Research online or on the library website to discover more about what is meant by digital learning. With the knowledge you have gained, construct your own definition of digital learning in terms that K–12 students can understand (specify the grade level you chose to write your definition for).
Make sure to select, cite, and include the reliable sources you used into your comments.
What is Digital Learning?
For my high school students, I would describe digital learning as a for of learning facilitated by the use of technology that will allow them to have some control over their pace of learning, where their learning can take place and their learning direction.
According to the Office of Educational Technology, digital learning is defined as “any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices.”
Digital learning and technology can move educators toward meeting the needs of each student and providing an individualized approach to an engaging education. Tailoring support to each student’s strength, interests, learning styles, and time considerations allows for empowering the learner by focusing on competencies.
https://tech.ed.gov/publications/digital-learning-guide/teacher/#2a
What is digital learning?
To help fourth/fifth grade students understand what digital learning is, I will begin with the definition provided by Digital Learning Now! and the Florida Virtual School, https://gosa.georgia.gov/about-us/what-digital-learning. Digital Learning is “learning facilitated by technology that gives students some element of control over time, place, path and/or pace.”
The use of the internet allows you to learn at any given time as there are no restrictions especially when it comes to location. You can access materials from the comfort of your home or anywhere else that has internet connection. Lessons can be interactive and adaptive to allow for personal understanding and learning. You will be able to learn at your own pace and use multiple resources to assist you with the lessons. You will be able to learn from using computers, tablets, or even smartphones. The lessons will include videos, images and activities to help explain things that may be confusing. You can also interact with others and play games to help teach you the topic as learning is fun.
“Digital learning refers to any type of learning that uses technology” EduBright
In the article they stated it was a very broad definition and I agree with them on that. They merely mentioned rhat you can use devices and internet to access videos and view courses. Although digital materials are typically implemented digital learning involves learning to be a responsible member of the digital community, and protecting your privacy. Furthermore, digital learning should include the ability to use a device or program properly. We cannot expect to implement digital learning without teaching the basics. I also believe that a digital learning must emcompass accessibility for all to learn whether it its a text to speech tool or using videos with visuals to break down concepts for students.
https://www.edubrite.com/digital-learning-and-e-learning
According to the website, “twinkl.com” distill learning is, “the process of being a participant of a teaching of any topic through the use of technology and most time using the internet.” Digital learning can be understood by a 9th grader as learning using technology devices. Digital learning can include a computer, laptop, mobile phones, LCD screens and internet connections. There are many advantages and disadvantages of digital learning. The advantages of digital learning are that it can save time for students and teachers, we can record lectures and play them later, we can save our flies and many more. The disadvantages of digital learning are it requires digital devices and some families can’t afford it or have access to it. Internet connection can be a problem. Technical difficulties can come up and many more.
Sources
What is digital Learning?
https://www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/digital-learning#:~:text=Digital%20learning%20can%20take%20form,computer%2C%20laptop%20or%20mobile%20phone.
The definition of digital learning states it is an instructional practice that uses technology to enhance students education and learning experience for kindergarten student it teaches them ways to use technology not only to play you tube videos and video games, but to in corporate school learning and homework that can be done with parents or care giver’s,
it gives parents a better way to connect with their children work and homework, parents have a better understanding on what’s going on in the classroom and outside of the classroom.technology has open doors for music and art classes to be incorporated in a early childhood classroom.
Digital learning has help children with special needs be more vocal and involved helping with no child left behind act, digital learning has help in all ages and has helped teachers evolved
https://www.kindermusik.com/mindsonmusic/digital-learning-in-the-early-childhood-classroom-and-at-home/
https://joanganzcooneycenter.org/press/digital-age-teacher-council-offers-national-blueprint-to-transform-teaching-for-todays-tech-savvy-young-children/
What is meant by Digital Learning? That is a question that I found through research to have many answers. I can understand why. A fundamental principle of instructional technology in digital learning environments is to empower students from being literate to digital fluency. Digital Education encompasses many aspects and therefore there are many ways to define it.
In one of the video that I watched, What is Digital Education, I found these words to be effective when explaining what Digital Educations is; “engaging, personalized, interactive, relevant, and innovation focused.” Yet a different video Digital Transformation in Education Challenges and Opportunities defined Digital Education with words like “evolving, and can deliver Education in different places at different times.” These words stand out and give a great foundation for my response to the question.
