Networked Learning in a Pandemic: New Horizons for Use

I. A. Nagaeva

, E. A Frolova

and

A. G. Erohin

Natural Sciences Chair, Moscow International University, Moscow, Russia

Department of Business Informatics, Moscow Technical University of Communication and Informatics, Moscow, Russia

Keywords: Online Learning, Heutagogy, Connectivism, Peer To Peer Learning, Paragogy, Rhizomatic Learning, Virtual

Learning Space.

Abstract: The peculiarities of training at the present time are: the possibility of accumulating and systematizing initial

information, as well as the possibility of organizing and participating in large-scale discussions. Networked

learning is a relatively new paradigm of educational activity based on the idea of mass cooperation, the

ideology of open educational resources, in combination with a networked organization of interaction between

participants. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, we can observe an increased interest in networked

learning technology. The article examines the formation and development of learning through network

technologies, provides various points of view on modern paradigms of education, assesses the effectiveness

of using such technologies in a pandemic.

1 INTRODUCTION

For quite a long period of time, we can observe in the

modern educational process such trends as the

development of innovative technologies, the

introduction of the educational model of Life-Long

Learning. Their implementation is directly related to

the development of information and communication

technologies, the increased volume of educational

and scientific content, and the active interaction of

users in the network. The coronavirus pandemic was

the impetus for intensifying these trends. The

coronavirus literally turned everything and everyone

upside down, making its own adjustments in many

directions.

Changes and innovations in education have

resulted in the emergence of new learning theories.

Such theories include autogy (the science of self-

education), connectivism (the science of modeling

behavioral phenomena by the processes of becoming

in networks of interconnected simple elements), peer-

to-peer models, paragogy, rhizomatic learning model,

network learning. The latest model has acquired

particular relevance, such processes have acquired

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5890-2622

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during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the transition

to distance learning has become almost inevitable.

It should be noted that within the framework of

the national project in the field of education, changes

were also assumed earlier, discussions of the remote

learning system were held. But discussing is one

thing, and it is another thing to suddenly switch to

distance learning for everyone.

For almost a year now, distance and digital have

been mastered everywhere. Each university chooses

technologies and formats that are suitable for it. The

main task is to keep the content as much as possible

so as not to worsen the quality of education.

In this article, the authors attempted to analyze the

existing experience of using networked educational

technologies in a pandemic. The research is based, in

particular, on the personal experience of authors −

teachers of various disciplines at the Moscow

Technical University of Communications and

Informatics and the Moscow International University.

184

Nagaeva, I., Frolova, E. and Erohin, A.

Networked Learning in a Pandemic: New Horizons for Use.

DOI: 10.5220/0011112700003439

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference "COVID-19: Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals" (RTCOV 2021), pages 184-188

ISBN: 978-989-758-617-0

2 RESEARCH METODOLOGY

The provisions of connectivism are based on the

theory of networks, complex and self-organizing

systems. Siemens (2012, 2006) proposes to consider

learning as a process in an uncertain, constantly

changing and dynamically developing environment.

The learning process is built from related information

source nodes (organizations, websites, libraries,

databases, people or any other source of information).

Learning networks can be both internal structures

(creating a model of understanding in our minds) and

external (connecting external knowledge to gain

experience).

Downes (2010) describes the theory as follows:

learning is to include yourself in the network.

Students advance in their education by interacting

with practitioners, starting by copying models. This

process of copying activities is supported by

reflection and corrected by other members of the

community.

The network is based on the community,

resources are of secondary importance. Only personal

knowledge constitutes a network that supports the

development of the community, which in turn

supports the development of the network and, through

its development, the training of other participants.

Within the network, concepts differ: data (raw

information), information (intelligently processed

data), knowledge (information used), meaning

(awareness of information). Learning is presented as

a process of transforming knowledge into meaning

and action through interaction with other people, with

a teacher. In the process of transformation, the nodes

of the network are reorganized and form

connections - a training shell.

