The future of learning: Hack-a-thons and cyber learning

While no one can clearly define cyber learning, everyone seems to agree they are using it and point to its potential for transforming traditional modes of education to provide students a deeper, richer and more rewarding learning experience than would otherwise be possible. But what really is “cyber learning?” Is it working? And what does the future hold for this innovation?

Cyber learning has been defined as, “the use of network computing and computer technology to support learning.” Perhaps, it can best be defined as the use of computer technology-assisted learning systems employed in teaching and learning which provide deeper inquiry experiences, creative problem-solving activities and intensive collaboration with other students.

Cyber learning allows us to explore new ways of understanding information while providing teachers with a more varied pathway to interact with and stimulate students through their combined, natural learning processes.

Cyber learning has been called by many names over the past few years, depending upon the adaptation of the computer technology for the learning objectives. It is expanding at an ever increasing rate. With the growth in delivery systems and our ability to adapt these systems as novel opportunities present themselves, we now have overlapping concepts and phrases to describe cyber learning, such as distance learning, blended learning, technology-assisted learning, traditional classroom instruction (which is incorporating computer technology more and more in its delivery), hybrid learning, online learning, mobile learning or “m-learning,” and electronic learning or “e-learning,” in addition to cyber learning.

Is cyber learning working? Before we can definitively answer this question, we must understand some of the unique challenges of cyber learning. We have already addressed one of the largest challenges, which is attempting to define cyber learning by constraining the definition to a specific delivery system. Today, we are combining many of these technology-assisted learning systems and applying them in unique ways, which make it difficult to assess the overall impact of a specific learning technology.

Another challenge we face is, understanding the learning styles or methods, and the learning process. While there are three main cognitive learning styles; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, there is a vast array of active and traditional passive learning methods for which technology has been adapted. These include teaching others as we learn ourselves, practice by doing, discussion, demonstration, audiovisual, reading and lecture. Our retention rates decrease from approximately 90 per cent retention when we teach others to less than 5 per cent if we learn by listening to lectures.

While cyber learning technologies have been applied to each of these learning methods in order to increase the retention rate, it is difficult to say how effective specific cyber learning has been, since these technologies have been “blended” to improve overall retention rates.

What is the future of cyber learning? Recent studies, such as those presented in The International Journal of Information and Education Technology in August 2015, indicate that cyber learning is generally, “well accepted by the students as a supplement to traditional methods of teaching.” Cyber learning has made an effective contribution to the improvement of learning outcomes, and will continue to do so well into the future.

In many cases, cyber learning allows participants to choose the place and time of their education, thereby enabling them to control their environments, receive the information when they are best able to learn and to ultimately, receive and retain more information at a faster rate. Students are also developing study sessions which incorporate cyber learning.

Hack-a-thons

Today, students worldwide are participating in “hack-a-thons.” Unlike what you may think from the name, these are not events where subversive students meet to conduct cyber-attacks on government facilities, rather these events provide opportunities for large groups of people to engage in collaborative computer programming. These events can last from one day to an entire week, and provide the opportunity for computer programmers, graphic designers, interface designers, project managers and hardware development engineers to intensively collaborate on software and design projects.

Hack-a-thons also provide the opportunity for those engaged in these activities to learn by doing, as well as teach others skills that they have recently acquired, all within the realm of ever-expanding technology systems. In many cases, these hack-a-thons enable participants to build applications for learning which can be incorporated into online courses, within the classroom and learning through the use of mobile phones and tablets (m-learning). Cyber learning has expanded beyond the traditional classrooms and into business and industry.

One of the most successful emerging technologies is the use of virtual reality technology for training. Virtual reality allows us to develop 3-D representations of our environments, which technologists have adapted to enable learners to “see” inside engines as they are learning to make adjustments, to identify safety factors on the jobsite such as those encountered in the construction of skyscrapers, and to facilitate learning in a variety of other industries. In addition to improving employee learning, they are also reducing training and resource costs and improving safety.

It’s not just the young who benefit from cyber learning. One of the most interesting uses of cyber learning technologies can be found on luminosity.com, a website which provides a series of games and tools developed by a team of neuroscientists to provide personalised training targeting a wide variety of cognitive skills. Published results of the effectiveness of Luminosity’s brain training have been mixed due to the complexity of variables surrounding brain science.

But, 70 million users in 180 countries seem to be enjoying the technology!Yes, cyber learning is here to stay.  It will continue transforming our learning systems by incorporating rapid, efficient and effective computer-based learning technologies for use by young and old, as we rush to embrace the Knowledge Age.

(Iyengar is a distinguished Ryder Professor and Director, School of Computing and Information Sciences, Miami; Miller has been with US Air Force for over two decades and is Coordinator, Discovery Lab, Florida International University)