Learning with digital technologies in higher education

Abstract

This exploratory research study proposes the notion of learning ecologies, as a space for learning where students can navigate to find knowledge by engaging with digital-material technologies. The study engages in a conceptualization of learning wherein the students are viewed as active participants, who seek knowledge and resources also outside the course contexts. The study explores this assumption in the empirical context of two higher education courses, in software engineering and teacher education. The analyses of the qualitative data indicate that digital-material tools are a part of the students’ learning processes and shape the way they act and learn during the activities. The study proposes that pedagogical practice in higher education gives better consideration to how digital technologies can be embedded in the formal learning environments and connects students to various sites for learning.