Learning, connectivity and networks
| Date | 14 January 2019 |
| Published date | 14 January 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-06-2018-0052 |
| Pages | 19-38 |
| Author | Caroline Haythornthwaite |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Learning, connectivity
and networks
Caroline Haythornthwaite
School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This is paper is concerned with the learning outcomes associated with connectivity through
online networks, open online exchange and wider changes associated with contemporary information
practices. The theme of connectivity is used here to capture both the detailed specificity of relations that
define networksof learners and the ambient effect of wide accessibility to resourcesand people through open,
online forums.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper follows the idea of a network from the ground up,
outlining the social network perspective as a way to consider the foundational bases of learning and
networks, as wellas the effect of ambient influence. The paper addressesthe ways learning may be viewed as
a social network relation, an interpersonal relationship and an outcome of interactionand connectivity, and
how networkconnectivity can be used as input for design for learning.
Findings –The paper presents a range of perspectives and studies that view learning from a social
network and connectivi ty perspective, emphasizing both the person-to- person connectivity of a learning
tie and the impact of contemporary data and information sharing through the dynamics of open
contributory practice.
Practical implications –The outcome of connectivityin the service of learning is bound up with digital
information practices, including individual practices of search, retrieval, participation, knowledge
dissemination, knowledge construction and more. This paper provides a network perspective on learning
relations that accommodates analysis in online and offline environments, but incorporates attention to the
open, onlineretrieval and contributory practices that now influence learning practicesand which may support
design of newlearning environments.
Originality/value –This paper offers insight into the way social networksand connectivity combine to
show networkrelations, relationships, outcomes and designinput at the actor, network and societal levels.
Keywords Social networks, E-learning, Online learning, Networked learning, Social learning,
Ubiquitous learning, Learning networks
Paper type General review
Introduction
Connectivity is a theme that resonateswith many approaches to teaching and learning, and
to information science: connecting teachers to learners, people to resources, master
practitioners to apprentices and ideas across domains. This paper is concerned with the
learning outcomes associated with this connectivity, considering primarily connectivity
through online networks, and the effectsof open, online exchange. These exchanges are not
limited to the educational sphere, and thus, this paper is not exclusively focused on
application in educational settings. Indeed, addressing how, where and with whom we
currently learn also entails attention to the wider societal changes associated with
contemporary informationpractices with the learning happening in and throughformal and
This research was supported by the Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada, Learning Analytics for the Social Media Age.
Learning,
connectivity
and networks
19
Received19 June 2018
Revised16 November 2018
22November 2018
Accepted23 November 2018
Informationand Learning Sciences
Vol.120 No. 1/2, 2019
pp. 19-38
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-06-2018-0052
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
informal online learning spaces. The theme of connectivity is used here to capture both the
detailed specificity of relations that define networks of learners and the ambient effect of
wide accessibilityto resources and people through open, online forums.
Several areas of research resonate with examining the nexus of learning, connectivity
and networks: networked learning, which has a pedagogical aim to enhance the use of
network connectivity in support of educational outcomes; learning networks, which builds
on social network analysis to describe learning interaction wherever it is found; and
ubiquitous learning which addresses the wider change in learning practice that happens
through the myriad ways we search for, connect with and learn from resources and people
on a daily basis. While many aspects of learning informed by these three areas may find
application in offline practices, all threepoint to the digital environment as driving learning
outcomes. The outcome of connectivity in the service of learning is bound up with digital
information practices, including individual practices of search, retrieval, participation,
knowledge dissemination,knowledge construction and more.
The learning theories that resonate with connectivity are those that relate to learning
with others and adult learning, including: social learning (Bandura, 2001;Buckingham
Shum and Ferguson, 2012), collaborative learning (Bruffee, 1993;Koschmann, 1996),
legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wenger, 1991), communities of practice
(Wenger, 1998;Wenger et al., 2002), community of inquiry (Garrison and Anderson, 2003),
learning by expansion and activity theory (Engeström, 2009), adult learning (Bransford
et al.,1999), self-directed learning (heutagogy, Hase and Kenyon, 2000) and life-wide
learning (Jackson, 2011); and more classic work on experiential learning, social
constructivism and integration of learning and experience by John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky,
Knud Illeris and others.
Newer learning perspectivesthat foreground connectivity includeconnectivism (Siemens,
2005a, 2005b;Downes, 2012) and its application in constructivist massive open online
courses (cMOOCs; Cormier, 2008), participatory culture (Jenkins et al., 2009), connected
learning (Ito et al., 2012), personal learning environments and learner-generated contexts
(Luckin, 2010). Each of these looks for ways to guide the learner in constructing their own
pathway through resources,including their personal interests and experiences and to create
their own understanding of the topic of interest. Personal experience is complemented by
connecting with others, e.g.in reading and posting to open public or community forums, co-
construction of resources and joint development of knowledge (Scardamalia and Bereiter,
1996, 2006).
In addressing connectivity and learning, research also draws on theory and studies of
group behavior, both online and offline, from work teams to community. Research of most
relevance draws on social psychology,cognitive psychology, group behavior, teamwork and
distributed work, with an emphasis on the structuring of team coordination through
technology, and the activities that support collaboration (Resnick et al.,1991;McGrath and
Hollingshead, 1994;McGrath and Hollingshead, 1994;Engeström and Middleton, 1996;
Hine, 2006; Haythornthwaite, 2006a,2006b,2006c; Stahl, 2006). Research in these areasalso
includes now classic questions about interactivity and computer-mediated communication
(Herring, 2002;Herring and Androutsopoulos, 2015) such as: how do work groups manage
to accomplish theirwork through the “lean”medium of computer-mediated communication?
How is emotional content conveyed? And, how is interaction changed when maintained
through channelssupporting “persistent conversation”?(Erickson, 1999)
As well as task-oriented approaches to teamwork, communal aspects of online
interaction play an importantrole and include research to understand and design successful
online, virtual communities (Rheingold, 2000;Kim, 2000;Preece and Maloney-Krichmar,
ILS
120,1/2
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