Re:thinking Education - Classrooms as Learning Platforms

Learning platforms are becoming a common term in education today. When we think of learning platforms, we typically think of learning management systems, which often include built-in delivery, assessment, collaboration and notification tools. All of the elements that students need to upload assignments, receive their grades, and connect with both content and classmates is readily available.  

When we think of classrooms, our image quickly shifts to the teacher as the deliverer of content -- and students are seated in their individual desks, struggling with dim lighting, challenged temperature control, an instructional wall with limited interaction, and stacks of books in corners. Sometimes we imagine technology, but rarely do we envision every student having a technology tool or access to digital curriculum.

But as we enter 2016, we have an opportunity to re-imagine the classroom and transition the standard classroom into a place-based interactive learning platform. The new Every Student Succeeds Act, which is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, encourages innovation in education, and provides waivers to districts seeking to accept the challenge of innovative learning.

An report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated that although 72 percent of students in OECD countries had access to computers in the classroom, student learning wasn't significantly impacted. Further, the report suggests that it isn't the technology but rather how the teacher utilizes technology that makes the difference in student achievement. Turning a traditional four-walled classroom into an interactive learning platform is one way a teacher can utilize the technology to impact student achievement.  

Rethinking education with technology as the catalyst is the Center for Digital Education's vision. Designing today's classroom as a more interactive learning platform enables us to broaden the conversation around digital learning and expand our thinking about classrooms to encompass interactive technologies, adaptive technologies, instructional technologies and technologies to improve the classroom's physical climate. In our blogs about rethinking the classroom as a platform for learning, we will also introduce ideas around furniture, space design, content development and selection, instructional design and much more. We will be encouraging decision-makers in K-12 and higher education to consider campus and classroom functionality that supports student achievement.  

This conversation will include both K-12 and higher education environments. The primary goal of K-12 is to prepare students to be productive citizens and encourage them to pursue learning opportunities beyond high school. Higher education campuses are challenged to expand thinking and enrich lives. Interactive learning platforms support each of these goals! Can you imagine what kind of education system we would have if classrooms truly represented platforms for learning in Pre-K through graduate school? What impact do you think engaged learning environments could have on student success and outcomes? We are excited to be starting this conversation and invite you to stay tuned for our next blog posts on the subject.