THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL LEARNING

Paper title: THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL LEARNING

Samar Ali Siala

The Hauge, The Netherlands

Abstract:

This paper aims to stimulate action amongst digital learning around the globe that is to: 

·      Inspire educational leaders who are responsible for designing curriculums and building strategies to embrace the increasingly self-directed nature of today’s learners 

·      Utilize technology to increase the potential for innovation in learning 

·      Modernise the learning methods by using technology and distance learning (online learning) to develop different types of learning styles and to achieve advanced learning results

·      Engage learners with different international educational organizations and experts worldwide to enhance future leaders to obtain the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve high education and career performance

 Keywords—digital learning, growth, technology, development, innovation.

Introduction

 This paper defines digital learning importance in the educational systems considering its positive and negative influence in individual learning. It investigates different types of learning considering the recent world technological revolution and the new different forms of digital learning.

The paper concludes by addressing the latest international technological learning trends and approaches to learning.

 The meaning of digital learning

 Digital learning has different definitions, all agree that technology is the main facilitator. “Digital Learning is learning facilitated by technology that gives students some element of control over time, place, path and/or pace" (Florida Virtual School).

 Digital learning is any type of learning that is accompanied by effective use of technology. The purpose of digital learning is to enable individuals to have remote access to training, learning and development in different fields. The latest world trends of learning can be (but not limited to) using a website, school/university platforms, e-books, and online classes.

Calling back the history of using technology in learning and development takes us back to the time when digital learning expanded in universities through research, laboratories, libraries, and in international organizations by conducting live streaming events, webinars, podcasts, and online lectures. The term e-learning started at the beginning of the millennium, by marketing to different technology products that included learning materials by using for example CDs and USBs.

 In addition to the recent global changes after the COVID19 pandemic, the world witnessed a huge growth in digital learning in all educational and business fields. Many digital learning platforms launched new online learning systems; many schools use google class, cloud, google drive and other platforms. Also, training platforms and social media played an essential role like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Coursera are the most popular examples in this era of digital transformation.

 Nowadays, digital learning has different forms and has tremendously progressed to cover a wide range of learning, this learning has different shapes though various resources. The recent development of gaming and smart technology is one of the most recent learning trends (learn while playing method) to encourage and support digital learning using cloud computing. This created virtual learning environments to support knowledge sharing and digital networking to create e-learning environment.

 The idea is to encourage virtual learning based on the designed needs via the Internet. Digital learning is growing rapidly, considering the world changes, demands and needs of consumers. 

 Different types of digital learning

 Different types of digital learning depend on the designed learning strategy. For example, formal learning, informal learning, adaptive learning, gamification, classroom technologies, blended learning, distance learning, e-textbooks, etc. 

 This paper will concentrate on three types of learning, which are: formal digital learning, informal digital and blended or supported learning 

These types of learning require different instructional materials: 

• Printable: textbooks, workbooks, handouts, manuals, and study guides.
• Audio and visual: podcast, charts, objects, pictures, slides, films, video, multimedia
• Electronic devices: PC, laptops, tablets, surface, iPad, etc

 To give an understanding of formal and informal learning, here is a comparison between them. According to Monteiro (2012), formal learning is categorised as a set of organized educational learning models and a set of specific practices that are directly connected to systematic school education centres.

On the other hand, the informal learning might happen in many aspects of daily life activity, it is a set of activities that signifies the education curriculum goals but it is a group of life learning practices that help the learning processes. These educational activities are mainly planned outside the formal system, to enhance better practical understanding, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are imposed externally. These external activities are commonly not included within the curricular criteria (Santos Tavares, 2019).

 The COVID19 crises forced many countries towards digital learning, this was under the framework of home learning. This forces many organizations to make learning possible by the fusion of various technologies. Many local and international schools and universities for example in Europe and other countries in the Middle East successfully implemented home learning programs for their students. These programs require the support of teachers, professors, and trainers to guarantee to cover all required elements of the curriculum in a specific time. This is called formal digital learning which must be appropriately prepared, presented, and sufficiently resourced with proper learner support.

 Home leaning programs are fully supported by technology and the online classes are designed to facilitate the continuity of learning and mentoring the progress of learners. Many countries supported the implementation of new digital learning methods and spent budget to support schools and universities in implementing a whole online learning program considering the formal curriculum plans, to stimulate all learning processes and ensure the main curriculum criteria are met in the digital home learning programs.

