Engaging Learners in a Digital Environment (Graphic organizer)

21st Century teaching and learning requires new environments for learning in a digital world.  The world on the outside of the brick and mortar school is a world immense in digital tools that are being used by both student and teacher to work and connect with the world around them.  The educational world has not made the digital transformation and there is a great digital divide between the real world and the educational space within the school buildings and classroom of the traditional educational setting.  A transition to the digital format of teaching and learning must occur in order to address the 21st century skills of community, collaboration, and self directed learners.  The greatest challenge for the 21st century is to create self directed learners who are responsible for their own learning. (MCGee). The recommended technologies are technologies that promote self-directed learning, access to information, and mobility of learning.  The challenge is to manage the enormous amount of knowledge that is available anywhere anytime.

The tools for engaging learners in the digital environment according to Durrington, Berryhill and Swafford involve practices that facilitate learning environments that are open, respectful  and supportive.  The pedogody should include both asynchronous and synonymous learning platforms as will as problem based learning (2008. p. 109-193). The roles of the teacher should be that of a curator, who draws the map of how to arrive at the destination, but the learner is responsible for arriving at the destination. (Siemens (2008),.

Commented to: Jessica McMahon

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Reference:

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190−193.

McGee, P. (2008). Blended course design: a synthesis of best practices. A Journal of Asynchronous Learning Network (16) 4 p. 16.  

Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers.ITForum. Retrieved from http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf