Presentation by Margarita Teresevičienė, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania at the 2019 European Distance Learning Week's first-day webinar on "Why is digital learning relevant for curriculum transformation in Higher Education? " - 11 November 2019 Recording of the discussion is available: https://eden-online.adobeconnect.com/p6n1qh9zz2kf/ & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQhG87aNGqQ

1. How digital learning may support HE curriculum transformation in
meeting adult learning needs and the needs of digital and network
society today?
Margarita Teresevičienė, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

2. Characteristic of digital
learning
• Learning needs are focused in searching knowledge and
information in smaller portions, spending less time on
analysis, taking faster decisions in a faster world.
• Acquisition of small pieces of information becomes a
characteristic of digital learners. There is a tendency to
focus on short news, brief information rather than go into
some deep specific reading.
• Such a specific characteristic – wide versus deep learning
– allows adults to develop and demonstrate ability to see
multidisciplinary connections that others have never seen
before.

3. Research findings on learners’ needs
– Different forms of resources (videos, audios or readings in small chunks) or
online courses (with and without a teacher);
– VLE for -
• Suitable time and pace for learning,
• Communication and collaboration tools,
• Instructions, time management and feedback;
– Teacher guidiance and feedback is important;
– Adults want to learn online, but they are willing to control their time, learn
within the existing time limitations, in a chosen pace and time;
– Learners use social networks to search for information, events – seminars,
conferences and development possibilities and connect to other people;
– Learners expect from universities online courses and flexible study programs
to be able to connect in their own time adjusted to work and family life,
including with mobile devices.
3
Research project “Open Online Learning
for Digital and Networked Society (3.3-
LMT-K-712-01-0189)”.

4. HE curriculum transformation to meet
learners’ needs
Content
Pedagogy
Collaboration
Assessment and
recognition
Access and
flexibility
Research project “Open Online
Learning for Digital and
Networked Society (3.3-LMT-K-
712-01-0189)”.

5. Accessible and flexible content
• The structure of the curriculum should allow very different
scenarios, including linear learning, individualized learning,
self-paced, or even modular study programme choices,
made by a student, with the extreme and innovative
request for personal curriculum.
• Content, preferably multilingual, rich with a variety of digital
resources, with short exercises, short videos, short modular
offers, adjustable for flexible learning design and self-
directed learning.

6. Collaboration
• Collaboration is the key issue for curriculum, as
learning and teaching among digitally competent
teachers and learners should happen in:
• international, multicultural collaborative settings,
• engaging stakeholders,
• learner communities and interest groups,
• through networking and synchronization with
other networks.

7. Pedagogy
• Pedagogy is characterised with the focus on
personalization, differentiation and
individualization of learning, supportive and
flexible in terms of technology and content.
• Systematic sourcing and adaptation of OER, as
well as sharing back the adapted OER have a
potential of making curriculum self-sustaining in
terms of time, cost and quality.

8. Assessment and recognition
• Assessment and recognition are among the most
changing characteristics and innovations
awaited
• immediate and instant feedback, quizzes and
tests, digital credentialization and certification,
• recognition of prior learning in formal education
preferably using digital badges

9. Thank You