalize when information is becoming obsolete at a rapid pace. It makes more sense for a learner to tap into the “pipes” that he or she has created than to store large quantities of constantly evolving information. Having the ability to keep up with the exponential growth of information is a critical component of connectivism. In his video, The Network is the Learning, Siemens asserts that “what we know today is not as important as our ability to stay current.”

Like a GPS, learners are expected to synthesize information from multiple sources to arrive at their positions. Yet the learning process is not as neat and precise as the GPS analogy would suggest. Learners must deal with the reality that knowledge is the product of a dynamic process of synthesizing input in what Siemens describes as a messy and chaotic environment. The learning process is more of a collaborative exchange, than a one-directional relay of data. In the above mentioned article, Siemens states, “The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to the individual.” In my mind, it is precisely the interactive and nourishing nature of networks that makes it possible for learning to be synonymous with network creation. Yet, whether it is or not, I'm undecided.

In the end, learning is not determined by a pre-programmed destination that is attainable by accessing exact coordinates. Rather, for the “connected” learner, the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong collaborative activity that is made possible through forces both internal and external to the individual. From the connectivist perspective, today’s learning process values individual expression as a necessary contribution to the aggregate dialogue that generates knowledge.