Networked Societies for Learning: Emergent Learning Activity in Connected and Participatory Meshworks
Lucila Lang Patriani de Carvalho · 2018
Within richly networked societies, a new culture of learning is operating – a culture where knowledge is perceived as fluid and constantly evolving, where technology is used to promote connections, and where individual experiences are enhanced and refined through collective encounters. Learning in the Digital Age is often mediated through connections in networks of people and things – it involves understanding what are the best tools and social strategies that may support collaboration and sustain people’s connections in networked structures. In order to help the twenty-first century learners to develop skills and knowledge necessary to successfully navigate the digital realm, educational designers need analytical tools to help them address the complexity of contemporary learning situations. This chapter discusses a networked learning approach to the analysis of complex learning situations, which combines ideas from the Activity-Centred Analysis and Design (ACAD) framework, and the notion of entanglement of things and humans. The application of the networked approach is illustrated through two case studies – one involves learning within a museum setting and the second one is an outdoor activity with university students. The approach helps reveal deeper and innovative understandings of the learning connections and modes of participation that are at play in contemporary networked learning situations.