Making learning an integral part of our lives is becoming increasingly important for both businesses and individuals and digital technology can help enhance the opportunities for learning. Digital learning can take place in and outside of school, in the workplace, through social networks as well as through self-directed learning and exploration. How we design and implement innovative socio-technical learning environments is a nitty-gritty decision that has profound implications on the formation of mindsets that will influence how people think about learning throughout their lives.
The digital age has democratized access to information and facilitated an individualized approach to education. Students can browse a range of educational material through online resources and adaptive technology allows students to learn at their own pace to address any gaps in understanding and providing challenges for advanced learners. This flexibility is a crucial element of the connectivism learning theory that is focused on collaborative inquiry-based learning supported by digital platforms and tools.
These new possibilities pose questions about who is learning, what’s being taught, and how. Digital learning can also introduce new issues like cybersecurity as well as data privacy. There is also the potential for excessive screen time that could result in digital fatigue and negatively impact physical health.
Digital learning is a key force behind the development of alternative models in education, skills, and signaling on global labor markets. From bootcamps to digital badges, and from microcredentials to learning and employment records (LERs), many public, private, and nonprofit initiatives are trying out new ways to deliver education and training.