Interactive Learning

Interactive learning is a pedagogical approach that incorporates social networking and urban computing into course design and delivery. It has emerged as a result of the widespread use of digital technology and virtual communication among students. The integration of digital media in education has contributed to the popularity and reliance on interactive learning, transforming the traditional education process. In interactive learning, students and teachers collaborate to access knowledge and share information, leading to a broader and more dynamic educational experience. This shift in the role of educators from knowledge keepers to facilitators of learning presents both challenges and opportunities to revolutionize the learning process. As a result, the boundaries between teacher and student become less distinct in interactive learning settings. Interactivity as a pedagogical technique requires a fundamental change in the way education is delivered. Tapscott has identified 7 ways this change occurs: From linear to hypermedia learning. From the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator. The socialization of education is evolving in the form of personalized digital media sources. Web logs, or blogs, enable students to express thoughts and ideas individually, while at the same time sharing them with the larger community. The pervasiveness of social networks like MySpace and Facebook connect millions of learners to a virtual community where information is exchanged laterally between and among students and teachers alike. This explosion of community is contributing to an expanding learning economy, where participants have unparalleled access to knowledge, both from teachers and other students. This set of technologies includes the use of wireless networks, smart phones and PDAs, search engines, and location-based media. Urban computing allows enhanced interactivity between people and their environment through the use of these technologies. For interactive learning, this means that students are able to assimilate knowledge specific to their location.