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An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of a community of living organisms with each other and their environment. (Dictionary.com, 2014)

 

"When I visit a digital age classroom where students are actively using technology tools for inquiry and creating new products to show their learning, I see a similarity to an ecosystem. The students and teacher interact within the classroom environment in an organic way to construct learning experiences. What are the components of this digital age learning ecosystem? What facilitates a sustainable learning environment that endures over time and through adversity? After reading my suggested attributes of a digital age learning ecosystem, post a reply with your own suggestions that I may have overlooked and should consider for future reflection."

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"Summary
Although I described each of the above components of the digital age learning ecosystem separately, they are all integrated parts. With continued support, this learning environment begins to take on a life of its own as the teacher and students feel a sense of ownership and pride over its sustainable success."

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"If an institution's stated strategy is to promote the use of educational technology, that institution must establish an adequate framework for faculty to use technology successfully. This includes...

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Gathering contributions from the world’s renowned experts in open education and technology enhanced educational practices.

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As online learning becomes more and more prevalent across the educational spectrum—both in higher education and K-12 settings—faculty members are faced with the prospect of transitioning to teaching in this setting. For some, it may be facilitating a purely asynchronous learning environment with zero face-to-face activities. For others, it may be a blended approach that utilizes both asynchronous and synchronous aspects of learning.

Of the many novel elements of teaching in an online setting as compared to a traditional face-to-face setting, two fundamental aspects are most evident for the first-time online teacher. To be specific, the examples that follow are based on a blended approach that utilizes video conferencing for the real-time, face-to-face component of online learning.

As one’s teaching skills develop in the online setting, it becomes apparent that both traditional and online environments offer unique benefits and share many similarities. For the instructor considering teaching in an online environment, the first two considerations are adjusting to the environment as a whole and taking time to learn the various tools, which this article covers in some detail.

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Factors affecting the development and practice of self-regulation in online learning might be the introduction of new technology, location of resources, communicating in discussion boards, the distance to others, and handling increased flexibility.

Some solutions to help students self-regulate in online learning environments might be:

Add tips, hints, and non-graded self-assessments after each significant content sectionCreate more social networking and mainstream communication, such as text messaging for quick questions about the content or next stepsCreate online study groups and encourage students to attend; create a virtual world for this – make it funMatch up students in pairs in the beginning of a course to have a study buddy; allow them to connect in ways they desire (mobile phones, online networks)

Online learning has many challenges and the field must continue to find ways not only to enhance learning online but also the quality of education. I think we forget that online learners need a bit more help to learn effectively in a multidimensional environment.

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This article is part of Future Tense, which is a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University. On Wednesday, April 30, Future Tense will host an event in Washington, D.C., on technology and the future of higher education. For more information and to RSVP, visit the...

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In this post I examine and define instructional design, and share why it’s essential to the development of online courses. "Design brings forth what would not come naturally"  Klaus Krippendorff De...

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