LEARNER AND LEARNING IN DIGITAL ERA: SOME ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Digital technologies are transforming our everyday life and also all factors that are associated with learning that may be associated with learner, type of learning & experiences, and resources or environment. Learning in digital era is an active and constructive process rather than a passive and reproductive process; more ‘data-driven’, substantial and concrete; and the focus has now shifted on ‘knowledge creation’ than on ‘knowledge acquisition’. Researches and Reports (like NMC Horizon Report Europe: 2014) on School Education shown that now a day ‘informal learning’ is much more engaging and effective than ‘formal learning’. Context of learner has also changed drastically in digital era in terms of social context – social norms, values, interactions due to intervention of new approaches, thoughts and social philosophies, influence of mass media, information and communication technology and innovations. Learner is learning through new channels of interaction, networking and communication. Knowledge practices of learner such as methods of acquiring knowledge; styles of learning; ways of applying skills and knowledge; and ways of correlating and linking acquired knowledge has transformed drastically. The rigidity of general classrooms in terms of fixed norms, fixed roles of learner and the teacher, strict rules, set behaviours and thinking patterns are now relaxed or made flexible in era of digitization. Now, learner wants to learn anywhere, anytime, at his own speed, through his own ways and styles and at his own terms and conditions; and he is learning in this way in present era of digitization.

With this digital transformation in context of learner and learning there also evolved certain issues and challenges like issue of skills required; challenge of taking social responsibilities on part of community, teachers & learner; challenge of data storage; issue of accessibility; and issue of reliability and validity of data. These issues need early redresses otherwise these issues become so complex that they may go beyond human control and create a chaos in the environment. Through this paper the researcher tried to elaborate these issues and challenges.