The practical implementation of the connectivism

ideas is the introduction of network learning

technology, which is based on the idea of mass

cooperation, the ideology of open educational

resources, in combination with the network

organization of the interaction of participants.

Networked learning is based on the ideas of

“horizontal” learning activities and peer learning (i.e.

peer-to-peer learning and learning) as opposed to

traditional pedagogy and andragogy.

Analysis of domestic and foreign sources written

by Corneli & Danoff, C. J. (2011)., Smith, B. L. &

MacGregor (1992), Patarakin (2006), Polyakova

(2008) shows that the concept of the “equal to equal”

model is considered a promising direction in higher

professional education. In network learning, this

model is implemented through information and

communication technologies: students interact in the

learning community mode, making an equal

contribution to solving common problems. In this

case, we are talking about "controlled"

communication with the aim of mastering educational

programs. The peer-to-peer model can be

implemented here in training formats that require

active interaction of its participants. Participants of

the educational process, mediated by information and

communication technologies, carry out joint design

and creation of a common educational space, develop

the necessary educational content.

3 RESEARCH RESULTS

Networked learning implements two approaches to

learning: individual and personal.

Individual training is a model of the organization

of the educational process, in which the teacher

interacts with only one student, taking into account

his personal characteristics, creating psychological

and pedagogical conditions for his development. This

model implies the presence of a mentor or leader who

builds a learning trajectory for the student (listener,

learner). Individual training implies the presence of a

mentor or leader who builds a learning trajectory for

the student (listener, learner). Because not everyone

has critical thinking and is able to filter out the

amount of information that is on the Internet. The

advantage of this training is that it allows you to adapt

the content, methods and pace of the student's

learning activity to his characteristics. The trainee has

the ability to control the expenditure of his forces, to

work at the optimal time for himself, which allows

him to achieve high results of his training.

Personal learning is the attitude of the student to

his education, i.e. awareness of the need to learn a

particular subject, to obtain preferred information for

oneself. The advantages of this training:

 self-management of one's own learning;

 independent setting of educational goals;

 the student works at his own pace;

 drawing up a personal training plan (learn only

what you do not know);

 individual communication with the teacher;

 the possibility of training in one group with

trainees of different levels of training during

the period of studying a certain topic;

 constant checking of the acquired knowledge.

Currently, personal learning is implemented by

PLE (Personal Learning Environment), which refers

to the tools, communities, services and a set of

resources on which individual educational platforms

Networked Learning in a Pandemic: New Horizons for Use

185

are based, intended for use by learners. A typical PLE

is educational blogs (eg Twitter), YouTube and

similar sites, RSS feeds. Thus, PLE is an environment

in which the opportunity for self-management of

one's own learning and self-setting of educational

goals is provided, as well as a special approach to

learning is implemented.

Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich (2006) proposed

to embody the ideal educational system in the form of

a "learning web", which provides everyone with

access to the available resources at any time and

regardless of their age, supports the efforts of

everyone who wants to share their knowledge and

skills in finding those who wants to learn from them

and, finally, provides everyone with the opportunity

to publish and present the results of their learning for

public discussion. French teacher Célestin Freinet

(1990) proposed the idea of expanding the interaction

of students, based on the following principles of

organizing the educational process:

 no training, there is problem solving, analysis,

expertise;

 there are no study assignments, there are

constantly asked questions;

 no ratings, but personal proposals differ;

 there are no mistakes - there are

misunderstandings;

 there are no curricula, there is individual and

group planning;

 there is no teacher, but there is a teacher for

organizing a common cause;

 the teacher does not educate, but solves common

problems;

 there is no class, there is a community;

 the community is governed by the norms of the

community adopted by the students themselves.

The embodiment of Freinet 's idea was the creation of

a school correspondent network, where students from

different schools corresponded with each other,

correspondent schools exchanged educational and

social information. The experiment was viewed as an

image of the context of "live communication". Peer

education is reflected in the theory of horizontal

learning, paragogy (or peer learning and learning

theory). The principles of paragogy are adapted

principles of andragogy by Knowles (1970),

developed in the context of “horizontal” learning”.

