Abstract
The paper provides a reflection on the past and present of research on the use of digital technologies for learning, teaching and research, along with an extrapolation of the future of the field. It considers which technologies have been transformative in the last thirty years or so along with the nature of the transformation and the challenges. Research in the field is grouped into three types: pedagogical, technical and organizational. The emergence and nature of digital learning as a field is considered. Six facets of digital learning, and in particular digital technologies, as a research field are described: the good and the bad of digital technologies, the speed of change, the new forms of discourse and collaboration, the importance of understanding users, the new practices that have emerged, and finally a reflection on the wider impact. The paper provides a reflection on the past and present of research on the use of digital technologies for learning, teaching and research, along with an extrapolation of the future of the field. It considers which technologies have been transformative in the last thirty years or so along with the nature of the transformation and the challenges. Research in the field is grouped into three types: pedagogical, technical and organizational. The emergence and nature of digital learning as a field is considered. Six facets of digital learning, and in particular digital technologies, as a research field are described: the good and the bad of digital technologies, the speed of change, the new forms of discourse and collaboration, the importance of understanding users, the new practices that have emerged, and finally a reflection on the wider impact.
Highlights
On the 1st November 2016 Dublin City University hosted ‘The generation digital learning research symposium.’ This paper fleshes out the keynote given as part of the symposium
The year 1993 marked a watershed in terms of the emergence of Learning Management Systems (LMSs), which provided holistic learning environments that mirrored teacher practice in terms of how they support learning
One of the ways in which digital technologies, and social media, have transformed learning, teaching and research is by enabling more open practices. Open practices refers both to the growth of free resources (Open Educational Resources) and courses (Massive Open Online Courses), and to the ways in which through digital technologies our practices and discourses can be more visible
Summary
On the 1st November 2016 Dublin City University hosted ‘The generation digital learning research symposium.’ This paper fleshes out the keynote given as part of the symposium. On the 1st November 2016 Dublin City University hosted ‘The generation digital learning research symposium.’. This paper fleshes out the keynote given as part of the symposium. The title I was given ‘Research through the generations: reflecting on the past, present and future, was an interesting and challenging focus. In particular looking back at the emergence of a field is useful and can give an indication of where the field is going in the near future
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