Constructivism and connectivism are sets of principles that can help educators create a pedagogy that uses the framework that web-based learning can provide. Utilizing online resources, distanced social interaction, and embracing the self-agency that online education can provide, both constructivism and connectivism revolutionized e-learning when they were proposed. However, Weller does note that these ideas, nowadays, feel less innovative due to wide-use, and seem like just mundane aspects associated with web-based learning (Ch. 17, para. 14). Even though some of the aspects associated with these two principles seem ubiquitous with online education, it is important to focus in-depth on them to gain an understanding of the techniques available to educators.
Constructivism, like connectivism, uses an abundance of online resources, places emphasis on social interaction in the learning process, and promotes a student’s independence and agency. It relies on the idea that students must build their own learning experiences and knowledge, and often is used in discovery-based learning activities. Weller admits that constructivism as an outline for learning practices can be a bit vague, but he contends that using this approach as a philosophy towards creating an educational program is helpful (Ch. 4, para. 2). A constructivist approach views the student as the focal point of learning, and places the educator on the sidelines. The educator may guide to a certain extent, but it is the student, through active learning and discovery, who controls the process. A few types of learning frameworks that arise from constructivism are resource based learning, problem based learning, and communities of practice.
Connectivism, as previously noted, does share similarities with constructivism. However, connectivism explores more fully the vast possibilities that web-based learning offers. It does not emphasize the individual learner as constructivism, but instead, views learning as happening within a network that is constantly shifting and changing. Key to understanding connectivism is that instead of using existing educational frameworks and technology to advance them subtly, connectivism’s goal is to fully embrace all the possibilities that web-based learning can provide. In practice, this involves the concepts of aggregation, relation, creation, and sharing (Weller, Ch. 17, para. 4). Students can aggregate resources, accessing a wide variety of knowledge. Students can then create connections and relate course content to their own lives. Finally, students are asked to create content and share this content with others. Connectivism, like constructivism, has social aspects, but the latter relies heavily on social experiences to create learning opportunities.
An ed-tech trend that interests me is the use of open educational resources, and after reading Weller’s chapters on constructivism and connectivism, it becomes clear that these principles help form a framework for OER. In particular, OER is closely tied to connectivism, taking full advantage of all the possibilities that web-based learning offers. OER’s emphasis on free or low cost resources, ease of publishing and open licensing, and encouragement of user created or modified content are all important principles found in connectivism. Connectivism calls for decentralized and varied educational materials, and OER have the ability to fulfill these needs. From these readings, it becomes evident that even though pedagogic theory is well-established, new concepts and evaluations must be routinely made to keep up with the development of new technology.

Works Cited
Weller, Martin. 25 Years of Ed Tech, AU Press, 2020.