A Learner is Like a Catalyst

     In Siemens(2005), the author notes that connectivism is an integrated principle which shifts learning from an individual and personal issue to a more widely connected process. Since the rapid development of network, learning is no more individual; on the contrary, learners are actively involved in the information flow which connects individuals with the entire network. From this perspective, a learner is able to be considered as a catalyst of the constant extension of learning communities. As Siemens states, "Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity" (Siemens, 2005. Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age). For individual learners, learning does not only indicates receiving knowledge from social network, especially in this digital era, learners are also encouraged to be able to provide feedback. Therefore, a learner is like a catalyst which could bring a reaction to the learning communities--the tighter the connection between learners and the whole network, the more new tools and knowledge are utilized.

     In addition, in the video following, The network is the learning,Siemens also notes that "Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today".In this digital society, learners are tightly connected together to share knowledge and information, but what seems more important is that learners are connected together to cause and bring new tools and knowledge for further development, with the abundant application of technology and digital skills. Therefore, individual learners are no longer individual but tightly connected, which will definitely function as a catalyst which bring reactions to a constantly developing and creating learning communities.