Learn through 'Connecting the Dots'

Welcome to Connective Learning
(formerly ReThinking Education)

'Connective learning' offers a deeper approach to modern education that emphasises and develops critical life skills, while providing greater depth of content by 'learning through doing'.  We're now in the midst of shifting from an 'information overload' age to an era of 'pattern recognition', where the focus is on sorting, categorising, and finding patterns to derive meaning from a cacophony of Data.

Since scientists have been developing AI systems to mimic human learning, we've gained a deeper understanding of how humans learn best. Key to development of human intelligence is the ability for recognising patterns and layering information, which creates a framework that roots the individual learner in the center. Western civilisation  experienced 'connective learning' during the Renaissance period, when some of the most famous minds were encouraged to embrace multi-disciplinary enquiry and draw parallels between different fields of studies as true polymaths.

Education in the 21st century is in the process of evolving into a fusion of disciplines at the highest level of learning, as hyphenated occupations like 'astro-physicist' and 'behavioural economist' become the norm. Yet our primary and secondary classrooms are still remnants of the Victorian Era, where the mainstream approach to learning still prioritises memorisation of fragmented information to prepare for standardised exams. 

So how can we make this modern-day transition to 'connective learning' happen? For a start, we can go back to the drawing board to redefine the desired outcomes of baseline skills and core knowledge that should be a part of the 21st century curriculum. Explore the links below to some teaching resources and articles designed to support this transition, especially useful for project-based learning. These practical tools can help foster 'connective learning' in any educational setting*.