The Connected Learning Environment

Abstract

Connected learning environments are changing education, student engagement, and college completion. While e-learning often connotes delivery of information in a sequential, linear fashion, the connected learning environment is integrative, personalized, interconnected, and authentic. Across higher education, leaders and learners are taking note of this evolution in education. With connected learning environments, everyone and everything is interconnected. The connections magnify the reach and value of not just information but also our relationships, creating opportunities for learning, working, and collaborating on an unprecedented scale. Information technology is about connections, which are fundamental to our institutions, our faculty, and our students. There is no single example of the connected learning environment; it takes various forms. This brief describes three hallmark characteristics of connected learning and provides several examples that illustrate each characteristic.