International Digital Learning: A case study of research-rich learning

The global economy is changing and with this, the expectations placed on Higher Education from Governments, employers and learners across the world. In response, Higher Education is reviewing and re-evaluating what graduates need from a careers perspective and how the delivery of the curriculum changes learner capability. It is within this context that Higher Education is developing innovative forms of learning that aim to empower learners and promote the idea of life-long learning. The key to this empowerment of learners is the shift away from didactic, top-down teaching that is designed to transfer knowledge to a passive audience, to an approach where learners are actively engaged in the learning process. The added-value contribution, which enhances the learning experience, is the richness of the technologies that support this approach and enhances learning. This paper describes Northumbria University’s Business School move to a research-rich technology enhanced curriculum that introduced an inquiry-based technology enhanced, collaborative approach to learning.