Emerging Technologies in Distance Education

Abstract

This chapter benefited greatly from the contributions of numerous people, most of whom I have never met. I would like to thank George Siemens for posting my question on searching for a definition of emerging technologies on Twitter and on his blog. I am also deeply thankful to all the individuals who answered that question. I also want to recognize the contributions of a number of authors whose work appears in this edited collection: Elizabeth Wellburn, B.J. Eib, and Alec Couros, who encouraged me to explicitly state the implications of "context" on the proposed definitions; Hagit Meishar-Tal and Andrew Whitworth, who highlighted the sociological aspect of the proposed ideas; and Bob Heller, who encouraged me to think more broadly about these technologies. Thank you all for contributing to this definition.

Cultivating Awareness: A Framework for Online Learning in Open Distance Learning

“…This trend increased dramatically during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when face-to-face teaching and learning were impossible or restricted (Tareen & Haand, 2020). Various benefits of online have been noted, such as the fact that it appeals to diverse populations of students with ranging academic needs, regardless of location and time (Gilbert, 2015), better student participation (Tareen & Naan, 2020), immediate access to study materials, fellow students, and the lecturer (Olson & Carroll, 2012), which in turn creates a sense of community (Veletsianos, 2010). Garrison and Arbaugh (2001) argue that community is at the heart of online learning when they refer to three interconnected presences in the Community of Inquiry framework: teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence.…”

“…Authors such as Veletsianos (2010) and Naidu (2014) mention advantages such as the development of critical thinking and self-determined learning in students when learning online. Blaschke (2021) adds that lifelong learning skills such as critical thinking, reflection, autonomy, and self-determined learning are developed in an online learning environment as students do not only learn content.…”

“…The creation of an environment which is open and welcoming in nature, in which students are able to communicate with their peers and their lecturer is important. Veletsianos (2010) similarly argues that the online environment has the ability to create a sense of community among all participants.…”

Digital Gaming for Cross-Cultural Learning

“…These cultural clusters hinder cross-cultural interaction of students in the classroom. However, it is possible that the use of digital games may offer conditions that could reshape social actions related to cross-cultural interaction as the affordances of emerging technologies, such as digital games, are perceived to foster engagement and interaction (EDUCAUSE, 2014;Veletsianos, 2010;Bower, 2008). Digital games, therefore, may have potential to increase cross-cultural interactions.…”