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The Pedagogical Ecology of Learning Technologies: A Learning Design Framework for Meaningful Online Learning

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Higher Education in the Arab World

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Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of pedagogical ecology and its role in sha** the design of digital learning environments with specific emphasis on online and e-learning. The chapter analyzes the pedagogical ecology of learning technologies starting with pre-internet technologies and advancing to Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 technologies. This analysis is premised on the theory of affordances and the non-neutrality of the learning space. The chapter presents a learning design framework that can be used to reinvent online and e-learning programs in higher education contexts locally and globally, by moving away from models that ask learners to memorize information and take recall tests, to a model in which technology enables the design of learning experiences that feel relevant, meaningful, and useful to learners. The Meaningful Online Learning Design (MOLD) framework can serve as a starting point for educational reform in the Arab world by moving the needle from “schooling to learning” in order to “serve the needs of pluralistic societies and foster the development of active, responsible citizens who are empowered to deal with complexity and advance constructive change”.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Learning Technologies, College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Nada Dabbagh

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  1. Nada Dabbagh
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Correspondence to Nada Dabbagh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chancellor Office, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan

    Adnan Badran

  2. Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Elias Baydoun

  3. Dundee, UK

    Sandra Hillman

  4. Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Joelle Mesmar

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Dabbagh, N. (2023). The Pedagogical Ecology of Learning Technologies: A Learning Design Framework for Meaningful Online Learning. In: Badran, A., Baydoun, E., Hillman, S., Mesmar, J. (eds) Higher Education in the Arab World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33568-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33568-6_3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-33568-6

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