Lena had always considered herself pretty tech-savvy. She was a master of Canva, could whip up a slick presentation in minutes, and navigated her university’s learning platform like it was second nature. So when her online professor announced that the final group project would be done using a shiny new collaboration app, she barely blinked. […]
What if the knowledge locked inside the walls of top universities could be shared freely with anyone, anywhere? That’s not just a dream, it’s the reality shaped by the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement. In their article “Open Educational Resources: Enabling Universal Education,” Tom Caswell, Shelley Henson, Marion Jensen, and David Wiley explain how OER […]
Imagine blaming the car manufacturer every time a driver runs a red light. Sounds absurd, right? And yet, that’s the kind of logic being debated right now in Brazil’s Supreme Court — whether social media platforms should be held legally accountable for what their users post. It’s a debate that raises serious questions about responsibility, […]
In today’s hyper-connected world, there’s a lot of talk about the lines between copying and creating. What constitutes plagiarism? For a moment, I’m reminded of a famous anecdote about plagiarism that goes like this: “If you copy just one person, it’s plagiarism, but if you copy several people, it’s a thesis, dissertation, or article.” Jokes […]
What if learning online felt less like a chore and more like a game you want to keep playing? That’s exactly the question behind the study “Optional Embedded Microlearning Challenges: Making Learning More Gameful” by Vanessa P. Dennen and her team. The article explores how adding small, optional challenges within online courses can boost motivation, […]
Have you ever tried to find an old post in a course discussion board or digital classroom and ended up lost in a sea of links? You’re not alone — and that’s where tagging comes in. In the article “Effective Tagging Practices for Online Learning Environments,” Vanessa P. Dennen, Lauren M. Bagdy, and Michelle L. […]
Where does learning really take place? In a classroom? During a lecture? Or maybe — in a late-night chat thread, a shared video, or a comment on a post? In their thought-provoking article, “Social Media and Education: Reconceptualizing the Boundaries of Formal and Informal Learning,” Christine Greenhow and Cathy Lewin challenge traditional notions of where […]
Social media is often framed as a distraction for students — a space filled with endless scrolling and viral dances. But what if, instead, it’s a powerful learning environment? In their article “Online Content Creation: Looking at Students’ Social Media Practices Through a Connected Learning Lens,” Cheryl Brown, Laura Czerniewicz, and Travis Noakes explore how […]
In a world where knowledge is no longer confined to classrooms, students are increasingly crafting their own paths through the digital landscape. The concept of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) — explored in depth by Nada Dabbagh and Anastasia Kitsantas in their article “Personal Learning Environments, Social Media, and Self-Regulated Learning: A Natural Formula for […]
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model teaches us that meaningful learning in digital environments depends on cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. But does that sense of belonging — of truly being part of a learning community — happen only in formal settings like structured online classrooms? Or can we also experience that connection […]
