ETEC 522 – September 2012

7 things you should know – navigating the new learning ecosystem

I reviewed the report 7 things you should know about “Navigating the new learning ecosystem” by Educause. The report is concise, objective analysis of the current educational technology environment within Higher Ed and provides key considerations for educators, learning technology specialists and venture capitalists. As an instructional designer and project manager working in the Higher Ed sector for last 11 years, I agree with the underpinning reflection that the LMS is no longer at the centre of the digital ecosystem. An LMS is valuable to the extent that it can easily manage core curriculum content and integrate with publicly available commercial tools and other applications that students and faculty are increasingly using to facilitate teaching and learning. With the flipped classroom concept gaining popularity, the campus digital model is changing from a self-contained management system to a facilitation model that allows management of diverse set of resources and services.

For educators, it is useful to understand the shift in learning modalities with the invent of new media tools and technologies that can potentially enable effective informal learning. Faculty have to think beyond the current practice of online learning (making their handouts and documents available opn the LMS) and use their classroom time to promote discussions and case based learning. They may not need to learn various technologies the students use for creating content, however, they might have to develop a strategy on how to guide and assist them in properly managing their intellectual capital.

Learning technology specialists can benefit by getting a broad perspective on the new learning ecosystem and focus on areas where they can add value. They may need to realign their tactics and focus on how to continuously learn and manage a diverse, integrated technology environment rather than just the standard practice of providing hardware and software support, services.

The report provides valuable insight into the current landscape for venture capitalists to understand where to put their money so that they can expect safe returns. Investment in a new LMS that promises to provide an all inclusive ecosystem for the institution may not be a venture worth investing!

Personally, I look forward to review future versions of this report to catch up on the latest trends as they are valuable for making informed decisions in the selection of appropriate educational technology.