Conceptualizing the emerging field of smart learning environments

Learning environments have changed dramatically in the last 50 years, in large part due to information and communications technologies. From the introduction of personal computing and the Internet, there has been a continuing explosion of innovations in support of learning and instruction. Much has been written about new learning approaches and instructional paradigms, but relatively little has been implemented on a large scale with any significant learning outcomes. What has tended to happen when a new learning technology is introduced is that it is tried out on a small-scale in a privileged context (e.g., highly experienced and motivated teachers, on-site researchers, etc.), and when results show promise, the technology is broadly disseminated and used to replace a previous activity or resource, often without adequate training and support. Given the power and potential of new and emerging technologies, it is time to conceptualize how learning environments can be made more effective, efficient and engaging (i.e., smarter) on a large and sustainable scale. This article attempts to provide a small step in that direction.