I am writing for the Junior High School level. Based on my knowledge, Digital Education is the process of “engaging in flexible, and integrated interactions with innovation focused technology / digital tools in relevant, evolving, collaborative, and personalized manner.”
Teaching and learning in this new digital age is a growing phenomenon. It doesn’t matter how you define Digital Education because there are many ways. Remember the point of Digital Education is to empower learners with a personalized, flexing, learning experience where innovation is the goal.
What is Digital Education, YOUTUBE. https://youtu.be/DzDtJTFt2Is?si=NXdpjRV20IeOg4Df,(09/24/2003)
Sudo Roux, Digital Transformation in Education,Challenges and Opportunities, YOUTUBE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF9gVa8tUI8&t=423s (09/24/23).
When I searched ” What is Digital Learning?”, the first response was this quote…
“Digital Learning is “learning facilitated by technology that gives students some element of control over time, place, path and/or pace.”
I’m going to lean more with an ICT 6th grade classroom when analyzing this. I agree that it is learning taught by technology but i strongly agree that it gives students control over their learning, a sense of pace , place and path. Students are able to access google classroom, amplify and other platforms at their own free will. They can complete assignments that are not yet finished. Teachers can make strategic groupings on these platforms to scaffold the work across the groups. This allows differentiation across all learners needs.
For me, Digital Learning is online learning promoted by technology in order to allow accessibility to all learners while allowing students to feel more in charge of their academics.
Source:
https://gosa.georgia.gov/about-us/what-digital-learning#:~:text=Digital%20Learning%20is%20%22learning%20facilitated,1%5D
6th Grade Special Education Classroom
Learning is the process of gaining new knowledge, skills, and understanding about different things in the world arounds us. When we lear, we use our senses, like seeing, hearing, and touching, to explore and discover new things.
Digital learningis a special kind of learning that happens with the help of computers, tablets, or other elecetronic devices. Digital learning can happen at school or even at home. where we can access educational websites, watch fun videos, and play interactive games that make learning more enjoyable. Its like having a virtual teacher or a helpful friend who can guide us through lessons and provide us with extra support when we need it. Digital learning also helps us become even more curiou, creative, and confident learners in this modern age.
The US Dept. of Education defines digital learning as “any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices.” The New York State Dept. of Ed. states that, “The effective use of digital technology can assist educators in meeting the needs of students through differentiating and personalizing learning; providing flexibility in scheduling and pace; and providing multiple entry points for students to both engage in and demonstrate learning.”
For a 6th grade classroom, I would describe digital learning as learning that utilizes technology in order to strengthen outcomes for all students by meeting their individual needs. Based on my experience, technology provides the opportunity for increased differentiation, accessibility, and student engagement in the classroom. I arrived at this definition because it’s important for students to know that the goal when using technology is to meet the learning target, but also that every individual will get the support(s) that they need to meet the learning target.
According to ISTE, digital learning, generally understood to mean learning experiences provided over a digital network, can be self-directed or instructor-led, and can be synchronous (live interactions) or asynchronous (elapsed interactions). This type of learning could occur on a variety of devices (laptops, desktops, tablets, phones) and platforms, apps, social media, online gaming, and learning management systems. The devices can be used interchangeably. The internet plays a key role in digital learning. It can lead to more independent and individualized learning. The students have more control over their learning and are invested stakeholders. The students are engaged.
This definition applies to all grade levels from elementary school to graduate level but I wrote it with middle school in mind.
Source:
ISTE
Digital learning is either teaching or learning with the support of technology. Learning with the use of technology like a computer, laptop, and/or iPad is digital learning. These devices will enhance the students’ learning and the teacher’s teaching. I would use this definition with grade 3. On http://www.tech.ed.gov defines, “Digital learning is defined as “any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices.”
