Learning in Evolving Ecologies: rethinking the relations between Humans, Nature and Technology

This contribution outlines a co-evolutionary pedagogical perspective by clarifying the foundations of an ecological approach to learning. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) bioecological model, learning is interpreted as the outcome of a multilayered system in which individuals, natural environments and technological mediators continuously interact. The theoretical-critical investigation within this framework explores the potential of hybrid learning ecologies, understood as learning environments that integrate sensory immersion in nature, collaborative environmental engagement, and reflective technological mediation, to foster ecological understanding and transformative competencies. Drawing on a critical synthesis of the scientific literature, the study contends that understanding how ecological relationships shape learning processes is essential for reimagining education in an era of sweeping environmental and technological change. The analysis highlights how such hybrid ecologies can promote perspective shifts, embodied awareness and systemic thinking, thereby strengthening learners’ ability to recognise interdependencies and to act within complex socio-ecological contexts. From this perspective, nature emerges as an active agent in the development of ecological sensitivity, while “slow” and intentional technologies function as reflective mediators without replacing direct environmental experience. The co-adaptive process between learners, tools and environments ultimately provides a conceptual basis for designing educational practices oriented toward sustainability and relational literacy.