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RESEARCH PRODUCT

What Can We Learn from Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Evidence on Learning in Higher Education? Implications for an Interdisciplinary Research Framework

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Since the development of the hypertext markup language (HTML), a myriad of data from different sources has become increasingly cross-linked, resulting in entire information landscapes; more than 21 billion electronic devices (Web 4.0) will be in use by 2020. Access to and processing of multimedia content and unverified and algorithmically preselected information are constitutive elements of learning in the Internet Age. As learning occurs in- and outside of formal higher education institutions and cannot be explained by educational or technological factors alone, it is a crucial cross-disciplinary topic, equally important for all areas of science and education. Yet, research on learning in higher education has not kept up with the rapid technological and social developments in recent years, and little is known about learning in agile (cooperative) online environments. This paper contributes to reviewing and consolidating the state of research on learning in higher education using the Internet. Considering theoretical fundamentals and empirical evidence, we argue for developing a new interdisciplinary research framework that goes beyond cognitive, affective, technological, information-literal, or moral facets, that integrates complementary, cross-disciplinary perspectives, and that lays foundations for the analysis of learning in higher education in the twenty-first century.