Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective
In this contribution, we employ an ecological approach as a resourceful means of revisiting the notion of learning in the knowledge society in general and in higher education in particular. Learning is re-conceptualised as a process entailing mutually constitutive, epistemic, social and affective r...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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EARLI
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Frontline Learning Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/article/view/208 |
| _version_ | 1817982078372806656 |
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| author | Crina I. Damsa Alfredo Jornet |
| author_facet | Crina I. Damsa Alfredo Jornet |
| author_sort | Crina I. Damsa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In this contribution, we employ an ecological approach as a resourceful means of revisiting the notion of learning in the knowledge society in general and in higher education in particular. Learning is re-conceptualised as a process entailing mutually constitutive, epistemic, social and affective relations in which knowledge, identity and agency become collective achievements of ecosystems. This process entails a trans-contextual and multimodal endeavour, through which both learners and their social and material environments change. Throughout the paper, we discuss implications of an ecological approach to framing notions central to current educational research, namely (a) knowledge co-construction and epistemic agency, (b) the role of (material) knowledge resources in the learning process and (c) the trans-contextuality that characterises learning in today’s knowledge society. We conclude by discussing prospects that an ecological perspective offer to higher education research and practice. The insights emerging from this re-conceptualisation imply changes in the ways we analytically account for and enhance the transformative potential of education. They also indicate a necessity for further advancing our understanding of learners’ ways of assembling the epistemic space necessary to engage in meaningful learning, their agency and authoritative positioning in this process, and their relationship with the (social, material) environment.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:14:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e2a29e613584fd3b792b6179be7f67b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2295-3159 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:14:49Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | EARLI |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontline Learning Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e2a29e613584fd3b792b6179be7f67b2022-12-22T02:25:25ZengEARLIFrontline Learning Research2295-31592017-01-014410.14786/flr.v4i4.208Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspectiveCrina I. Damsa0Alfredo Jornet1Department of Education, University of Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Education, University of Oslo, Norway In this contribution, we employ an ecological approach as a resourceful means of revisiting the notion of learning in the knowledge society in general and in higher education in particular. Learning is re-conceptualised as a process entailing mutually constitutive, epistemic, social and affective relations in which knowledge, identity and agency become collective achievements of ecosystems. This process entails a trans-contextual and multimodal endeavour, through which both learners and their social and material environments change. Throughout the paper, we discuss implications of an ecological approach to framing notions central to current educational research, namely (a) knowledge co-construction and epistemic agency, (b) the role of (material) knowledge resources in the learning process and (c) the trans-contextuality that characterises learning in today’s knowledge society. We conclude by discussing prospects that an ecological perspective offer to higher education research and practice. The insights emerging from this re-conceptualisation imply changes in the ways we analytically account for and enhance the transformative potential of education. They also indicate a necessity for further advancing our understanding of learners’ ways of assembling the epistemic space necessary to engage in meaningful learning, their agency and authoritative positioning in this process, and their relationship with the (social, material) environment. https://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/article/view/208ecological perspectives to learningco-construction of knowledge and agencymaterialitytrans-contextualitytransformative nature of learning |
| spellingShingle | Crina I. Damsa Alfredo Jornet Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective Frontline Learning Research ecological perspectives to learning co-construction of knowledge and agency materiality trans-contextuality transformative nature of learning |
| title | Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| title_full | Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| title_fullStr | Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| title_short | Revisiting learning in higher education—Framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| title_sort | revisiting learning in higher education framing notions redefined through an ecological perspective |
| topic | ecological perspectives to learning co-construction of knowledge and agency materiality trans-contextuality transformative nature of learning |
| url | https://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/article/view/208 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT crinaidamsa revisitinglearninginhighereducationframingnotionsredefinedthroughanecologicalperspective AT alfredojornet revisitinglearninginhighereducationframingnotionsredefinedthroughanecologicalperspective |