e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age

Overview

For over three decades, the potential of technology to transform teaching and learning has been a hot topic among educators and technologists. Yet, despite high expectations, the impact of technology on education at many institutions seems minimal. The switch from print textbooks to e-books or from pen-and-paper tests to digital assessments doesn't inherently alter the dynamics of knowledge and learning. It raises the question: Can technology truly innovate education, or does it simply offer a new facade for traditional methods?

This course, "e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age," aims to answer these questions by diving into seven key affordances of e-learning ecologies that foster what is termed as New Learning - a transformative learning model suitable for the 21st century. These affordances include Ubiquitous Learning, Active Knowledge Making, Multimodal Meaning, Recursive Feedback, Collaborative Intelligence, Metacognition, and Differentiated Learning. By leveraging these aspects, learners are equipped to thrive in environments inundated with digital information and tools.

Participants in this course will be exposed to a plethora of examples showcasing various learning technologies and their implementation, reflecting these seven affordances in real-world scenarios. This course is catered towards individuals curious about the future of education, including prospective educators, current teachers seeking to innovate their teaching practices, and community or workplace leaders with an educative mission.

Additional online resources complement this course and can be found at newlearningonline.com. Participation in our online communities is encouraged, including CGScholar at cgscholar.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

For those interested in earning credit for this course, it is also available through the Learning Design and Leadership Program in the College of Education at the University of Illinois. More information about the program can be found at ldlprogram.web.illinois.edu, and application details are available at education.illinois.edu.

This course is part of the Learning Design and Leadership Series of MOOCs by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis, offered via Coursera. For more information about our series of eight MOOCs including topics on assessment, learner differences, and multimodal literacies, please visit Coursera at e-Learning Ecologies, New Learning: Principles and Patterns of Pedagogy, and more. This series is provided in association with ESSEC Business School and falls under the category of Online Education Courses.

Syllabus

Taught by

William Cope and Mary Kalantzis

Tags

united states