Restriction lift date: 2028-12-31
Considering connectivism in student learning and engagement: lessons from a contemporary Irish second-level school
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Date
2025-12-15
Authors
Kavanagh, Emma
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
Technology is central to how we plan for teaching and learning at second level today, but the issue of how best to integrate digital resources and devices with more traditional methods in a blended learning context, is complex and multi-faceted. Teaching and learning via technology involve a different set of skills than have been traditionally taught in second level schools, requiring students and teachers alike to have the ability to adapt to changes and developments while engaging in learning for life. Added to this is the growing realisation among educational professionals that the young people we teach today are also evolving in terms of their attitudes to technology and approaches to learning. As educators, we are tasked with redesigning policy and practice in order to create meaningful learning experiences which address the needs, strengths, values and beliefs of this and future generations of learners. This research explored aspects of these challenges by examining how students in the research school learn using digital devices such as PCs and smartphones when compared to traditional resources. Examination of student engagement, behaviours and outcomes during the completion of tasks in the subject areas of English and Geography, and of student voice as represented in the reflective responses of surveys and in focus groups, demonstrated the emergence of an increasingly connectivist and self-directed approach to learning in our students. The contributions of students, teachers and digital resource creators informed conclusions about the readiness of students and teachers in the research school, and in our school communities generally, to fulfil the Minister’s stated intention in the Digital Strategy to 2027 to “equip our students and young people with the key digital skills required to enhance and enrich their pathway through life.”
Description
Keywords
Blended learning , Connectivism , Teaching and learning , Classroom practice , Second level , Universal Design for Learning , Digital competence
Citation
Kavanagh, E. 2025. Considering connectivism in student learning and engagement: lessons from a contemporary Irish second-level school. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.