Factors Determining Digital Learning Ecosystem Smartness in Schools

Abstract

This paper discusses the factors that determine school’s digital learning ecosystem smartness. A dataset was collected from 52 schools in Ghana, Georgia and Estonia. Qualitative school observations and interviews were transformed to the quantitative categories and compound variables using the grid-based approach. We found three distinctive digital learning ecosystem types that described some possible developmental stages in the ecosystem. Discriminant analysis revealed two functions. Most dominant compound variables in the first function were the top-down external provision of digital resources and ICT incentives. The second function characterizes with bottom-up proactiveness of the schools. Path modelling between the compound variables revealed the growing complexity in connectivity among the mediating, transformative and flow components, that determines the smartness of learning ecosystem. Such interconnected components form specific fitness niches which have been co-created in organizations through collective effort, making school ecosystem responsive to the socio-technical regime and externally provided opportunities in the countries.

The model of self-organization in digitally enhanced schools

“…They are used as the components in our model. We divide the components into mediating, transformative and digital learning loops in order to build an ecosystemic model [32] and distribute the constituent components to the classroom and school levels. We hereby acknowledge that each of these components has a role in transformation process.…”

“…Human agents are capable to work with technology tools in order to create the artifacts in a collaborative environment. We present the model of self-organization in digitally enhanced schools with three groups of underlying structures: mediating, transformative and digital learning [32] loops (Fig. 1).…”

Developing Thai Undergraduate Online Digital Citizenship Skills (DCS) Under the New Normal

“…Confirmation of these results was supported by other studies in which digital learning ecosystems were composed of four components: the learner, instructor, Internet, intranet, or extranet, and a platform for online teaching and support (Reyna, 2011;Tomadaki & Scott, 2006). Also similarly, usability and resource components are essential within the DLE (Jeladze et al, 2017). Moreover, ICT is highly advantageous in allowing accessibility to distance learning and tracking a student's progress (Norman, 2016).…”

A Digital Learning Ecosystem to Scaffold Teachers’ Learning

“…The metaphor of "ecosystem" was borrowed from biology into education to describe the interactions and connections between humans, practices, environment, and resources [9], [10], [11]. The term has also been widely used in the field of TEL to describe the learning environments and interactions between users, practices, technologies, and data flows.…”