Community of learning

Definition

Closely related to Wenger's concept of a social learning system which is made up of a network of communities of practice.

A community can be described as a group of people whose identities within the group are defined by the form of their participation, interactions and relationships within the activities of the group. A community of learning is a community whose purpose is to engage and promote activities and interactions that allow for individual socially-constructed learning.

• An attempt at a longer, more thorough definition

Types of learning communities

A learning community may consist of any or all of the following types of communities. They differ in the level of collaboration, the way they are formed and their objectives.

• Community of practice: a group of people that take part in a common activity, talk and share information about this activity and define themselves in relation to it.
• Community of interest: a group of people that come together to address a problem of interest to all. They may or may not be from the same community of practice. The pedagogical equivalent are learning networks.
• Task-based community: a group of people that works together to accomplish a defined task. They may or may not be from the same CoP.
• Knowledge-building community: a group of people that works together to produce a body of knowledge.
• community of inquiry model (a pedagogical model)

Online learning communities

An online learning community uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) to take part in the activities of the community. The computer-supported environment may be a support for the learning that takes place within a community or the community and the learning may exist entirely within the virtual environment.

Examples

• The TECFA Community Portal (used to be that, not anymore)
• learning networks
• knowledge-building community model

References

• Hole, Grete Oline and Anne Karin Larsen, VIRCLASS: the Virtual Classroom for Social Work in Europe - a toolkit for innovation? EuroDL, HTML

• Klamma, R; M Rohde & G Stahl (Eds.) (2005) Special Issue on: Community-Based Learning: Explorations into Theoretical Groundings, Empirical Findings and Computer Support. SigGroup Bulletin, 24 (4) 1-100 PDF - HTML

• Marick, B. Boundary Objects, Visible Workings: Adequate Understanding of System Internals, pdf (accessed June 24, 2006)

• Martel, Véronique (2005). Émergence d'une communauté d'apprentissage en réseau à l'ordre primaire : l'activité de transformation d'un environnement d'apprentissage par la direction, les enseignants et les élèves (étude de cas), Master thesis, Université Laval, HTML

• Matschke, C., Moskaliuk, J., & Cress, U. (2012). Knowledge exchange using Web 2.0 technologies in NGOs. Journal of Knowledge Management, 16, 159-176.

• Riel and Polin in SA Barab, R Kling, JH Gray. (2004). 'Introduction', Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning, Cambridge University Press pdf

• Special Issue: Computer Support for Learning Communities. Guest Editors: Markus Rohde, Volker Wulf, Gerry Stahl in: Behaviour & Information Technology (BIT), Volume 26, Number 1, Jan-Feb 2007, 94 Pages. Taylor & Francis, ISSN 0144-929X. Summary (All articles except the intro are access restricted).

• Swan, K (2002). Building communities in online courses: The importance of interaction. Education, Communication and Information, 2(1), 23–49.