Engaged Learning

Engaged learning is a model where deep connections are formed between a student and academic material that is being studied or taught. Students play an active role in the learning process and can demonstrate their knowledge acquisition in a way that resonates with them personally. Such a model reflects the blending of formal and informal learning in the sense that instructors may assign specific activities surrounding the material that may factor into a grade, but the learner is also empowered to independently pursue related knowledge inside and outside of the classroom. This type of relationship between the student and the subject is fostered through continuous curiosity and plentiful opportunities to explore and satiate those curiosities—opportunities that are often driven by global education trends and made possible through enabling technologies. Overviews of these trends and technologies provide a basis for understanding how engaged learning can be cultivated and are organized by three themes that comprise engaged learning: connectivity, collaboration, and creativity. Each theme is defined and grounded in worldwide education trends established by over a decade’s worth of research conducted by the New Media Consortium as part of the NMC Horizon Project. This entry identifies and discusses technologies and tools that play a role in promoting increased connectivity, collaboration, and creativity.