Connectivism is when learning takes place in a cooperative group using technology to enhance the relationships between individuals and the content/curriculum. A great example of connectivism and social learning was in the article, "Social Constructivism Vignette", when Mrs. Smith divided her class into groups and assigned each group one act of the play, Hamlet (Orey, 2001). After Mrs. Smith had realized for years that she had struggled teaching her students about Shakespeare's plays, she turned to social learning instructional strategies. As each student was to complete their part of the project, the end product of a modern-day puppet show was created through a social learning process. In the end, each student's mark was on the project, and they were able to feel a sense of ownership (Orey, 2001).
An instructional strategy that could be a great example of a social learning activity is a "wiki". The whole idea behind a "wiki" is for each student to to put forth their unique ability and talent to the project so the end project is a result of a "diversity of network" (Orey, 2001). I strongly believe that students can just as well learn from other students as well as the teacher. Just like Mr. Orey says a social learning project is where "the students [bring] their diverse interests and collaborated to create their finished product" (Orey, 2001). That is the true definition of a "wiki".
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
