The Digital Learning Environment 

The traditional idea of the school learning environment as a physical construct is no longer relevant as educational institutions turn to the notion of a learning environment that embraces the presence and use of technology to support connected, collaborative and global learning. However, successful Digital Learning Environments (DLE) require careful planning and management, tailored to the needs of each educational institution.

Levinson (2013) highlights the impact that homelife and the use of technology in the home (modelling by parents and restrictions set) has on children who are then expected to compartmentalise the socialising and gaming they participate in (freely or not depending on parent guidelines) to utilise technology and social media to assist with their learning. There is a blurring of lines between school and home environments, the use of the technology and guidelines/expectations given. As such there is a need for greater understandings and close collaborations between home and school, parents and educators. In order for young people to feel supported and valued there needs to be consistency and open channels of communication across all environments in which they interact with technology.

It is also important as adults, parents and educators, to have a greater understanding of what our own DLEs look like and how in turn this may impact the younger generation that we intend to guide/teach. As educators we are expected to recognise school, professional and personal use of social media (NSW Department of Education, 2020), our digital profiles exist within school, professional and personal realms and we need clarity regarding the nature of each so that we may achieve a smooth flow between each DLE preventing a disconnect between our teaching and the learners in the classroom.

As an example, the current features/characteristics of my:

Personal DLE:

Organisational/Curation tools – Diigo

Connection tools – Yahoo email, Messenger

Collaborative tools/Social Media – Facebook (facebook groups), Instagram, Whatsapp,

Research tools – Google Chrome, Youtube

Tools for fun – Netflix, Binge, Stan

Workplace DLE:

Organisational/Curation tools – Microsoft OneNote, Symbaloo

Connection tools – Microsoft Outlook email, Microsoft Teams

Collaborative tools/Social Media – Yammer, School LMS – Sentral

Research tools – Google Chrome, WorldBook online

Community connection Tools – Facebook, School Newsletter, SeeSaw, Skoolbag app notifications

 

I have selected these tools to best reflect and support my personal and professional workflow habits. I am aware however that not only are my personal tools customised to my own needs and what I am most comfortable with but my workplace tools, as the Teacher Librarian, are very different to my colleagues. How is it then that a school can have an effective DLE if each educator’s professional (and personal) DLE is different? The key is to recognise that educators need to embrace personalisation to provide themselves with the best opportunities to be the best practitioners they can be. Using technologies that build on their individual strengths supports engagement and the potential to share amongst themselves. In the same way educators are allowing students to experience choice and opportunity in order to create personal customisation, leading to more effective learning habits.

Mcintosh (2010), building on Locke’s (2007) earlier concept of spaces created by social media, provides an explanation as to how school DLEs can be defined in terms of 7 spaces of technology. Based on behaviour rather than formats or platforms, Locke (2007) intended consideration be given to what users might be doing in these spaces, what they might be using these spaces for. In effect school DLEs should be seen as more than just hardware and software. The spaces provide a framework for the structure and expectations of a DLE in the school environment. Mcintosh (2010) further gave these spaces presence in a school environment, proposing how a DLE may impact the physical space, as well as recognising the active behaviours taking place.

To allow effective connection, communication, collaboration and ultimately the creation of knowledge and learning to take place within a DLE, the interplay between personal DLE, the school/workplace DLE and student DLE must be recognised.

 

DLE design:

Considerations:

• A school vision statement
• Teacher workflow and student workflow
• How to embed the DLE within the school curriculum and how it will support the learning
• What digital citizenship knowledge/teaching is in place/needs to be supported
• What are the generic needs of the school and what specific tools will support these (ie. a list of digital tools that are age appropriate, that support workflow and assessment). Knowing what needs to be done will make it easier to select the technology (Lindsay & Davis, 2012, p. 164).
• Creation of policies and procedures to frame the DLE
• What the implementation process will look like
• Protocols if things go wrong
• Professional development programs required to support the school community
• Hardware issues – mobile computing / BYOD

Establishing the design and then management of a whole school DLE environment offers a framework for educators to then consider what this might look like in the classroom. Lindsay and Davis (2012, p. 174) suggest spaces for digital learning, much like Locke (2007) and McIntosh (2010) where the behaviour of the learners are identified and then the specific tools are recommended to support the learners needs. For example the “Home Base” (Lindsay & Davis, 2012, p. 174) is identified as the place where the learners begin, their launching pad to find where their assignments are posted, Blackboard (used by CSU) or Moodle are tools that may assist in this digital space.

 

DLE Management:

Considerations:

• Effective communication between educators, IT suppliers, school executives, parents and students.
• The important voice of the educators as key stakeholders, driving the vision, implementation and decision making.
• Every school is different, as such DLE models vary, personalised to support specific digital needs and in some cases implemented at a more local level to allow for greater flexibility and control.

 

References:

Levinson, M. (2013, October 8). The digital lives of teens. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-teens-parent-tech-modeling-matt-levinson

Locke, Matt. (2007, August 10). Six spaces of social media. http://test.org.uk/2007/08/10/six-spaces-of-social-media/

McIntosh, Ewan. (2010). The seven spaces of technology in school environments. http://vimeo.com/15945912

NSW Department of Education. (2020, August). Social media policy implementation procedures. https://policies.education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/social-media-policy?type=history