I googled ‘what is digital learning?’ and the first post that came up was from georgia.gov. It defined digital learning as
The rest of the article went on to saying different areas which digital learning affects students across time, space, path, and pace. I found it interesting because each aspect mentioned discusses how digital learning allows to lift a restriction that students may have in a traditional classroom setting. For example, it explains how,
In my opinion, these definitions possibly refer to older students (perhaps HS and above). Though digital learning allows for the above mentioned things to be possible, it requires a type of skill in order to achieve those. Though digital learning opens learning to outside of the classroom and content that is typically taught in the classroom, a sense of direction still needs to be provided in order for learning to become successful. If I were to revamp Georgia’s definition of digital learning, it would be something along the lines of Digital learning is the opportunity for students to enhance their learning outside of the classroom with the use of digital tools.
This article is one that I chose as well. I feel it really defined the importance of digital learning in its definition. I agree with the second quote as to ” Learning is no longer restricted to the school day or the school year”. This is explaining how students have access to complete work that is incomplete, or work when they are absent and that they have access to assignments even after the marking period/school year. Everything saves on google classroom and online platforms. It helps take away stress from students because they do not have to worry about work only being done in class but when they have more time, in the right headspace and can get extra help during lunch maybe.
The office of Educational Technology defines digital learning as “any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices.” https://tech.ed.gov/publications/digital-learning-guide/teacher/#:~:text=Digital%20learning%20is%20defined%20as,reflection%20questions%20to%20help%20guide
The student friendly definition for a 9th Grade class would be the following:
Digital learning: Is the use of technology to have access to different platforms and resources to engage in a learning experience. It provides different ways to collaborate and engage in a lesson. In order to achieve these goals you need a device and internet access.
I agree that when it comes to digital learning, it must incorporate a collaboration between students and teacher and engage them throughout the lesson. Schools should all get on board to think about adding devices into the budget because it will benefit the students academic learning and help those students who do not have devices at home. During covid they gave internet access for free to all households who were in need and I feel that it should be brought back because we do have struggling families and it will help make it more accessible .
In this article aimed at guiding school leaders through the process of integrating and implementing digital learning in education, it covers all the various areas that must be considered. The comprehensive overview spans, leadership in digital learning, collaboration between the school and home, professional learning for educators, training for students, and privacy and safety concerns.
Digital learning is a large and diverse field. Loosely it encompasses not only software but the practices needed to manage and maintain the hardware, the process of tool selection and implementation, and pedagogy in instructing both students and educators.
If I were to share a definition for my 3rd-5th graders I would say, Digital learning is any form of interaction with technology that supports your learning. I would then ask them to think about all the ways we interact with technology, from the videos we can watch on BrainPop or YouTube, Email, Google Classroom, Google Suite (doc, slides, etc), Kahoot, our smartboard, Echo Dot/Clock and more. Technology like any tool is useful when it serves us well. I think for younger students it is important to be sure technology is used authentically as a tool and students are making thoughtful choices on when to engage with it.
Our students interact with technology in so many ways, like using BrainPop, YouTube, and etc. They might not realize they are enhancing their learning through those interactions but we do.
Your definition of digital learning as any form of interaction with technology that supports your learning is straightforward and accessible to younger students. I like that you encourage them to reflect on the various ways they are already engaging with technology in the classroom.
I love the framing that “digital learning is interaction with technology that supports your learning.” The idea that it is the way in which we interact with technology that ultimately determines how beneficial it is to us and our students is the key component. Having the ability to utilize tools but also understanding what that access is for would be the most difficult part for students in my classroom. Sometimes having had interacted with technology in only one way, then leads to having to reintroduce technology in a different light.
Thank you JoEllen
According to the US Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, “In a digital learning environment, students need access to device, internet connectivity, and skills to support optimal learning.Before implementing digital learning, teachers need to consider how to close digital divides, teach digital citizenship, and maintain privacy and security for the student data created by digital tools.” source https://tech.ed.gov/publications/digital-learning-guide/teacher/
The student friendly definition I will use in my classroom would be that Digital Learning is learning that happens on and offline, in class or at home, whether you are a watching a multimedia video or writing an academic report using any device, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or a desktop, at home or at your local library.
I agree. There is a learned definition across all that learning only takes place within the classroom and thats it. This new age of digital learning allows us to open our eyes and see that learning, in fact, takes place anytime, anywhere.
Any type of instruction that incorporates use of technology is considered digital learning. Students use social media, multimedia, online gaming, and mobile phones frequently in their daily lives.
