Learning in community online

Guiding Questions What is meant by community? What is the relationship between learning and community? What is an online community? To what extent is the development of community valuable for online learning?

Examples of Online Communities Formal Learning Communities Asynchronous networks established as part of online learning platforms Web CT/Blackboard Learning networks that supplement face-to-face instruction Virtual communities of practice established formally to provide professionals with a learning network Informal Learning Communities Communities of practice that develop informally between participants Online discussion groups Online platforms that have primarily a social purpose Myspace Tribenet Create a list of online communities that you have belonged to or belong to now. Keep the list so you can refer to it later.

What is community? Spend a few minutes and write down a description of community.

Descriptions of Community. The concept of community is elusive. Trying to dissect and understand it is akin to understanding human relationships. Community is a value and a sense of community may develop in a group. Community refers to the development of , “commitment, mutuality and trust.” ( Smith, 2001) within a group of people.  Read the following descriptions of community. How do they differ from your own conceptions? ( Smith, 2001)

Descriptions of Community. Some collocations of community: Loss of community, build community, develop a sense of community, a small community, a tight knit community, community development, community relations Community is place based and groups share values, cultures, customs, meanings and understandings based on proximity. Community refers to a group of people that interact. These interactions may surrounding an interest for example the queer community, and the adult education community. Community is also evoked by some to describe a ‘harmony’ that existed in a golden age in the past but is lacking in the present (Smith, 2001)

What is the relationship between community and learning? A number of different perspectives view community as an important aspect to learning. Current research highlights the role of collaboration and cooperation in learning views community as integral Distributed cognition approaches to learning suggest that knowledge is distributed among people, institutions and objects rather than been the privy of the individual. (Swan K, & Shea, 2005)  Read and compare the following descriptions of the relationship between community and learning (Hutchkins 2000) (Wenger, 1998)

What is the relationship between community and learning? For Etienne Wenger community enables participants to construct knowledge and understanding. Thus competencies that learners attempt to develop cannot be considered in isolation. Wegner summarizes this in the following quote: In a social learning system competence is historically and socially defined. How to be a physicist or how to understand the earth in position in the universe is something that scientific communities have established over time. Knowing therefore is a matter of displaying competencies defined in social communities (Wenger, 1998)

What is an online learning community?  What is online learning community? What evidence is there that an online community has formed? Is limited interaction sufficient? These questions are relevant to this course. We have been interacting together online since September so can we call ourselves a community?  Read the following discussion of online community (Brook & Oliver, 2003) Looking through the list of online groups you have belonged to or belong to now consider to what extent do you feel community has developed?

The importance of developing community in online learning For constructivists developing community is essential to encourage collaboration, and cooperation in order to facilitate learners constructing knowledge and meaning. (Ally 2003) The development of community online is also important to promote online interaction. Pallof and Pratt describe this in the following: The learning community is a vehicle through which learning occurs online. Members depend on each other to achieve the learning outcomes through the course. If a participant logs on to a course site and their has been no activity on it for several days, he or she may become discouraged or feel a sense of abandonment-like being the only student to show up when the instructor is absent. (Pallof & Pratt, 1999, p. )

Ways of promoting community in online courses Referring to your list of online communities reflect on ways that you have attempted to foster community as an instructor, learner or participant.

Ways of promoting community in online courses Negotiate norms and expectations with the students at the outset of the course Create a personal space for students to meet in order to enhance social interaction Use small groups to enhance ‘secure’ interaction Establish guidelines for minimal participation Be flexible and receptive to the student (Pallof and Pratt, 1999)

The Five Teaching Perspectives and Online Community Reflect on the four teaching perspectives that Pratt outlined. Describe the role of community in online learning through the lens of each one

The Five Teaching Perspectives and Online Community Transmission: Viewed through the lens of the transmission perspective the development of online community is a useful element of online learning. In order to facilitate the transmission of information interaction between the participants is valuable but not necessary. Through course readings and the transmission of information learners are enabled to meet their outcomes with or without community. Apprenticeship: From this perspective the development of online community is an integral aspect to learning. Community is essential for ‘situated’ learning to occur. According to Wenger online communities of practice share many of the aspects of face-to-face communities of practice (Pratt 1998)

The Five Teaching Perspectives and Online Community Developmental Perspective: The development of community in online learning environments is important because community allows learners to work from their experience and actively share and construct knowledge. Nurturing Perspective: From the vantage point of the nurturing perspective developing a sense of community online might enable learners to be more comfortable expressing themselves. In addition in community learners should trust and value each other more reducing the wounding and increasing the caring. The Social Reform Perspective: Viewing online community through this lens we may ask ourselves about the location of power in the community. What power structures exist in online communities? Whose views are dominant whose views are ignored? (Pratt 1998)

Discussion What is the role of online learning communities in your professional practice or education? To what extent can online communities fulfill the roles of face-to-face communities? Describe some of your own experiences learning formally and informally in online communities.

Resources Ally, M. (2004) Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In Anderson, T & Elloumi, F. Theroy and practice of online learning. Athabaska, Alberta Brook, C. & Olive R. (2003) Online learning communities: Investigating a design framework. Australian Journal of Technology, 19(2), 139-160. Retrieved: October 23, 2006, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet19/brook.html Hutckins, E. Distributed Learning, Retrieved: 23-Oct-06 fromhttp://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/Anthro179a/DistribuedCognition.pdf Pallof, R.&Pratt. K. (2001) Building Community in Cyberspace: effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Resources Pratt, D.(1998) Five perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Smith, M. K. (2001) 'Community' in the encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/community/community.htp Retrieved: October 20, 2006 Swan K, and Shea, P (2005) The development of virtual learning communities. In Hiltz. R, & Golman RC (Ed.), Learning together online: Research on asynchronous learning networks (pp. 239-260). New Jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System, Retrieved: 23-Oct-06, from http//http://www.ewenger.com/pub/pub_systems_thinker_wrd.doc