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Slides by researcher Stephen Downes provide some basic elements of connectivism. Included is an analysis of VLE (virtual learning environments using LMS) vs. PLE (personal learning environments) and the types of knowledge these promote. Also addressed is personal vs. social knowledge, collaboration vs. cooperation, and network design principles. Especially interesting here is the VLE vs PLE analysis.

Kim, Thank you for sharing! I liked the visuals throughout the slide show!

Mr Downes makes thought provoking distinctions between a number of concepts (e.g.VLE and a PLE, personal vs social knowledge, and cooperation vs collaboration). Thanks for sharing.

If you are like me, where to start looking for PLNs to join leaves you a bit overwhelmed. Many of us already familiar with Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter-- but what about other options? This brief article offers up 5 additional PLN resources, most of which were new to me. It could be a great resource for finding PLNs to join.

Great list of resources! I have only heard of the EdChat before, but will be looking into the others. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for finding this resource! Some of these are completely new to me. I look forward to learning more.

This study observed and surveyed undergraduate students in a teacher certification program use Twitter to form personal learning networks. Researchers were interested in how students perceived Twitter before and after group discussion. Additionally, researchers wanted to know if Twitter was an effective medium for group discussion. Although some students had frustrations with Twitter's structure, most had a positive experience in using it for networking.

I like this article because it shows how social media is rapidly transforming all aspects of our professional lives. At first when I started reading it, I wondered what are the benefits of Twitter over the chat function in many Learning Management Systems. But then I realized students are more likely connected to Twitter with several devices. The chat session would stay around longer than the course page in the LMS. Additionally, the PLN created by the synchronous chat session exists outside of the classroom walls and can continue long after the class is over. The article was correct to cite that one of the drawbacks is the lack of critical thought that goes into Twitter feeds. The low number of characters allowed limits the ability to express thoughts clearly. However, if it is used to organize PLNs it becomes an effective tool as the participants in the study all attested.

The study supported the belief that Twitter chats provide a place where learners can be exposed to widely differing perspectives, not limited by geographical or socioeconomic constraints: "Twitter chats . . . to communicate to other professionals you may not even know but you will absolutely learn from them and what they have to say." I enjoyed the anecdote of the student who found himself in the same chat room as his school principal father!

This short journal article describes how one teacher in Louisiana uses Twitter to find and joing professional learning networks. She uses Twitter to collaborate with teachers on lessons. She also leads a weekly chat to discuss a variety of educational topics. In addition, the journal explains what Twitter is and how to use it for a complete beginner.

I appreciated the idea from this article that relationships started on Twitter can expand beyond Web 2.0: "Connections which begin online may lead to face-to-face meetings at conferences." Likewise, the river analogy helped me see how Twitter can be interpreted and integrated into an individual's personal learning network: "Consider a Tweet as an 'on-ramp' to deeper learning." Thanks for posting this link!

This is a GoogleDoc created by George Siemens for an MOOC he co-facilitates on Connectivism through the University of Manitoba. It outlines the differences between connectivism and other prominent learning theories. It details the distinctions of the connectivism learning theory.

Thanks for sharing this! I love the chart because you can compare the different learning theories all in one place! I always struggle to keep them straight :)

I really enjoyed this brief handout because it did such a nice job of summing up some of Siemens other work that I had found during my own search.

I am very pleased with this video. It's an interview with Etienne Wenger and he explains, in his own terms, his research and definition of the Community of Practice.

I also liked the explanation about how members from a Communities of Practice are engaged in a similar practice but they may do it in different settings. They don´t need to do it together. The learning contract between the members is the key of success.

Dr. Wenger talks about his Community of Practice. This discussion gives us an outline of how skills be shared through a CoP. According to Dr. Wenger, the CoP creates an on-going network of resources to communicate problems and discuss solutions. The learning and knowledge sharing can even create knowledge creation as solutions are discussed.

Explains the role creation plays as a component of connecting. Creating artifacts and participating in activities forms knowledge connections, that are most desirable in an open space with open content. The formation of new connections can lead to the redistribution of power in society.

The visuals of networks (among people and space) were powerful. I agree that one of the most impressive features of a MOOC is the creation of peer networks.

I really liked how the author began with demonstrating networks and then showed how learning is also a network. Shelly was right in that it is very powerful to see as a visual.

This paper is interesting because it focuses on learning communities amongst students rather than teachers. We often think of PLCs as an important aspect in creating a network amongst teachers but it is also an effective way of teaching in the classroom. There are several examples of this idea described in the paper.

This articles defines Connectivism is an emergent theory of learning relating to the importance of networks (connections) in learning for individuals and groups:

This book discusses emerging technologies in distance learning. One of the keys points covered in this book is the roll of social networking in distributing knowledge. This covers Moodle, wikis, and web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and twitter. This book is mainly theoretical in nature.

This book would be a great resource for many classrooms. I enjoyed looking at some of the parts to find out more. It is good to have many ideas to use in the classroom in case some of the ideas crash. This has so many to use which gives us many options.

Connections and communication are key with emerging technology, including social media and other teaching tools.

This article talks about the cloudy views of the Connectivist Learning Theory and tries to clarify what it means to define knowledge as a network and in what way it can affect teaching and learning. It discusses the conflict of deciding if, indeed, Connectivism is actually a learning theory.

This blog post describes a conference about Communities of Practice. The author considers the similarities and differences between Communities of Practice and Personal Learning Environments.

A major difference between a Community of Practice and a Professional Learning Committee is that those in the PLC are often assigned or required to be a member. CoPs seem to evolve more naturally from a desire to gain knowledge. The author of this post had just attended training given by the Wenger-Trayners--CoP gurus.

This blog post highlights communities of practice as one of the theories behind the personal learning network concept. It makes a distinction in that even though PLC's can be a community of practice, they aren't always guaranteed to be.

This article is about how different social networking tools can be used to support learning activities. Of particular focus in the article was which tools could be used to foster an attitude of lifelong learning. The article also explains the major principles of connectivism and how the role of a learner is continuously changing in a connectivist environment.