Learning Communities
(McMillan and Chavis)
A learning community is a group of people who share
common goals and attitudes,
who meet semi-regularly to collaborate.
Community psychologists described
four key factors that define a sense of community.
1
2
3
4
A group becomes a learning community when participants feel their interactions:
Create some sense of loyalty and belonging to the group (membership)
1
2
3
4
Membership
A group becomes a learning community when participants feel their interactions:
Actively change something within the community (influence)
2
3
4
Membership
Influence
A group becomes a learning community when participants feel their interactions:
Give the chance to meet particular needs through conversation and support
(fullfillment of individual needs)
3
4
Membership
Influence
Fullfillment of
individual needs
A group becomes a learning community when participants feel their interactions:
Create emotional experiences of shared stories and events (emotional connections)
4
Membership
Influence
Fullfillment of
indiviual needs
Emotional
Connections
Learning communities can help people to experience:
Camaraderie
Meaningful and integrative learning
Collaborative knowledge explorations
Life skills to flourish in a complex, messy, diverse world
Yet, the challenge remains to balance relationship with autonomy.
Group members need the support, challenge, and freedom to grow into the interactive agents of their personal learning.
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
By crossingborderseducation
