A review of research on bridging the gap between formal and informal learning with technology in primary school contexts
Abstract
This study reviews empirical research articles published in the field of technology‐enhanced learning in the out‐of‐class contexts in primary schools between the years 2007 and 2016 and explores how the body of research has connected formal and informal learning experiences, referred to in the paper as bridging the gap. The review focuses on 43 selected experiments from 41 research papers, which are in detail examined and classified using the 3 criteria: (a) the Bloom's taxonomy for learning, (b) the intentionality to physical settings classification used to differentiate types of learning in various environments, and (c) the characteristics of seamless learning design. The findings confirm that technology can enhance learning in and out of classroom, especially by impacting student interest, motivation, and engagement. The close examination of the subset of studies with cognitive gains shows that they successfully bridged the gap between learning spaces and that such bridging positively correlates with the number of steps in the learning activity design. The successful bridging of the gap between learning spaces could further benefit from including more online social learning activities into the designed learning process and from involving teachers as cocreators of the learning process and resources.
Lay Description
What is already known about this topic?
- Learning is a continuous process that occurs in and out of the classroom.
- Out‐of‐class learning is the dominant way of knowledge building with up to 80% of learning occurring out of the formal learning environment.
- Technology integration into the learning process can improve students' academic performance.
- Bridging of learning between formal and informal contexts refers to strengthening the ties between in‐class learning and (formal or informal) learning happening in the out‐of‐class contexts.
What this paper adds?
- This review paper selects cutting‐edge studies that use technology to enhance learning in and out of classroom, especially by improving interest, motivation, and engagement.
- Bridging of learning in different contexts could be achieved by and could benefit from activities such as online social learning and simple collaboration or cooperation.
- Bridging of learning in different contexts can be further enhanced by involving teachers in the learning environment design process.
Implications for practice and/or policy:
- Technology‐enhanced learning activities have positive effect in cognitive and affective domains.
- Efforts should be made by learning lessons designers to enhance bridging of learning activities through different contexts, in order to improve the amount of acquired knowledge.
- Teachers/practitioners should be included in the learning lessons design process, to further improve the knowledge acquisition and to obtain better learning results.