 The purpose of this transformation in this digital learning style is to deliver formal course-based content.

 On the other hand, informal digital learning also depends on technology. Many educational bodies provide open resources to learners and encourage them to meet and engage in the form of online forums, WhatsApp groups, MS teams, Google chat, Discord, blogs etc. Informal digital learning enhances an informal networking opportunity to boost knowledge-sharing processes among learners.

 Informal digital learning is a modernised method designed to achieve advanced learning results. It requires less involvement of teachers, professors, and supervisors that is to allow learners to gain enough flexible space to discover, research and examine their findings. This space of flexible learning would encourage learners to evolve and innovate in their learning journey.

 Blended learning is a combination of formal and informal learning. It considers a set of organized educational learning models directly connected to systematic school education centres. Also, it consists of a group of life learning practices that help the learning processes and signifies the education curriculum goals and objectives.

Blended learning is a combination of digital and many learning types delivered in different ways like face-to-face, online classes, virtual networking and research with the support of books and other online support materials. 

 Potential modernise methods

 Some potential modernise methods designed to achieve advanced learning results. With the increase of virtual learning all over the world, many advanced technologies developed to cover increased technological demands. Therefore, considering digital learning by playing become essential to stimulate creativity and innovation in e-learning. There are new ways of game-based learning are developed with a focus on learning goals and objectives. This kind of e-learning requires involving artificial intelligence in this era of a digital learning environment. 

 The positive and negative influence of digital learning

 Digital learning has a positive influence in terms of increasing the possibility to be more connected to the rest of the world, introduce users to different learning styles, and open more possibilities to different modern learning curves. More importantly, digital learning provides uses with more flexibility to access and share knowledge from anywhere at any time. E-learning involves more collaboration with other peers locally or internationally, which allows users to learn more about how to use technology efficiently, introduces them to methods of finding and searching for facts and more online references. Digital learning allows learners to examine their findings while supported by their supervisors at any place and time to make scientific advanced research. Also, digital learning allows users and mentors to track learning progress and assigned activities.

There is a negative impact of digital learning that variers between different directions. Some of these challenges might be psychological, technical, political, and economical. This paper will address the psychological and technical barriers.

Psychologically, when users miss the social interaction part, they might become demotivated because they are not able to interact with peers naturally. This kind of demotivation might impact the overall performance and lowers the enthusiasm to continue digital learning effectively. On the other hand, the negative technical impact is when digital learning implementation processes lack proper preparation and support to facilitate digital learning and to make it available to end-users with proper support. Any digital learning must be sufficiently resourced, well prepared and presented to learners.

There are also external barriers that infect the effectiveness of digital learning processes when the end-users are in areas of conflicts with limited access to proper information technology. Also, when learning organizations lack the right technology infrastructure and the right learning digital tools. Other challenges when teachers lack access to IT facilities and/or basic IT skills. 

Conclusion

The effectiveness of digital learning lays under proper strategic planning, through embracing advanced e-learning and considering the goals and objectives of learning. Developing and implementing e-learning requires strategic planning. Good preparation and sufficiently resourced technological tools are vital to ensure learners are supported based on the needs of the learning. The latest trends in technology make remote digital learning one of the top leading methods to have the strongest impact in the next years. The utilization of technological tools related to gamification and artificial intelligence is on the rise. Utilizing these advanced tools will enhance the advancement of e-learning environments and allows innovation learning effectiveness.

Considering digital learning and learners' international engagement with educational bodies and experienced peers will expand their knowledge. Also, the collaboration of learners with other international experts will design future leaders who are equipped with the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve high education and future career growth.

 References:

CIPD. 2020. Digital Learning | Factsheets | CIPD. [online] Available at: <https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/development/digital-learning-factsheet> [Accessed 21 August 2020].

[1] Definition from Digital Learning Now! and the Florida Virtual SchoolMonteiro, B. S. (2012). Modelo de aprendizagem suportado por tecnologias sensíveis ao contexto do aprendiz. Projeto de pesquisa para tese de doutorado. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Recuperado: 15 out. 2014. Disponível: Disponível: https://www.cin.ufpe.br/~bsm/SAAP_BrunoMonteiro_2012_02_27.pdf [ Links ]       

Santos Tavares, V., 2019. Possibilities for formal and informal learning in the digital era. Possibilities for formal and informal learning in the digital era: what does the digital native youth think?, [Online]. v.23: e183039, 9. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1413-85572019000100306&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en#B19 [Accessed 20 December 2020].