RSA 4: A Theoretical Framework for Building Online Communities of Practice with Social Networking Tools

RSA 4-

A Theoretical Framework for Building Online Communities of Practice with Social Networking Tools

http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c8779059-15b7-4e77-b0b7-49b6859c2c88%40sessionmgr15&vid=6&hid=10

            During module seven, we focus on how building learning communities through technology support learning and achievement at high levels for a diverse population of learners. In this weeks reading the overall message that I walked away with was best said on page 158 in Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom, “By learning together in a learning community, students have the opportunity to extend and deepen their learning experience, test out new ideas by sharing them with a supportive group, and receive critical and constructive feedback.” (Palloff & Pratt; 2007). The idea that an online learning community can create all of these different elements is quite amazing. I think it is important for people to begin to understand that, an online learning community, just like a face-to-face learning community thrives on the same principles. In a face-to-face learning community it is important to build guidelines, discussion, feedback, and collaboration. These principles, which are the basis for a successful learning community, are no different in an online learning community.

            The online resource A Theoretical Framework for Building Online Communities of Practice with Social Networking Tools tries to develop a theoretical framework to help us understand learning among groups of individuals that use social networking to work towards a common goal. According to the article, “we define social networking technology as tools that facilitate collective intelligence through social negotiation in a common goal or a share practice.” (Smith, 2004) The article discusses the importance of collaboration between a group of people and how that collaboration in a social networking helps to create a sense of community and responsibility to one another. I found it interesting in the article when they discussed how social networking is blurring the lines between “real world” and virtual world. The virtual world is becoming the real world, it is where people are beginning to feel most comfortable communicating and collaborating with others due to the speed at which they can connect with one another.

            This article supports this weeks reading because both take a look at how the online learning community support groups of people and allow for them to collaborate effectively. According to A Theoretical Framework for Building Online Communities of Practice with Social Networking, “The community is a group of people who learn and interact together, building relationships that result in a feeling of belonging and mutual commitment,” (Wenger, 1998) Both readings discuss the importance of making sure that every person in an online learning community feels that they are valued so that the learning experiences that result from an online learning community are authentic and worthwhile. When an online learning community is set up appropriately participants in that community feel a stronger desire to participate and often connect on a deeper level.

References

Gunawardena, C. N., Hermans, M., Sanchez, D., Richmond, C., Bohley, M., & Tuttle, R.

(2009). A Theoretical Framework for Building Online Communities of Practice

with Social Networking Tools. Educational Media International, 46(1), 3-16.

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities effective strategies

for the virtual classroom. (2 ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

RSA #3- A Vision of K-12 Students Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

RSA #3- A Vision of K-12 Students Today

            During week five of our module, the reading focused on the ability to build online learning communities. This week we focus on the many aspects that are necessary in order for an online learning community to be authentic and effective. There are many online management tools that help to foster these online learning communities, and it comes down to finding an online tool that will fit best with your learning communities desired outcomes. The common goal of all online learning communities, are that they are structured to foster learning and teaching. According to page 5 in Building Online Learning: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom, “Learning is an active process in which both the instructor and the learners must participate if it is to be successful.” (Palloff, Pratt; 2007).

            With the idea that in order for learning to occur the instructor and learners must participate, I took the time to seek out an alternative way to share the importance of that statement. As I was looking through YouTube I came across, what I consider to be an inspirational video portraying numerous students sharing statistics and their feelings on the importance of being 21^st century learners. The students in this video showcase the changing of an era from “old fashioned” teaching to that of learning and being a part of the technological age. I found this short video quite amazing, due to the statistics. According to the video A Vision of K-12 Students Today posted by bjnesbitt on November 28, 2007, “76% of teachers have never used Wikis, blogs, or podcasts.” As I am aware that this video is more than a few years old, this is a staggering percentage of teachers who are not accessing all of the learners in their room. If a teacher is not accessing all of the learners in the classroom, then in turn they are not creating an effective learning community.

            According to Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom, “There is one important element, however, that sets online distance learning apart from the traditional classroom setting: Key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interaction between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions.” (Palloff, Pratt, 2007). As you will see in the video as well, students are begging to be engaged and to be a part of their learning. As the reading suggests the key to learning are the interactions between the instructor and the learner, in order to make an online learning community successful. By allowing the students to collaborate with their instructor, the interactions between them become more authentic and thus the online learning community becomes an area for learners to become instructors, and vice versa. In an online learning community all participants must contribute equally to gain the most from an online learning community. All in all, the video and the reading both suggest that it is important for all learners and instructors come together to form a learning community.