Digital learning in schools, Session 1: Why eLearning?

Welcome to Session 1 of the Digital learning in schools Course. The aim of this session is to give you a greater understanding of what eLearning is.

By the end of the session, you will:

• understand what eLearning is, and why it is important for 21^st Century learners
• appreciate what learners in the 21^st Century are like, and what their educational needs are
• recognise what teachers in the 21^st  Century need to be like, and what their learners’ educational needs are
• realise the need for theoretical underpinnings in eLearning
• understand and be able to apply three theories of eLearning: TPACK, SAMR and RAT
• understand and be able to implement blended learning

We will cover four key issues in this session.

1. Why we should be doing eLearning, and the concerns that people have raised about it.
2. The theory behind teaching with and through technology, as set out in the TPACK model.
3. What technology can and cannot do in a classroom by examining two more models, SAMR and RAT.
4. Blended learning as an example of how technology can assist in making teaching and learning more effective.

We suggest that you download the Class Notes first so that you can follow along during the training.