Learning Community
A learning community is a collaborative group of individuals who come together to share knowledge and experiences, fostering a mutual educational environment. These communities can form in various contexts, including classrooms, professional settings, shared living spaces, or online platforms. Central to successful learning communities are four essential elements: membership, influence, fulfillment of individual needs, and shared emotional connections. Unlike traditional educational settings that prioritize individual achievement, learning communities emphasize collective success and collaborative learning, reflecting ideas from developmental theorist Lev Vygotsky, who posited that knowledge is socially constructed.
Key attributes of learning communities include shared discovery, functional connections among members, ties to real-life experiences, and an inclusive atmosphere where all contributions are valued. These communities can arise spontaneously or be intentionally structured, often led by facilitators rather than authoritative figures. Various forms exist, such as professional learning communities for educators or themed residential housing that promotes specific goals or philosophies. Research suggests that learning communities can lead to better educational outcomes, highlighting their growing significance in modern educational practices.
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Learning Community
Learning communities are groups of people that form to learn from one another and that share common norms and established practices. A learning community can develop in a classroom, within a professional group, in a shared housing situation, or even in an online scenario. Researchers David McMillan and David Chavis indicated there are four essential elements factors for creating a sense of community: “(1) membership, (2) influence, (3) fulfillment of individuals’ needs and (4) shared events and emotional connections. Successful learning communities generally manifest these four characteristics and also work toward shared learning of new knowledge or skills.
Overview
Unlike traditional learning approaches or paradigms that emphasize individual mastery or success, learning communities prize shared success, emphasize cooperation and collaboration, and discourage competition. In the 1990s, a shift in educational philosophy toward the work of early twentieth-century Russian developmental theorist Lev Vygotsky encouraged many educators to shift the focus of instruction away from the individual. Vygotsky claimed that knowledge is socially informed and socially constructed; consequentially, knowledge construction differs substantially between cultures, whether the culture in question is a specific country or a specific classroom.
According to the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), there are four attributes essential to the creation of a learning community: (1) shared discovery and learning; (2) functional connections among learners; (3) connections to other related learning and life experiences; and (4) an inclusive learning environment. In a learning community, all members are expected to contribute ideas, resources, research, and prior knowledge or experience for the greater good of the whole. Members develop working relationships and social relationships, and the contributions of all members are valued and welcomed. Teachers function more as facilitators and less as the authority figure or the sole source of knowledge.
Learning communities can form spontaneously or by design. A group of individuals might initially meet for a short-term project but elect to continue working and learning together indefinitely or toward larger goals. Classrooms, teams, or whole schools can become learning communities. There are professional learning communities for educators.
There are also both informal and structured online learning communities. These communities may be solely online, or they may be complemented by face-to-face interactions. Common platforms for online learning communities include online universities such as the University of the People and Peer 2 Peer University, the latter of which combines online courses with offline "learning circles" of people all taking the same course, lightly guided by a facilitator.
Some universities offer learning communities as alternatives to more traditional settings. In this alternative, students might be assigned to a year-long cohort of peers for the purpose of completing group courses within a supportive setting. Research from multiple programs indicates that this approach shows modest improvements in pass rates and students continuing their studies when compared to individualistic approaches. Another approach is to offer themed residence housing focused on a particular social goal, skill set, or philosophy. Other universities expand the notion of learning communities to encompass all parts of a student’s life, including care of the buildings and grounds, food production, and student housing.
Margaret Riel and Linda Polin proposed three broad categories of intentional (rather than spontaneous and informal) learning communities: task-based, practice-based, and knowledge-based learning. Task-based learning communities are ones established specifically to work on a certain task, in which participants work together for a finite period until the task is completed. Practice-based learning communities are ones based on a common interest, such as a profession or hobby, in which the goal is continued improvement in one's field rather than the completion of a specific task. Knowledge-based learning communities are based on the desire to advance collective knowledge about a subject.
Bibliography
Ambrose, Susan A., et al. How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Bonk, Curtis J., et al. “Learning Communities, Communities of Practices: Principles, Technologies and Examples.” Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn, edited by Karen Littleton et al., Nova Science Publishers, 2004, pp. 199–219.
“Managing Online Learning Communities.” CIRTL Network, Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, www.mdrc.org/publication/effects-learning-communities-students-developmental-education. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
McMillan, David W., and David M. Chavis. “Sense of Community: A Definition and Theory.” Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 14, no. 1, 1986, pp. 6–23. Complementary Index, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=24679691&site=eds-live. Accessed 6 Sept. 2017.
Riel, Margaret, and Linda Polin. "Online Learning Communities: Common Ground and Critical Differences in Designing Technical Environments." Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning, edited by Sasha A. Barab et al., Cambridge UP, 2004, pp. 16–50.
Stevens, Niall. "Thinking of Learning Communities? Here Are Some of the Ways They May Benefit Your Medical Students." Journal of Medical Education and Curriculum Development, 8 Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1177/23821205231223303. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Visher, Mary G., et al. The Effects of Learning Communities for Students in Developmental Education: A Synthesis of Findings from Six Community Colleges. National Center for Postsecondary Research, July 2012. MRDC, www.mdrc.org/publication/effects-learning-communities-students-developmental-education. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Vygotsky, L. S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Edited by Michael Cole et al., Harvard UP, 1978.