When we refer to digital learning, what we really mean is the process of taking part in a lesson on any subject (either formal or informal) while using technology, most frequently the internet. Digital learning can make use of a range of digital tools. A blog, a video, a live lecture or seminar, or even just an audio file can all be used for digital learning. Using technology to improve a student’s education and learning process is “digital learning.” It allows students greater control than traditional learning.
At least one piece of technology, such as a computer, laptop, or smartphone, will likely be used in digital learning. It is frequently used interchangeably with distance learning, which describes those who study outside of a school, college, or university. A multitude of applications is used for digital learning: interactive gaming, word processing and spreadsheet apps, digital art apps are examples of tools for digital learing.
I like the point you brought up about how digital learning provides greater control for students. This was highlighted in the Teacher Digital Learning Guide. Digital learning lets students drive their own learning.
I googled the definition of digital learning. I came across D2L.com where it says that “digital learning helps learners build skills they need to navigate the world of technology”. After watching the videos my definition of digital learning changed. To me digital learning has a variety of meanings. Digital learning doesn’t only refers to learn via a computer. This also applies to learning through a device and learning how to navigate the world of technology which now is so important to learn. The use of these devices helps get the skills needed to navigate technology safely when accessing applications and networks.
For a 5th-grade class, I would define digital learning as learning that takes advantage of technology. This includes online classes, apps, and watching videos online. Digital learning makes learning more interactive.
This is a general definition gathered from information found at edopp.com As well as listening to a TEDtalk titled “Re-inventing Education for the Digital Age”
The TEDtalk did acknowledge the gap that exist between technology and education. Thus there is a higher need for students and educators to be taught how to use and subsequently how to teach technology.
https://youtu.be/ArI6albrkuY
https://www.edapp.com/blog/what-is-digital-learning/
I think one of the advantages to digital learning is that it does make learning more interactive and engaging. I also agree wit the point that there is a gap between education and technology. It is up to the education department to educate their teachers on how to use these helpful different digital tools. The professional development should be adequate, which is not often the case.
We can easily assume that students don’t need to be ‘taught’ to use technology however, this is far from accurate. Students use technology primarily for socializing and gaming but, when you introduce it as a tool for learning they don’t see the many correlations between the two devices. One thing I’ve noticed as a technology teacher is that despite using a keyboard frequently, when put in front of a computer keyboard students don’t know how to position their hands. Additionally, they complete tasks on their phones that rely on icons to manipulate images, for example. But when they use a similar web based app with the same icons, they don’t know how to complete the same task.
My definition of digital learning are lessons that incorporate digital tools so that learning is more flexible to help every student improve. This definition for a third grade class.
I designed my definition after watching the video on Blackboard and visiting the GOSA or The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. I liked how they noted that digital learning puts the control in the hands of the students because digital learning lifts so many restrictions. Learning does not have to take place in school, it can continue at home. With different digital tools, teachers can track the progress of their students and tailor their lessons to meet the needs of their students.
(https://gosa.georgia.gov)
I agree with all that you said about digital learning. I love how you stated that digital learning is flexible, and it puts the students in control of their learning. The students have “buy in” and they will want to learn more.
This is a great point that digital learning does lift many restrictions that traditional learning contains. In digital learning, this can look like text being read to the learner by an application or digital tool. Voice-to-text is another tool within digital learning.
I appreciate the idea that digital learning puts the control in the hands of students by lifting restrictions and allowing them to continue learning beyond the school day/environment. This flexibility is a significant advantage of digital learning, as it allows students to learn at their own pace and in various settings.
Digital learning is being able to use a variety of tools to access content online.
I agree with your definition of digital learning. The amount of websites and apps that we can find online have become a “game changer” for education.
I googled the definition of digital learning. IGI Global states that “Digital learning is a practice of learning using technologies in an effective way, combining different elements such as blended or virtual learning using e.g. mobile technologies or e-learning. It requires a combination of technology, digital content, and instruction. ”
This to me means that digital learning is any learning done with using digital resources. This definition would be used for upper elementary grades.
Source: IGI Global
Yes, digital learning does indeed contain different elements. A balance needs to be maintained with such a combination of technology, digital content, and instruction.
I agree in order to have digital learning there needs to be a digital tool. Today, there are so many wonderful digital tools that it sometimes can be overwhelming to choose which to use!