Abstract:

This paper aims to investigate the role of digital interfaces in learning environments on the Net.

As the technological infrastructure for accessing the web has improved, and as use of portable devices has become more widespread, so the focus of research and construction of "operating environments" has changed. Over the last two decades, there has been a move towards creating tools that embody and reflect the processes of learning. This can include video lectures, or study groups on social networks. There are also platforms whose structure reflects a specific approach and method of teaching and learning.

Interaction on these learning environments has gradually moved from limited interaction with a form of repository, where the learners / users could simply download some files, to more interactive dimensions, through the use of community forums or chats.
The increased complexity of the learning objects favored routes with different levels of inter-modularity: texts, images, video and audio products, links - in the usual philosophy hypermedia Network - interact with each other, offering to the users real operating environments in which they can study (Lane & McAndrew, 2010).

Even in e-learning processes, digital interfaces place themselves not only as access ports, but also as real places of action, and true "cultural interfaces"; network environments in which new roles and behavioral shapes are formed and encoded (Johnson, 1997; Manovich, 2001).

This analysis will focus on the MOOC phenomenon that has exploded globally in recent years as a new technology for advanced learning (TEL, technology enhanced learning).

Starting from an observation of the major MOOC providers at the international level, the paper will present the experience of Federica WebLearning (www.federica.eu), the open access MOOC portal of the University of Naples Federico II. Starting with the seamless interface developed by Federica, in comparison with other providers, we will propose a first analysis of its main characteristics, in order to investigate some of the cultural and educational approaches underpinning the Federica learning environment.

Keywords:

Weblearning, interface, culture, MOOC, teaching environments.