A Learning Ecosystem

The following entry was submitted by Hamida:

"I came across this article and am rather intrigued by the use of an ecosystem metaphor to study the e learning ethos and the various players. As the title suggests, it allows us to imagine the world of online learning as a set of organic relationships - large and small - with other living and non living components of the experience. 

What interests me the most is that it fosters an understanding that the learning process is not merely a controlled absorption of information. The article states '... individuals within a learning ecosystem can form groups and interact spontaneously, just as organisms do, within a biological ecosystem. The way in which various stakeholders perform and adapt can contribute to or hinder the success of the learning ecosystem.'

The shifts within the ecosystem - whether infrastructural or between the various stakeholders - leaves a mark on the learning experience for better or for worse."