Understanding Learner Lives Through Digital Footprints

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in understanding learners through biographical and ethnographic methods in order to gain a more holistic picture of how the various aspects of a learner's context and interactions outside of the formal learning spaces contribute to their learning behavior and outcomes. Given learners' pervasive use of digital technology, particularly outside of structured instructional time, there is a need to understand the role played by digital technologies in a learner's day-to-day activities. This study is a methodological exploration to understand the learning lives of higher education students. Students in a 1-year taught master degree program were invited to participate on a voluntary basis in the week-long study. Using a free version of a digital activity tracking software, participants had access to hour-by-hour records of their own digital activities. Using the digital activity footprint as a reference, participants provided an annotation of their two major activities during each hour, irrespective of whether digital technologies have been used or not, as well as their subjective rating of their level of productivity and enjoyment during each hour on a 5-point Likert scale. At the focus group interviews held at the middle and the end of the week, students were positive about the self-quantification experience, shared additional insight into their own digital technology use patterns, and for some, the desire to change their activity patterns to become more effective learners. The study found that digital technology use was core to students' learning productivity, but unrelated to activities that were enjoyable.