Learning in the Network Age

Name: Learning in the Network Age
Rating: 4.81818 (11 reviews)

4.8 (11 reviews)

7,821 enrolled on this course

2 weeks
4 hours per week
Digital certificate when eligible
Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Develop the skills to succeed in education today.

Digital technologies have fundamentally changed how we learn. The web is no longer simply an information resource, but also a space for interaction, scholarship and creativity.

In this world where knowledge is widely distributed, accessibility is determined by and dependent on the strength of an individual’s learning network. This course will equip you with the skills needed to succeed in education, in this networked age. You’ll explore our digital differences and how to address them and examine ways to grow and manage your own personal learning network.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds NICHOLAS FAIR: The Web and mobile technology has affected how we learn. It has changed when and where we learn.

Skip to 0 minutes and 12 seconds LISA HARRIS: How we find, assess, use, and store information.

Skip to 0 minutes and 16 seconds NICHOLAS FAIR: How we communicate, study, and work together. How we create, present, and share our ideas, and who we learn with and from.

Skip to 0 minutes and 24 seconds LISA HARRIS: In a 21st century digitised society, we sit at the centre of our own personal learning network, an offline and online network of people, technologies and information that we should develop and use effectively, in order for us to maximise our learning potential.

Skip to 0 minutes and 41 seconds NICHOLAS FAIR: This course will help you to do exactly that. So we hope you’ll join us.

What topics will you cover?

How we learn in the network age (learning theory)
Understanding digital inequalities and digital citizenship in an educational context
What your Personal Learning Network (PLN) looks like and how you use it
Growing your network – making new connections and assessing reliability
Contributing to your network – managing your online identity (single vs multiple); creating and sharing
Putting your network to work – searching; sending/requesting/posting; collaborating

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Explain what it means to learn in the network age (where, when, how and with/from whom we learn as networked individuals in a network society)
Reflect on the impact on education of digital inequalities such as access, openness, ownership and inclusion
Explore digital tools for finding, using and storing information; communicating and collaborating; and creating, presenting and sharing ideas
Investigate your personal learning network and develop network skills in how to grow, manage and activate it more effectively

Who is the course for?

This course will be useful to anyone in Higher Education, or who is planning to be. It will also be of value to HE educators wishing to close the gap between the traditional instructional style of university teaching and the more interactive means of communication available today.

Course image: © PureSolution/Shutterstock.com

What software or tools do you need?

You do not need any special software, although the when you map your own learning network it may be better to do so on a device with a large screen (e.g. not a smartphone).

What do people say about this course?

"Having completed the Learning In The Network Age course I have to say how impressed I was by the support and engagement of the course tutors and mentors who embraced the concept of a shared learning platform, and challenged and inspired students. The discussions amongst students was regularly enhanced and developed by the engagement of tutors and mentors who added insight and detail to conversations, often bringing new ideas and concepts beyond those already explored. Even if you have done a course before with FutureLearn and struggled, despite the name of the course, I am sure students will find this course a refreshing change and a highly enjoyable experience. I look forward to the next running of the course to refresh and renew my ideas and challenges around developing my personal learning networks."

Richard Gartside

Who will you learn with?

Nicholas Fair

I'm a Web Scientist and Digital Educator interested in Personal Learning Networks and their impact on higher education.

Christian Bokhove

I am a Professor in Mathematics Education within Southampton Education School. I specialise in international comparative research and the use of technology.

Who developed the course?

University of Southampton

Southampton is a place for ambitious people keen to stretch their intellectual abilities and help change the world.


Ways to learn	Buy this course	Subscribe & save	Limited access
Choose the best way to learn for you!	$89/one-off payment	$244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews	Free
	Fulfill your current learning need	Develop skills to further your career	Sample the course materials
Access to this course	tick	tick	Access expires 29 Oct 2024
Access to 1,000+ courses	cross	tick	cross
Learn at your own pace	tick	tick	cross
Discuss your learning in comments	tick	tick	tick
Certificate when you're eligible	Printed and digital	Digital only	cross
	Continue & Upgrade
		Cancel for free anytime

Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

Access to this course
Access to 1,000+ courses
Learn at your own pace
Discuss your learning in comments
Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$89/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

Access to this course
Learn at your own pace
Discuss your learning in comments
Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Continue & Upgrade

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

Access expires 29 Oct 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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