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CCK08 Is Connectivism a Learning Network?
Longish and well-considered discussion of connectivism from the perspective of offering a critique. Most of it makes sense, but this puzzles me: "I cannot understand why that more established theory that uses 'symmetric analysis', namely Actor-Network Theory, has not been referenced, if only to say why it is/is not relevant." As George Roberts says, "Actor network theory is not particularly a theory of education or learning, but of social action." And as Ed Webb says, in the comments, connectivism makes "bolder assertions about the nature of learning as a neurological phenomenon" and "is a would-be insurgent discourse, a normative position describing what could be."
And when Bell asks, "What troubles me is when the biological metaphor is translated into networks of people and things," my response is that it's not a metaphor. In my own case at least (and probably George's as well) the theory is that the same principles apply in both the biological and the social domains. Now, does ANT inform this? Probably. And when I get the chance, I will educate myself in sociology so I have the basis to comment. Until then, I have to rely on people who are well versed in social theory to tell me how ANT is similar, rather than to have them simply complain that I haven't considered it. And this applies, not just to ANT, but to discourse about 'why we have not included such-and-such' in general.
Frances Bell,
Frances Bell's Blog, November 19, 2008 5:37 a.m..
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