EXAMINING THE USE OF DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORMS BY EDUCATORS FOR KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION AND IMPROVEMENTS IN TEACHING PRACTICES: FUTURE-LEARN BY “THE OPEN UNIVERSITY”

Abstract

The embracement of the digital opportunities has become revolutionary for the sector of education where learners and educators can benefit from the infinite possibilities for knowledge sharing. The educators can utilize the digital learning platforms for enhancement of their knowledge and professional capacity building. One such digital platform is “Futurelearn” managed by “The Open University UK”. The study is aimed to examine the usefulness of digital learning platforms specifically Futurelearn for the diversified learning experiences by the educators which can be utilized during their teaching practices. The identified objectives of the study were educator’s knowledge, utilization and gained benefits about the digital learning platforms. The post graduate level educators of Open University having M.Phil with 10 years or above teaching experience were the population of the study. Semi structured interviews were conducted from the 20 sample participants and thematic content analysis techniques were used. Knowledge of digital learning platform, Utility of digital learning platforms, learning opportunities and professional capacity building and Benefits of digital learning platforms for educators were identified themes. The findings of the study revealed that the benefits of digital learning platforms include diversified knowledge, professional capacity building, interactive and better communication with trainers of diversified backgrounds and inclusive and blended learning opportunities.