4 DISCUSSION

Thus, the analysis of foreign sources (Benkler,

(2005), Verhagen, (2006), Siemens (2012, 2006))

allows us to formulate the following principles of

paragogy related to learning with the use of distance

learning technologies.

 Collective context in motion: identifying ways of

supplementing and changing content by learners.

Search for contextual features of the learning

environment that affect the possibility of self-

education. The development of the learner is

determined in relation to the context of the

activities of other participants in the environment.

 Meta-learning as a source of knowledge: using

information to predict academic performance and

achievement.

 All are equal, but all are different: the learning

experience includes the reflection of opposing

points of view. Optimal integration into study

groups with a teacher recommended by the course

administration.

 Learning activity is distributed and non-linear:

defining one's own learning path in the learning

environment.

 Implementation of motivation and transition to

the next goal: measuring the contribution to joint

activities.

The practical application of paragogy is reflected

in the context of P2P University (P2PU), which

implements such a form of distance learning as P2P

learning (peer-to-peer, horizontal model of mutual

learning). P2PU is a fundamental open education

project that organizes the learning process outside the

walls of traditional institutions and gives students the

opportunity to assess their achievements.

The project is based on the use of open

educational resources. A kind of network community

has been created from open groups for the study of

small courses at the university level. Before the start

of classes, a preliminary training plan is drawn up.

Working in a group, participants jointly search for,

study educational resources, conduct discussions and

complete assignments on the declared topics of the

course. To assess the results of the participants'

activities, an expert is invited who proposes the final

tasks and evaluates their implementation. No formal

documentation system has yet been developed for

successfully completing courses, but online and

licensed expert assessments are proof of competence

in this area.

P2P course programs are designed to help non-

professionals create Internet projects, develop their

own content. In P2PU courses, mutual learning takes

place through learning problems that the learners

solve for themselves and help others solve. For

example, as a result of the implementation of the

Mozilla Drumbeat project, a beta version of the

Drumbeat site appears, which will host a database of

logos and their components, as well as a special

training course that allows novice web designers to

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create their own graphics without violating the

copyrights of other designers.

There are three types of courses in P2PU: the

course itself, the study group and the challenge. The

test course involves the creation of an independent

project. As a result of the discussion of educational

tasks common to all participants and the exchange of

results, a joint product is developed. The innovative

educational technologies discussed above are

preferably used in individual learning. For the

implementation of personal training, such a new

direction as rhizomatic training, more precisely, a

view of educational activity, is suitable. The cognitive

trajectory is a growing branch that has no beginning,

center, end. From the student's point of view study

only what is interesting or important for him at a

given time. The main points were formulated by the

Canadian researcher Dave Cormier (2019).

1. The best training is the training that prepares us

for uncertainty.

2. The community itself can be a learning content

when there are no other options.

3. Rhizome is a model for learning how to deal

with uncertainty.

4. Rhizomatic education is designed to study

complex subject areas.

5. It is necessary to make students responsible for

their own learning activities (as well as the learning

activities of others).

From our point of view, the rhizomatic model is

applicable only at the junction of areas of knowledge,

where not the result of educational activity is

assessed, but the independent efforts of students in

obtaining additional information from related

disciplines using information and communication

technologies.

Nowadays, new concepts have emerged in

networked learning, namely, "smart room" and

"mobile campus". So, for example, a mobile campus

is understood as a technological platform, i.e. a set of

tools, network services and pedagogical technologies

within the framework of mobile learning, which

allows the combination of non-formal and social

types (channels) of educational activities with formal

training in the framework of a traditional educational

institution (Travkin, 2013). One of the types of

training sessions for students studying with the use of

distance learning technologies is a webinar. A

webinar is an on-line lesson conducted by a teacher

based on active teaching methods. It is aimed at

mastering and consolidating the educational material

by students, mastering the methods of collective work

and exchange of experience, developing the skills and

abilities of educational and professional activities, as

well as adjusting the process of independent cognitive

activity (Nagaeva, 2016).

