Technology enables novel approaches to learning

I'm interested in how technology can enable us to think "out of the box" when it comes to learning and instruction. The growing success of Khan academy, which supports a "flipped learning" model whereby students can access learning materials at home and classroom time can be used to enable deepened learning, demonstrates the real power of technology to enhance learning (here's a great discussion of "flipped learning" and the reasons why it can support learning).

While Khan uses traditional learning and instructional models, and is a wonderful teacher, it's the use of technology that frees up the learning, moving it into a new, flexible space where students can access instruction repeatedly 24x7. They can then use their "teacher time" to discuss and clarify the concepts visited. It could be argued that this kind of teaching is more student-centred, providing a modified context for learning that caters more directly for individual learning needs.

The purposeful integration of technology in teaching and learning is necessary in all realms of education. The Learning Coach provides a tidy summation of learning technology trends to follow in 2012.