Institutional strategies for supporting learners in a digital age

Abstract

Abstract This study examined the policies and practices in nine UK institutions of further or higher education that had made a commitment to supporting students to develop their capabilities to learn in the digital age. Data were collected over a six-month period through multiple interactions with case study sites. Analysis of these data captures institutional practices and the results are mapped onto a developmental framework for effective learning in a digital age. Recommendations are made to institutions considering how best to support their learners, including the need to: specify digital literacies in learning and teaching strategies; prepare students for their experience of learning with technology; reconfigure campus spaces to enhance connectivity and support a range of social learning activities; and create a culture of engaging with students to inform decision-making. These institutional practices aim to support learners to make use of their digital skills and practices. The ultimate aim is to graduate students who can creatively appropriate technology to suit their own learning environment and needs.