Introduction to Digital Learning Research Symposium at Education Studies Association Ireland (ESAI) conference, Cork, April 21st

1. Digital Learning Revisited:
Exploring some of the Big Questions
Professor Mark Brown, Dr Eamon Costello, Dr Enda Donlon,
Dr Tom Farrelly, Dr Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl, & Dr Monica Ward
Cork, Ireland
21st April 2017

2. This Research Symposium
is NOT about Digital Learning

3. This Research Symposium
is NOT about Digital Learning

5. MICRO
MACRO
MESO

6. MICRO-LEVEL (n = 28)
• 15 Concise Papers
• 10 Rapid Fire & 3 Posters
MESO-LEVEL (n = 17)
• 13 Concise Papers
• 2 Rapid Fire & 2 Posters
MACRO-LEVEL (n = 7)
• 3 Keynotes
• 4 Concise Papers

7. Continuing
Professional
Development
Learning Design
9
6
5
Teacher
Education
5
5
Policy
STEM
Access
4
5
VLE
4
Games
Lifelong Learning
3
2
Portfolios
Methods
2
2
Assessment
Learning Analytics
1
Thematic Analysis of Presentations

9. • Access
• Unbundling
• Business Models
• Leadership
• Policy Development
• Openness
• Globalisation
• Sustainability
• Learner Success
• Ethics & Privacy
What are some ofthe big issues?

10. • What research in the area of Digital Learning is
currently being conducted in the Irish context?
Framing questions…

11. • What research in the area of Digital Learning is
currently being conducted in the Irish context?
• What is the role and potential of coding in the
school curriculum?
Framing questions…

12. • What research in the area of Digital Learning is
currently being conducted in the Irish context?
• What is the role and potential of coding in the
school curriculum?
• What are some of the issues and challenges arising
from the emergence of Analytics and Big Data in
formal education?
Framing questions…

13. • What research in the area of Digital Learning is
currently being conducted in the Irish context?
• What is the role and potential of coding in the
school curriculum?
• What are some of the issues and challenges arising
from the emergence of Analytics and Big Data in
formal education?
• What are the implications of the Unbundling
movement for the future of formal education?
Framing questions…

14. • What research in the area of Digital Learning is
currently being conducted in the Irish context?
• What is the role and potential of coding in the
school curriculum?
• What are some of the issues and challenges arising
from the emergence of Analytics and Big Data in
formal education?
• What are the implications of the Unbundling
movement for the future of formal education?
• What impact is the latest generation of Artificial
Intelligence going to have on the future of formal
education?
Framing questions…

15. “Research in
digital learning
should be in the
service of advancing
big ideas,
not as the
big idea in
itself”
(adapted from Barnett, 2011).