In comparison with traditional practical classes

and seminars, the feature of the webinar is its content

and methodological richness, the specificity and

practical nature of the training questions being

worked out. They provide for the formation of

students' professional interest, the active participation

of each student in the discussion of educational

material and the implementation of certain actions

(activities). The main task of the teacher in this case

is the performance of an organizational function

associated mainly with the direction and adjustment

of the general course of the lesson.

As a rule, the webinar is organized after students

independently study the academic discipline, its

section, topic, or a set of topics.

To implement the paradigm of network learning,

appropriate hardware and software are required. In

connection with the spread of the pandemic, an

incentive was given for the development and

improvement of software products that implement

network learning technologies. Modern technical and

software tools and a high level of proficiency in them

have made it possible to level the complexity of the

transition to distance learning for teachers and

students. Both of them very quickly adapted and were

able to work productively through online platforms.

Our universities are actively developing

cooperation with 1C. One of the productive solutions

from the 1C company for creating a management

system for e-learning and blended learning is 1C: E-

learning, with the help of which it becomes possible

to conduct e-learning and testing in a local network

and via the Internet / Intranet, including from

smartphones and tablets when using the software

product "1C: E-learning. Teacher and student web

office ". It is also necessary to mention the product

“1C: E-learning. Corporate University ".

5 CONCLUSIONS

Learning using distance educational technologies

takes place in an open communicative space through

interactive classes, which creates additional

opportunities for analyzing the results of educational

activities. The created friendly environment promotes

free communication between all participants in the

educational process to carry out joint actions to

achieve the learning goals. At the same time, the

teacher helps the development of communication and

creative abilities, controls the educational activities of

the students. As our research has shown, the most

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187

appropriate term for defining a student's personal

space in the learning system with the use of distance

learning technologies is the term “virtual learning

space” as a system, the structural elements of which

are as follows:

 participants in the educational process;

 information educational resources available, as

well as created by participants in the learning

process;

 interaction of participants through a network

service.

If we analyze the above terms PLE (Personal

Learning Environment) and LMS (Learning

Management Systems), then the former concentrate

on the learners, and the latter on the training courses.

Consequently, when the personal learning

environment intersects with learning management

systems, a virtual learning space is constructed in

which learners can use certain LMS components. The

rationale for the need to use a virtual learning space

is a real two-way educational process, the effective

use of electronic resources, and on this basis - the

intensification of learning, the organization of

personality-oriented learning, accustoming to

independent cognitive activity of the student.

The virtual learning space, through which the

interaction of participants in the educational process

is carried out, is multifunctional. The deeper the

students immerse themselves in this space, the more

fully the possibilities and its functions as a space of

communication, learning, self-education, information

are revealed. Learning in a virtual learning space is

the interaction of participants in the educational

process, which reflects all its characteristic

components (goals, content, methods, organizational

forms, learning tools) by information and

communication means.

The effectiveness of the "virtual learning space"

model is achieved due to a set of conditions:

 learning in a learning environment;

 training depending on work experience;

 in groups of different subjects.

An example is open online courses in related

disciplines in the form of videoconferences, where

social ties between participants are strengthened

(forums, blogs, chats, tweets), leaders are nominated

for the development of any projects, and external

interdisciplinary ties are established. The result of

active interaction in the "virtual learning space" will

be the creation of a new collective information

resource.

Thus, the created virtual learning space is located

in the space of multilevel educational programs,

which makes it possible for lifelong education, for the

formation of prospects for one's own education, etc.

and is aimed at developing professional competence.

Each student, as a result of cooperation, creates his

own learning space that meets his personal needs, the

learning strategy chosen by him. In the context of the

coronavirus pandemic, this seems to be especially

relevant. As you know, 2021 has been declared the

year of science and technology in Russia. This will

undoubtedly bring with it the opportunity to

implement a large number of large-scale, interesting

projects in the field of science and education,

including network learning.

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