Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Life at the bottom of a soup bowl: the flavour of learning communities in the information age

By Virginia Little - posted Friday, 15 December 2000


4. For this group, interest in creative writing offered the core for community.

Readers and writers in regular school culture are often ostracized, sitting quietly with books and paper in the back of the room. Online interactions allow students to have an authentic audience for their expression, and students potentially receive dozens of responses to a single piece of writing.

5. The learning community is self-determining.

Advertisement

Within 21 BEAT St., participants expressed a sense of being co-learners. In developing such a community, it is apparent that at the outset, while the students are still uncertain about their new environment, facilitators guide and mentor the process of online communications. Then, as students take ownership, the line between teachers and students fades.

6. The online community fostered an exploration self and was highly social in nature in an environment that prompted risk taking.

There is no equivalent of the silent student at the back of the classroom, simply because such a student is completely non-existent within the framework of the online community. Where students are reluctant to participate, the facilitator must engage with them, and draw them out until they are equal co-learners within the community, and then begin to take over this role of the "official" facilitator as well. The low-risk environment online makes it easier for this natural progression to occur, resulting in a very relaxed, socially comfortable community capable of asking difficult questions of its participants without fear of exposure or derision.

The very act of bringing students to participate in discovering a viable definition of "community" stimulated the development of that community among them as an emergent property of shared, voluntary activity. Through an online process of questioning, dialoguing, responding and refining, the students collectively defined a 'learning community' over a period of several months:

"Communities bond through common interests and shared levels of participation. A learning community builds trust through respect for multiple perspectives in exploring diverse ideas, opinions and insights, which creates a sense of belonging. Dialogues are fueled by passionate inquiry and in-depth searching. This provides a comfort level where people feel encouraged to take risks as learners."

After the online discussion naturally slowed in participation, students stated they felt they had explored this to its full extent. By questioning their ideas further, we were able to develop a deeper understanding of our community and its possibilities. Besides deciding on goals for the year, the students also reflected on ways to challenge those goals. They went on to explore not just what made our class a "community," but how we were affected by one another through interrelationship online. Having a workable definition of "learning community" that satisfied all participants, I asked those questions that naturally followed:

Advertisement
  1. "What kind of community do we want to create?"
  2. "How do we get there?"

As a result of many exchanges between students and facilitators, we eventually outlined practices which we felt would enhance the quality of the 21 BEAT St. learning community overall. The suggestions agreed on by participants included:

1. More face to face meetings.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All

This is an edited extract of a draft paper presented to the International Telecommunications Union/Telecom99 conference, Geneva, Switzerland, October 8-16, 1999. The full paper can be downloaded here.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Dr Virginia S. Little is an e-learning specialist who consults to several U.S. universities. 21 Beat St is hosted on the College of Exploration Web site.

Related Links
21 Beat St
Virginia S Little's homepage
Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy