CCK08 Failing?

 

I wonder how many are left actively participating and/or monitoring the CCK08 course.  Some 2100+ allegedly originally registered, with 18 seeking credit. The Moodle forums have been drying up over the last 3 weeks, and the reported blogs trickle to a few postings during the week and some repetitious posting of the same in the Daily.  Elluminate sessions run at less than 30 participants, down to the teens on one occasion.  I don’t know the status of the 2nd Life group nor whether there is participation in any other areas.

A forced moodle subscription attracted less than 80 participants (several posted more than once) and the forced subscription was removed in less than 24 hours after very mixed reviews.

The 18 credit learners, to be expected, are still quite active.  What I wonder is, did 2000 original particpants leave the course or are some still involved?  Does someone have a handle on this?  What is the feeling about the success or failure of this course?

Science Fiction

Eliminative Materialism  =  Promissory Materialism

Of course, some claim that these concerns are quite premature, given the promissory nature of eliminative materialism.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/

Meaningless Verbiage

  

For would-be philosophers and those who find no meaning in language, I present you:

Some thoughts from the East -

On reductive materialism, eliminative materialism, behaviourism etc.

The Core of the Matter

 

The Core of the Matter is:   connectionist materialism

In recent years, Paul and Patricia Churchland have advocated a more extreme position, eliminativist materialism, which holds that mental phenomena simply do not exist at all — that talk of the mental reflects a totally spurious “folk psychology” that simply has no basis in fact, something like the way that folk science speaks of demon-caused illness.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism

 

Connectivist Emergency!

 

Just when I was starting to have a blast (of fun) in the CCK08 (Cult of Connectivism Kourse) I find that I am under a Connectivist Emergency!

I have an emergent rewrite to do, in order to meet some timelines in another endeavour of mine, and will be forced to take a short hiatus of about (hopefully) 5-6 days in order to get ‘er done.

So, adios for now, I just pray that I am able to stay away, as the attractor (strange) in this course is powerful, the force is strong in this one. I will endeavour to remain away from participating in the forums, reading to stay abreast, and monitoring this blog and writing here as the spirit (of self-organization) moves me.  But my energy must be devoted to my other endeavour for now.

Cheers!

Butterfly in Church-Land

 

If nothing else, I think I have interesting Titles for my posts.  The content is a little light, perhaps…

Standing on the shoulders of Lilliputians

 

Hello World!  I have been away for awhile, savouring Seattle and San Fran, and am now back in my humble abode. Since I haven’t blogged lately, I thought I best get back at it, with a recap of where I believe I stand in the ongoing Moodle Forum wars in CCK08.

My First Paper

Connectionism and Connectivism

I think I am closing in on the close connections between these two nodes and I’ve created a very small mind-map to show one of the paths along which they have developed. The distinctions between them are a matter of the focus of their description: 

Connectionism focuses on neural networks.

Connectivism focuses on the connections to knowledge sources.

“Connectionism is only focused with learning that happens in our heads”. and “Connectivism is strongly focused on the linking to knowledge sources…”.  (Siemens, 2006, p.37).

The connections between these two lay in the “…view that learning is a process of network formation”.  And, “Connectionism is based in behaviourism ….  where learning occurs as we form links between stimulus and response” (Siemens, 2006, p.37).

 

 Reference:

Siemens, G. (2006). Connectivism: learning theory or pastime of the self-amused. Retrieved October 3, 2008 from:

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/Connectivism_response.doc

Walks like a Duck

In a sequel to Dances with Wolves, an oral culture member observes a tiny connectivist, ambling through the dunes, and comments:  

 ”Walks like a Duck”.

 

NoT™ Chapter 3

(Phaedrus shifts forward in his seat, something that has been said catches his interest, and he yearns to engage the professor in dialogue…)  The professor continues his lecture….