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A recent article by Lauren Davis in the Schoology (LMS) website that unpacks a survey of 16000+, mostly USA teachers, about the impact of digital learning. It includes some interesting insights into enablers and barriers for DLE. A good starting point for the 523 Assessment 3 environmental scan.

Published on Jun 18, 2016 This is a video summary of: Veletsianos, G. (2016). Digital Learning Environments. In Rushby, N. & Surry D. (Eds) Handbook of Learning Technologies (pp. 242-260). Wiley. Download the paper from: http://www.veletsianos.com/wp-content... Digital learning environments are everywhere. Learning Management Systems (LMS) are used almost universally. People learn how to play the ukulele by watching YouTube videos. They learn how to grow organic veggies by joining Facebook groups. And they join a vast array of specialist communities that help them improve their skills, from knitting, to drawing, to managing their finances. All these technologies, resources, and platforms that people use to learn online, is what I call digital learning environments. What are some important issues that researchers and designers need to know about digital learning environments?

"This paper deploys notions of emergence, connections, and designs for learning to conceptualize high school students' interactions when using online social media as a learning environment. It makes links to chaos and complexity theories and to fractal patterns as it reports on a part of the first author's action research study, conducted while she was a teacher working in an Australian public high school and completing her PhD. The study investigates the use of a Ning online social network as a learning environment shared by seven classes, and it examines students' reactions and online activity while using a range of social media and Web 2.0 tools. The authors use Graham Nuthall's (2007) "lens on learning" to explore the social processes and culture of this shared online classroom. The paper uses his extensive body of research and analyses of classroom learning processes to conceptualize and analyze data throughout the action research cycle. It discusses the pedagogical implications that arise from the use of social media and, in so doing, challenges traditional models of teaching and learning."

"This Media 21 LibGuides chronicles the learning experiences of 10th Honors Literature/Composition who have participated in a 2009-10 learning initiative, Media 21, at Creekview High School. This program, spearheaded by school librarian Buffy Hamilton and English teacher Susan Lester, provided students a learning environment facilitated by both Hamilton and Lester in which Hamilton was "embedded" as an instructor. Media 21, rooted in connectivism, inquiry, and participatory literacy, emphasized students creating their own research "dashboards" and portals and the creation of personal learning networks to help students engage in their learning experiences and to evaluate a diverse offering of information sources more critically. This guide is also documenting the 2010-11 Cohort 2 of Media 21 and the learning experiences of both the students and the teachers."

Making virtual learning or distance learning work for all students is challenging. You can have all the best tools in place, but without equitable access at home for all your students -- and adequate prep and training for yourself -- it's tough to replicate a traditional, in-person learning experience. This list assumes you've got those problems worked out and are focusing now on how to set up an effective virtual learning environment -- either adapting your existing curriculum, or designing a brand-new one from the ground up.

"Full on transformation can only be fueled by a deep understanding of how significantly out of step the school experience has become with the real world. If we're honest, we know we've always been lacking in that regard. But there's little question that the gap between school learning and life learning has become wider and more acute as the Web and mobile technologies continue to evolve as learning opportunities."

It is commonly recognized that our nation's progress depends on improving learning, thereby creating healthier communities and a stronger workforce. In today's world, that requires us to take advantage of new learning tools to ensure that our children's learning is practical and prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century. The advantages of digital media now greatly outweigh the disadvantages and require that schools update their thinking and policies to provide guidance on the use of these tools to improve student learning and achievement.

"This is a study well worth reading and thinking about because it focusses on teaching and learning. It demonstrates clearly that the use of social networking can be used successfully in the processes of learning. Designing for Learning: Online Social Networks as a Classroom Environment provides a model for schools to consider as a starting point for using social networking in pedagogy. "

Queensland University of Technology recognises the important role social media technologies play in enabling people not only to communicate and collaborate with each other, but also to create, share and consume content. The uptake of social media has opened up new ways of learning and teaching for educational communities to experience new ways of communicating. The rapid growth in Web 2.0 tools and other emerging technologies, often located outside university managed environments, has occurred alongside the steady growth in blended learning in higher education, with students becoming increasingly active communicators, collaborators and creators of content in a virtual community. Learning and teaching activities now take place both in physical and virtual spaces with a range of tools, including learning management systems, other university supported applications and tools, and, increasingly, a variety of public domain social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, mashups, video-sharing sites, etc.). These guidelines aim to provide guidance to QUT teaching staff and students in the use of social media that adds value to the educational experience, whilst being mindful of the University's duty of care and legal obligations.

"Since the 1990's educators have leveraged the power of the Internet to forge online global collaborative learning. More recently global competency and intercultural understanding in conjunction with cross-border collaboration and digital fluency have emerged as 'future ready' key capabilities. However, learning environments struggle to embed authentic real world learning and build capacity for global connection and collaboration. Julie shares new perspectives on developing a Global Collaborator Mindset and implementing Online Global Collaborative Learning (OGCL) as a pedagogical approach. "

When school campuses around the world closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the video-conferencing tool Zoom became a household name practically overnight. Launched in 2013 to connect remote office workers, Zoom is now one of the go-to platforms for online learning. Zoom's simple setup, ability to accommodate 100 participants at once, and low cost make it a popular option for distance learning programs. But Zoom has faced some significant privacy and security challenges, which leave schools and teachers wondering whether it's the right tool for teaching and learning. If you're considering using Zoom with your students, read on to learn more about its key features and how to use the tool as safely as possible.

"The evolution of education, particularly as filtered through the prism of emerging technology and new media, is something we're keenly interested in and something of increasing importance to society at large. Now, from authors Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown comes a powerful and refreshing effort to approach the subject with equal parts insight, imagination and optimism, rather than the techno-dystopian views today's cultural pundits tend to throw our way." A really useful post that introduces the book New culture of Learning, and includes two good videos and links to the book website.

What are teachers doing to support online learning both locally and globally? When interacting and collaborating with others beyond the immediate classroom, what are expected protocols or norms of behavior, and what are the essential understandings needed to forge working relationships between learners? Julie Lindsay, an education leader in digital technology, online learning, and curriculum across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and author of the new book, The Global Educator: Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning and Teaching, explores. Please also join us on Twitter next Thursday, July 28, for a special #globaledchat with Julie Lindsay on her new book!

This post describes how educators can develop a personal learning network that supports meaningful and relevant learning. The MOOC, Education Technology & Media, etmooc, is used here as a working example of how to develop a PLN.

Report on just published report by UNESCO on what it takes for Mobile Learning schools with link to full pdf. More evidence value of mobile learning in schools.

"Social media and online communication opportunities are important and can have a positive impact on all elements of the teaching and learning process, the school and learning community. We see teachers and other professionals creating networks to share ideas and resources, children and young people crowd source ideas and information. They seek and receive feedback on their work while parents engage more fully with teachers, their children and the school. Furthermore, even if we feel too old or too busy to engage with social media ourselves then we, as teachers, must still be able to model appropriate, safe and positive use of social technology for our learners and the wider learning community."

(March 27, 2020) Dr Anne-Marie Chase and Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy discuss the importance of technology for flexible learning in the current Covid-19 crisis. They identify three decision-making phases that schools must address to ensure that digital learning remains resilient and sustainable for the future: immediate, interim and sustainability. They provide an extensive checklist of considerations and strategies for thorough planning of each phase.

As the effects of the coronavirus sweep through the United States and across the world, many teachers and schools are making the shift to virtual learning. But even if students are comfortable with technology, learning online requires its own norms and procedures, many of which will be new to students who are used to learning in a face-to-face classroom.