The Ecology of Resources Model of Context: A Unifying Representation for the Development of Learning-Oriented Technologies

This paper addresses the problem of developing a way to conceptualize context that can support the development of technology-rich learning activities. The term technology-rich encompasses mobile, hybrid and on-line learning approaches and the work reported here is intended to bridge these different approaches. In this paper we suggest that a learner specific definition of context can ground research across mobile, hybrid and on-line learning. We present a definition of context that is theoretically grounded in the socio-cultural approach to learning and we present the Ecology of Resources model as an abstraction that can be shared between social and technical researchers and practitioners to support analysis and to generate technology design. The Ecology of Resources model has been empirically evaluated and found to be a useful design tool for sensitizing designers to the importance of learners' broader circumstances.