TIE 536
Learning Communities
Craig A. Cunningham, Ph.D.


 

Learning Communities

Read the article found at http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/dlc.html and create an outline of what you find there using Word's outline feature. Upload your outline to the "Files" section of the course web site at my.nl.edu.

 

 

"The idea of learning communities has also been discussed as an alternative metaphor to traditional instruction. What happens when groups of people gather together to provide mutual support for learning and performance? How would that work? Rather than being controlled by a teacher or an instructional designer, learners might "self-organize" into functioning communities with a general goal of supporting each other in their learning. That is to say, the function of guidance and control becomes distributed among group participants. Specific roles of group members are not assigned but rather emerge from the interaction of the whole....

"Dynamic learning communities (DLCs) are groups of people who form a learning community generally characterized by the following:

  • distributed control;
  • commitment to the generation and sharing of new knowledge;
  • flexible and negotiated learning activities;
  • autonomous community members;
  • high levels of dialogue, interaction, and collaboration;
  • a shared goal, problem, or project that brings a common focus and incentive to work together.

Positive Outcomes

  • capacity to adapt to local conditions and evolve over time;
  • creativity and innovation;
  • crossing of traditional disciplinary and conceptual boundaries;
  • appreciation of diversity, multiple perspectives and epistemic issues;
  • community members who are responsible and skilled at diagnosing and addressing their learning needs;

Negative Outcomes

  • short-term inefficiencies;
  • lack of central control;
  • lack of predictability." (Source: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/dlc.html)