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.