Abstract
The systematic use of technologies in order to orchestrate learning has become widely used in the past years. Diverse technologies have been applied in a variety of teaching practices; for instance learning tools which allow you to flip the classroom or monitor other active learning practices. However, the developed systems are only a subset of different kinds of learning materials and learning tools that an educator should take into consideration; and most importantly they do not offer an overview of the different learning dynamics. The development of a learning ecosystem framework, which will allow us to describe “the complex of living organisms” as well as their interrelationships, will help us to better understand and further develop our teaching approaches. In this paper, we present a video-based learning ecosystem framework and the first captured results of its application in an introductory computer science course. The framework incorporates basic e-learning tools and traditional learning practices, making it accessible to anyone wanting to implement a video-assisted project-based experience in his/her course. Its application is based on open and easy-to-use tools, allowing for the incorporation of any additional functionalities. This work aims to provide insights for other scholars and practitioners to further validate, examine, and extend the proposed framework. This approach can be used for those interested in incorporating project-based or flipped classroom approaches in their teaching, since it is a flexible procedure that may be adapted to meet their needs.
Highlights
Traditional lecture style is a common teaching approach in higher education classes; the traditional lecture style of teaching can often place students in a passive role, which typically involves students retaining isolated facts that can later be forgotten
Active learning has been deployed in a number of education studies, a framework describing the learning dynamics is typically not described; the development of a learning ecosystem framework to support active learning, will allow us to better understand and further develop teaching approaches enhancing students’ dynamics and needs
In this work we work towards this direction, by the following twofold contribution, first we present a conceptual framework of a learning ecosystem which can host active learning instruction and second we provide some first analytics-based evidence regarding its effectiveness and acceptability
Summary
Traditional lecture style is a common teaching approach in higher education classes; the traditional lecture style of teaching can often place students in a passive role, which typically involves students retaining isolated facts that can later be forgotten. Over the last few years, instructors have been moving away from the traditional lecture style by implementing more active learning practices, like project-based learning and flipped classroom, and increasing the technology use as a way to extend and enhance students’ understanding. A working definition of active learning, derived from collecting opinions from 338 experts is the following: “Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work.” (Freeman et al, 2014). Active learning has been deployed in a number of education studies, a framework describing the learning dynamics is typically not described; the development of a learning ecosystem framework to support active learning, will allow us to better understand and further develop teaching approaches enhancing students’ dynamics and needs
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