Thumbs and neurons : analysing digital platforms in learning through thematic analysis

Digital platforms are transforming pedagogical possibilities and learning processes, challenging traditional relationships with knowledge. One of the points most often overlooked in optimistic and pessimistic discourses about the pedagogical potential of digital platforms is that their use is itself a learning process. Beyond the variety of devices through which they can be accessed and the ways in which they can be used, digital platforms share the common characteristic of renewing the mediation of our relationship with the world. This analysis asks whether these technologies enable greater independence from social determinants and how they are reshaping our understanding of learning towards greater autonomy outside conventional education systems. Through a thematic analysis and a theoretical reflection, the authors explore these complexities and highlight the dual role of 'thumbs and neurons' in developing an operational framework for platform literacy and its evaluation. [Publisher's text]