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This web site synthesises outputs from the JISC Learner Experiences of e-Learning programme. The programme spanned two phases over four years from 2005-2009. It comprised nine research projects in total (two in phase 1 and seven in phase two), employed mixed method approaches, and had the sustained involvement of over 200 learners and more than 3000 survey respondents. The programme focussed on the learner voice. Learners allowed us into their worlds and showed us what it is like to study in a technology-rich age. The projects produced a huge collection of rich, detailed data that sheds light on what learners expect from the use of technology in post-compulsory education and the choices they make about using technology to support their study.

"This web site synthesises outputs from the JISC Learner Experiences of e-Learning programme. The programme spanned two phases over four years from 2005-2009. It comprised nine research projects in total (two in phase 1 and seven in phase two), employed mixed method approaches, and had the sustained involvement of over 200 learners and more than 3000 survey respondents. Five national workshops were run disseminating the methods and findings. The programme focussed on the learner voice. Learners allowed us into their worlds and showed us what it is like to study in a technology-rich age. The projects produced a huge collection of rich, detailed data that sheds light on what learners expect from the use of technology in post-compulsory education and the choices they make about using technology to support their study."

Over time the learner has been the explorer of knowledge, its accumulator and skilled 'access-or'. In the 21st century challenges and demands are expanding and changing again. Our new society's environment is one of rapid communication, action and change, of intricate social activity and a huge potential for new knowledge. What are the models of the learner for this brave new world? How can higher education create these models and support the learners who aspire to them? This paper postulates four models of the learner of the future: * the collaborator: for whom networks of knowledge, skills and ideas are the source of learning * the free agent: utilising flexible, continuous, open-ended and life-long styles and systems of learning to the full * the wise analyser: able to gather, scrutinise and use evidence of effective activity and apply conclusions to new problems * the creative synthesiser: able to connect across themes and disciplines, cross-fertilise ideas, integrate disparate concepts and create new vision and practice. The paper describes an example of these kinds of learning and considers what they might imply for the development of learning in higher education in the coming century

"On 1st March 2012 John Seely Brown gave a keynote presentation at the DML (Digital Media and Learning) 2012 Conference in San Francisco, called Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Learner in the 21st Century.  You can watch the recording here, and you can read the transcript here. What does it mean to be a entrepreneurial learner? JSB tells us "This does not mean how to become an entrepreneur. This really means, how do you constantly look around you all the time  for new ways, new resources to learn new things? That's the sense of entrepreneur I'm talking about that now in the networked age almost gives us unlimited possibility.""

JISC output to support thinking about learners needs, abilities, backgrounds in regard to ICT & digital literacy. "Think about the learners at your institution, or in the context for which you have a digital literacy role/responsibility. What do you know about their current access, skills and strategies for learning in a digital environment? What challenges do you think they face in becoming digitally literate?You can also use these questions with teaching staff to check their knowledge of their own students' ICT use, and to prompt thinking about how they support learners in a digital age."

Kim Cofino presentation 9on the 21stC learner.

Grainne Conole proposes 12 dimesions for better classification of MOOCs. the degree of openness, the scale of participation (massification), the amount of use of multimedia, the amount of communication, the extent to which collaboration is included, the type of learner pathway (from learner centred to teacher-centred and highly structured), the level of quality assurance, the extent to which reflection is encouraged, the level of assessment, how informal or formal it is, autonomy, and diversity. She then evaluates five example MOOCs against these dimensions.

"The student digital experience tracker, a pilot scheme to provide first-hand insight into learners' expectations and views on technology in an education setting, showed that 72% of HE and 70% of FE and skills learners believe that when technology is used effectively by teaching staff it enhances their learning experience - giving credence to the argument that practitioners need to develop their own digital skills to deliver learning and teaching."

Learner created Mooc - interesting development

"Based upon the results of this study, for the advanced learner there is no significant difference in achievement whether you show the course navigation continually or not, and no significant difference in the amount of time to complete the course."

"This report gives an overview of the literature on tertiary learners' participation, retention and success in e-learning."

"The concept behind My Resource Cloud is that each educator tailors interactive content to suit the needs of their own learners.   My Resource Cloud consists of a number of resource sections: My Language Cloud, My Math(s) Cloud, My Science Cloud and My ICT Cloud. My Resource Cloud allows users to integrate web, printed, mobile and social media based technologies to help motivate learners."

"How can technology be used to improve the learner experience at points of transition?"

Universal Design For Learning - supporting the diversity of learners.

"The study has been framed under the following guiding question: What skills, supports and processes are required by learners in the new ICT distance learning environments to ensure successful learner outcomes?"

Spaces for Knowledge Generation is an ALTC project which was undertaken as a partnership between La Trobe University as lead institution, Charles Sturt University, Apple and Kneeler Design Architects. The context of the learning experience necessarily changes over time, with technological, economic and social developments influencing the types of learning spaces learners and teachers require to achieve their learning outcomes, and this $220,000 project was designed to inform, guide and support sustainable development of learning and teaching spaces and practices, maximising flexibility so as to be used by as many disciplines as feasible. The project was based on the philosophy that constructivist approaches to learning, as well as to research and study, should make use of technologies and approaches that students favour, and that learning spaces should therefore be organised to accommodate learner-generated aspects of learning. Spaces for Knowledge Generation provides a model for designing student learning environments that is future-focused and sustainable for the medium term.

This paper summarises the results of the Reflective Learning, Future Thinking research seminar jointly held by ALT, SURF and ILTA at Trinity College Dublin. At this seminar 50 leading researchers from three nations came together to share thoughts about the direction of learning technology development. Summary At the heart of all three discussions we still see concerns about status and valorisation of knowledge, disciplines and roles. Repository discussions touch on quality and gate keeping, portfolio discussions touch on the ownership of identity as a learner, while ubiquitous computing and informal learning touches on fundamental questions of access and learner control.

Critique of the recent flurry around the 'Learners bill of rights' and placing it in a colonial framework.

Overview of the literature on this, part of the Learning matters series from the Ministry of Education published Feb 2012

The OU does Personal Learning Environments PLEs as a supported project / unit. "This course introduces the main concepts and technologies behind Responsive Open Learning Environments (ROLE). The ROLE project provides tools and services that enable learners to build their own technology-enhanced learning environment based on their needs and preferences."