Today’s students have grown up with technology devices in their hands are referred to as digital natives. Marc Prensky (2010) outlines how students today have learning preferences that are different than students in the past. The change in students has been due to digital advancements and technological innovation (Brabazon, Dear, Greene & Purdy, 2009).

Digital natives have higher expectations from their teachers and learn through trial and error. They value student and teacher learning partnerships (Downes & Bishop, 2012). Connected learning is an approach to learning that fosters collaboration through inquiry and exploration centred on the student’s interests, opportunities and social interaction (Sarkar, Ford & Manzo, 2017). The advancement of the internet, connectivity and access to electronic devices has increased the need for digital literacy skill development.

The current educational system itself inadequately meets the learning needs of digital natives; however, technology integration will bridge the gap between the system and the students’ needs (Sarkar et al., 2007). Students have short attention spans, prefer immediate feedback, active and collaborative learning. Student centred and personalized learning provides optimal learning experience (Console, 2012). When students interests are linked through inquiry learning students have authentic opportunities to build knowledge. Student centred learning improves student engagement (Levy, Foster, Madden, Miller, Nunes, McPherson, Webber  2003). Students need to be curious and question the world in which they live in order to foster future knowledge generation.