Personal Learning Networks, Communities of Practice, and Connectivism Through Creative Expression

The concepts behind personal learning networks, communities of practice, and connectivism are related and yet exclusive ideas.  All three concepts focus on gaining knowledge through a personalized network.  Pettenati and Cigognini (2007) state, "the true competence for a lifelong learner of the knowledge society would be the capability to "stay connected" and "belong" to digital communities with which interests are and can be continuously shared." The image above serves as a metaphorical representation of the similarities and differences of PLNs, CoPs, and connectivism.

"A personal learning network (PLN) is an adult's own assemblage of resources and means of assimilating knowledge from those resources." (Neubauer, Hug, Hamon, & Stewart, 2011)  At the center of each PLN is the person himself.  Each person has his own unique set of interests and experiences in which he can reach out to others with similar backgrounds.  In my interpretation, this system of networking is similar to a snowflake.  A snowflake extends out from its center in multiple directions and branches out in its own unique pattern.  No two snowflakes are alike, in the same way that no two PLNs are exactly alike.

It was difficult for me to see a clear difference between a personal learning network and a community of practice.  However, Neubauer, Hug, Hamon, and Stewart (2011), also provide a clear definition of communities of practice that helped me to differentiate between the two.  They describe CoPs as "a group of people who are bound together informally through sharing expertise and enthusiasm for something."  When I realized that PLNs are relative to one person, and CoPs are relative to a group of people, I began to form the idea of how the three concepts can be united by the theme of snow.  Extending the metaphor, a CoP is similar to a snowball.  A snowball is simply a number of snowflakes that have bonded together.  Communities of practice are like snowballs in that they are formed by groups of people with their own set of PLNs (snowflakes).  The people in a CoP all share information and knowledge based on the similar ideas within the group.

There is much debate about the theory of connectivism and whether or not it qualifies as a learning theory in its own right. Dunaway (2011) describes connectivism as "the importance of the ability to recognize connections, patterns, and similarities; the ability to synthesize ideas and information is central to the connectivist perspective."  In my own thinking about the definition of connectivism, I took this to mean that connectivism is the process of gathering information through the use of PLNs and CoPs and using that information to construct knowledge in a way that is unique to one's own experiences.  With this in mind, when considering a PLN as a snowflake and a CoP as a snowball, connectivism is what is created using those resources.  In the case of my metaphor, I chose a snowman.  The snowman that is built is unique to the knowledge and understanding of the builder, and based on what they have collected from snowflakes to snowballs and eventually the snowman itself.

The common link of snow in each of the concept representations serves as a metaphor for networking.  Networking is the link that connects PLNs, CoPs, and the theory of connectivism.  If people did not have the ability to communicate and collaborate with others through the tools they have available, new knowledge would not be readily available at the rate it is today, much in the same way that if snow did not exist, one would not have the ability to analyze the crystals of a snowflake, roll it into a snowball, or build a snowman.

References:

Dunaway, M. K. (2011). Connectivism: Learning theory and pedagogical practice for networked information landscapes. Reference Services Review. 39(4), 675-685. doi: 10.1108/00907321111186686

Neubauer B., Hug, R., Hamon, K., & Stewart, S. K. (2011). Using personal learning networks to leverage communities of practice in public affairs education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 17(1). Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27919545

Pettenati, M.C., & Cigognini, M.E. (2007). Social networking theories and tools to support connectivist learning activities. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Technologies, 2(3), 42-50, 52-60. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/224638774?accountid=9649