Abstract

Digital media applications (DMAs) have emerged in abundance over the last ten years. Enabled by exponential growth in computing power and inexpensive data storage, these applications are easy to use and inexpensive (often free) to own. DMAs not only allow users to produce digital content efficiently they allow users to exploit the connective power of the Internet to distribute their work. These affordances are allowing users to connect with others in significant ways enabling entirely new ecosystems built around collaborative learning and discovery. The purpose of this article is to build a linkage between the interactivity of digital media applications and an ecological model of learning that is also built on the concept of interactivity. The ecological model postulates that the learner interacting with the environmental conditions is important to learning. The paper describes the ecological model of learning and how the "subsystems" of the model can serve as an evaluation rubric for DMAs. The authors conclude that developers of DMAs are creating environmental conditions conducive to learning based on ecology. Based on this analysis they provide several recommendations for selecting applications for learning and for strengthening these learning environments.

Citation

Folkestad, J.E. & Banning, J. (2010). The Ecology Model of Learning: Evaluating Digital Media Applications (DMAs) Using Established Ecological Subsystems of Learning. Journal of Educational Technology, 7(2), 41-51. Retrieved March 26, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/194509/.

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Keywords

• affordances
• Coding
• Computer Oriented Programs
• content analysis
• Cooperative learning
• Discovery Processes
• Ecology
• educational technology
• Electronic Publishing
• EVALUATION METHODS
• instructional design
• interaction
• internet
• Learning Processes
• models
• Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)
• Rewards
• Scoring Rubrics
• Web Sites