A paper given at EdMedia 2015.

1. Towards a Connectivist Analysis of Classroom Learning
Environments
Building Student
Networks
Dr. Gerald Ardito!
Pace University!
EdMedia 2015

2. Be careful what you wish for
It all started with an
insight
What would it look like if
students drove their own
learning?

3. Conceptual
Framework

4. Conceptual Framework
Distributed
Constructionism
"(Distributed Constructionism) focuses
particularly on the use of computer
networks to support students working
together on design and construction
activities, and it argues that these types of
activities are particularly effective in
supporting the development of knowledge-
building communities." Resnick, 1996.

5. Conceptual Framework
Connectivism
"At its heart, connectivism is the
thesis that knowledge is distributed
across a network of connections, and
therefore that learning consists of
the ability to construct and traverse
those networks." Downes, 2007.

6. Research Questions

7. Research Questions
1. What type of learning
environments can promote
self-directed learning in
middle school science
students?!
!
2. How does a self-directed
learning environment
(re)shape student learning
networks?

8. If you build it ...
Instructional
(Re) Design
Is this my beautiful house?

9. If your only tool is a hammer ...
How did it work? You may find yourself in
another part of the world

10. A journey of one thousand miles...
Where are we going? What's the Big Idea?

11. The Tools

12. Follow the yellow brick road...
Moodle Building a container for
learning

13. There is no try. Do or do not.
Google Docs Sharing is caring

14. What we have here...
Edmodo Easy communication

15. What it looked like

16. Findings

17. Findings
❖ Students did as well or better on
state mandated year end exams!!
❖ Student work demonstrated more
depth than in previous years!
❖ Students managed themselves
spontaneously, creatively, and
productively!!
❖ Students' learning networks were
enlarged and made more robust
for the most part (success was
correlated to having viable
networks)

18. Regents Scores Year 1

19. Regents Scores Year 2

20. Run silent, run deep
Depth of Student
Work
Sometimes more is more

21. Intrinsic Motivation
Students Managing
Themselves
"Conditions supporting the
individual’s experience of autonomy,
competence, and relatedness are
argued to foster the most volitional
and high quality forms of motivation
and engagement for activities"
Selfdetermination.org

22. How were the students connected
Types of Student
Networks
Getting connected. Staying
connected

23. Student networks
Traditional
Classrooms
A small number of nodes

24. Student networks
Constructivist
Classrooms
More than a sum of parts

25. New Student Networks
How were students
connected?
More than a sum of parts
Pairs Parallel Play Mother Hen

26. A rising tide raises all boats
Next steps Learning from failure.