Recent research increasingly conceptualises learning environments as active components of cognitive and educational processes. Drawing on the perspectives of the extended mind and ecological cognition, this study investigates the effects of a hybrid learning ecosystem—integrating classroom, outdoor, and digital environments—on primary school students’ development. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 120 students (aged 8–10), divided into experimental and control groups, including students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD). The 16-week intervention involved structured activities across hybrid learning environments. Data were collected through validated psychometric instruments and qualitative observations using pre- and post-intervention measures. Results show significant improvements in the experimental group in executive functions, school motivation, social participation, and perception of the learning environment. These findings suggest that extended learning environments function not merely as contexts but as components of distributed cognitive systems that actively shape learning processes. The study contributes empirical evidence to ecological and relational approaches to education and to the understanding of hybrid educational ecosystems.
Extended learning environments as distributed cognitive systems: Effects of a hybrid educational ecosystem on cognition, motivation, and participation in primary school
Davide Di Palma
2026
Abstract
Recent research increasingly conceptualises learning environments as active components of cognitive and educational processes. Drawing on the perspectives of the extended mind and ecological cognition, this study investigates the effects of a hybrid learning ecosystem—integrating classroom, outdoor, and digital environments—on primary school students’ development. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 120 students (aged 8–10), divided into experimental and control groups, including students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD). The 16-week intervention involved structured activities across hybrid learning environments. Data were collected through validated psychometric instruments and qualitative observations using pre- and post-intervention measures. Results show significant improvements in the experimental group in executive functions, school motivation, social participation, and perception of the learning environment. These findings suggest that extended learning environments function not merely as contexts but as components of distributed cognitive systems that actively shape learning processes. The study contributes empirical evidence to ecological and relational approaches to education and to the understanding of hybrid educational ecosystems.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
