학술논문
The contribution of lifelong learning ecologies in online higher education: graduate student learning across contexts
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Author
Source
TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa)
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
Las instituciones de educación superior han tenido que adaptarse cada vez más a la digitalización de la educación, así como a una amplia demografía de estudiantes que vuelven a incorporarse a la educación formal en diferentes etapas de su carrera. Estos estudiantes, que aprenden a lo largo de su vida, a menudo deben combinar los estudios con responsabilidades profesionales paralelas. El propósito de este estudio interpretativo es comprender las experiencias de los estudiantes en distintos contextos -desde una perspectiva de ecologías de aprendizaje (learning ecologies, LE)- en el contexto de la educación superior en línea. El estudio de caso múltiple de métodos mixtos principalmente cualitativos se desarrolló en tres de programas de posgrado totalmente en línea. Los resultados obtenidos mediante el uso de un marco analítico de LE han demostrado la efectividad del constructo a la hora de analizar la complejidad del aprendizaje en distintos contextos. Los resultados destacan la centralidad de la actividad del alumno como un componente clave que impulsa las LE de un individuo en combinación con el apoyo de los compañeros y los recursos de aprendizaje digital dentro de sistemas abiertos, dinámicos y fluidos que abarcan múltiples contextos.
Higher Education institutions have increasingly had to adapt to both the digitalization of education and a broad global demographic of students re-entering formal education at different stages of their careers as lifelong learners, often in combination with parallel professional responsibilities. The purpose of this interpretive study is to understand student experiences and conceptions of learning across contexts - from a learning ecologies perspective - in the context of online HE. The primarily qualitative mixed methods multiple case study was developed across three sites of fully online graduate level programs (master's or 1st year doctoral students) at the UOC and at UIUC. The results obtained using a Learning Ecologies (LE) analytical framework have demonstrated the effectiveness of the construct for analyzing the complexity of learning across multiple contexts. The findings highlight the centrality of learner activity as a key component which drives an individual's LE in combination with peer support and digital learning resources within open, dynamic and fluid systems spanning multiple contexts.
Higher Education institutions have increasingly had to adapt to both the digitalization of education and a broad global demographic of students re-entering formal education at different stages of their careers as lifelong learners, often in combination with parallel professional responsibilities. The purpose of this interpretive study is to understand student experiences and conceptions of learning across contexts - from a learning ecologies perspective - in the context of online HE. The primarily qualitative mixed methods multiple case study was developed across three sites of fully online graduate level programs (master's or 1st year doctoral students) at the UOC and at UIUC. The results obtained using a Learning Ecologies (LE) analytical framework have demonstrated the effectiveness of the construct for analyzing the complexity of learning across multiple contexts. The findings highlight the centrality of learner activity as a key component which drives an individual's LE in combination with peer support and digital learning resources within open, dynamic and fluid systems spanning multiple contexts.