ABSTRACT
As learning moves into an informal, networked, technology-enabled realm, the major theories of learning, which are behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, do not fully describe learning. Downes (2006) adds a fourth approach to these theories: the view of knowledge as composed of connections and networked entities (Siemens, 2008). Siemens defines this fourth approach as “connectivism.” In connectivism, learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database). Learning is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing (Siemens, 2004). Mobile technology is one of the newest enablers of connectivist learning environments, because it promotes the combination of mobility, social media, and learning by providing basic infrastructure.
