0. Comparison Table
How does connectivism compare to other learning theories? How does it differ from established paradigms? The chart below illustrates both the similarities and differences between connectivism and three major philosophical perspectives on learning.
| Questions | Behviorism | Cognitivism | Constructivsm | Connectivism |
| How does learning occur? | Black box-observable behavior main focus. | Structured computational | Social, meaning created by each learner (personal) | Distributes within a network, social, technologically enhanced, recognizing and interpreting patterns. |
| What factors influence learning? | Nature of reward, punishment, stimuli | Engagement, participation, social, cultural | Existing schema, previous experiences | Diversity of network |
| What is the role of memory? | Memory is hardwiring of repeated experiences-where reward and punishment are most influential. | Encoding, storage, retireval | Prior knowledge remixed to current context | Adaptive patterns, representative of a current state, existing in networks. |
| How does transfer occur? | Stimulus, response | Duplicating knowledge constructs of “knower” | Socialization | Connecting to (adding nodes) |
| What types of learning are best explained by this theory? | Task-based learning | Reasoning, clear objectives, problem-solving | Social, vague (“Ill-defined”) | Complex learning, rapid changing core, diverse knowledge sources |
Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology, Michael Orey, Editor, Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia. Retrieved on Nov. 28, 2016 from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Main_Page.