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2.2 Learning Theories 43

Main ideas
Connectivism is a hypothesis of learning which emphasizes the role of social and
cultural context. It is the integration of principles from chaos, network, and com-
plexity and self-organization theories. The central aspect of connectivism is the
metaphor of a network with nodes and connections (Siemens, 2005). In this
metaphor, a node is anything that can be connected to another node such as an
organization, information, data, feelings, and images. In this sense, connectivism
proposes to see knowledge’s structure as a network and learning as a process of
pattern recognition (AlDahdouh, Osório, Caires & Susana, 2015).
According to connectivism, learning is creating networks (Fig. 2.1). Nodes are
external entities, which can be used to form a network. The nodes may be people,
organizations, libraries, Web sites, books, database, or any other source of infor-
mation. The act of learning is creating an external network of nodes, where we
connect information and knowledge sources. The learning that happens in our heads
is an internal network (neural). Learning networks can then be perceived as
structures that we create in order to stay current and continually acquire experience,
create, and connect new knowledge (external). Learning networks can be perceived
as structures that exist within our minds (internal) in connecting and creating pat-
terns of understanding (Siemens, 2006).

Fig. 2.1 Learning as network formation. Adapted from Siemens (2006)