Networked Learning: An Educational Paradigm for the Age of Digital Networks(Research in Networked Learning)

This book posits the idea that networked learning is the one new paradigm in learning theory that has resulted from the introduction of digital and networked technologies. It sets out, in a single volume, a critical review of the main ideas and then articulates the case for adopting a networked learning perspective in a variety of educational settings. This book fills a gap in the literature on networked learning. Although there are several edited volumes in the field there is no other monograph makes the academic case and provides the academic context for networked learning. This volume accomplishes three main goals. First, it assists researchers and practitioners in acquainting themselves with the field. Second, it provides resources for reference and guidance to those not well acquainted with the field. Finally and most powerfully, it also allows for the consolidation of a field that is truly multidisciplinary in a way that maintains coherence and consistency.

Table of Contents:
Technology, learning and social life.- The age of digital networks.- Theories of learning in a digital age.- A network of learning theories.- An ecology of actors and actants in digital networks.- The institutions: the university.- The infrastructures.- The academic.- The Learner.- The future of networked learning.

About the Author :
Dr. Jones is a Full Professor of Research in Educational Technology at Liverpool John Moores University. He leads the research group of the same name (R-Ed.Tech) in the Centre for Educational Research and Evaluation Services (CERES) at LJMU's IM Marsh campus. Dr. Jones' main contributions to research have been in the development of Networked Learning as a research area. He is one of the organizers of the successful international Networked Learning conference series held bi-annually and he has edited two volumes, published in 2002 and 2009, setting out a developing research agenda for Networked Learning and bringing together researchers from the UK and abroad. Dr. Jones' work is focused on the relationship between technological artefacts and social order and the ways in which policy affects practice. He has published journal articles and book chapters about the application of the metaphor of networks, infrastructure and the ‘meso’ level of analysis to the understanding of networked learning.

Review :
“Networked learning describes how people develop and maintain connections with each other, with technologies, and with information, and how such connections affect their learning. … The difference between this and other books on the topic is that, to my knowledge, this is the only one to see the applications of networked learning in academic settings and its benefits for them. In my view, the author has succeeded in achieving the tacit goals of the book … .” (Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 46 (6), 2015) “This book succeeds in providing both a comprehensive and a coherent account of the intersection of technology and higher education through the lens of networked learning. It is distinguished by its critical perspective, informed by a deep knowledge of the literature and of practice. Highly recommended.” Laura Czerniewicz – Director OER-UCT, Associate professor University of Cape Town, RSA. "A highly engaging, thoughtful, coherent overview of networked learning … full of sharp insights…Chris Jones has provided an insightful, broad-ranging and politically committed introduction to the field of networked learning. This book will be invaluable to people who are new to this field - researchers and teachers alike. It will also provide some food for thought for everyone who has grown up with this area. Treatment of core theoretical issues is well-judged and the book makes a convincing case for the educational importance of networked learning…Network learning deserves to be understood in its broader social, economic and political context. This book is replete with ideas the reader can use to engage in deep debates about the past and future of learning." Peter Goodyear - Professor of Education at the University of Sydney. Co-director of the Centre for Research on Computer Supported Learning and Cognition (CoCo), Australian Laureate Fellow and a Senior Fellow of the ALTC. “Along with all the noise and haste about every new technology and its potential use and impact on learning, there has been a steady research agenda on ‘networked learning’ that has remained focused on the concepts, values, and evidence associated with mediated interaction and learning.  “Networked Learning” is written by one of the long-standing scholars and observers of technological change in teaching and learning, and in this volume Chris Jones provides a comprehensive view of networked learning, and learning in a networked age. Set against the backdrop of societal change, alternative technology and learning perspectives, and principles of network interaction, Jones shows how the network metaphor lends itself to uncovering and understanding contemporary learning practice. This book will be an invaluable resource for those new to this perspective onlearning, and a must-cite reference for all engaged in exploring networked learning.” Caroline Haythornthwaite - Director and Professor at SLAIS, The iSchool at The University of British Columbia, Canada. “The ambition in this book is what makes it so important: it engages with complex and sometimes disparate fields of study, and manages to offer a coherent and developed perspective on learning. The strong historical grounding, the breadth of conceptual work and the pragmatic proposals for future research mark this book out as both timely and significant. It stands as an important moment in the development of this field of study.” Martin Oliver - Professor of Education and Technology and Head of the Learning Technologies Unit, London Knowledge Lab, The Institute Of Education, UCL, London, UK