
(image courtesy of
Pics4Learning)
I've recently begun a Masters course on Education Technology in the Arts/Humanities Classroom. One of the readings by Palloff and Pratt, titled "Building learning Communities in Cyberspace" touched on the topic of "learning communities" and what criteria must be met to build this type of community:
-clearly define the purpose of the group
-create a distinctive gathering place for the group
-promote effective leadership from within
-define norms and a clear code of conduct
-allow for a range of member roles
-allow for and facilitate subgroups
-allow members to resolve their own disputes(Palloff, Pratt, p.24)
Often when we think of the traditional definition of "community", this conjures a mental image of a town-like setting with people waving and talking to each other. We also picture that due to the quaintness of such places, people largely know each other on a first name basis. The traditional definition of community also tends to be associated with a place-based identity; thus community has been strictly tied to one's geographical location.
With the creating of social networks online, people are now congregating in various types of online group settings who share commonalities. Interests ranging from politics to education can bring several people together from all over the world.
From personal experience, I've been part of a professional learning network (PLN) largely through
Twitter as I've mentioned in
my previous post. I have found that I've learned so much from other people through their links to resources. I am also part of other online groups that come together via
listserv (mailing list) where one posts discussions and they are threaded so that we can track the discussion closely. One such group is comprised of parents who are interested in sharing advice and asking for assistance relating to parenting issues. We have members from Canada, US, India, and some countries in Europe. Recently, one person wrote a comment requesting assistance relating to handling her young child's sudden emotional outbursts. Within a short time, there were a few thoughtful responses to her question. The person wrote to express her gratitude noting her delight with the level of support within this group. After reading her post, it made me strongly consider the need to re-think the definition of "community" in the context of online interactions with people.
I have heard people often refer to social networking tools such as
Facebook or Twitter as places where one can feel part of a
community of people. I'd like to step back and look to Palloff's and Pratt's criteria which I listed earlier and treat it like a checklist while examining these two social networking tools; having examined each criterion I would say that both Twitter and Facebook would be potentially classified as "communities" according to Palloff and Pratt. However, I still feel there is something amiss in this definition of "communities".
One might add you as a friend on Facebook or follow you on Twitter as the case may be, but is one necessarily going to have a similar community feel to that of a person in a place-based community? Apart from the lack of face-to-face interaction in the online realm, does one truly feel supported by other group members and at will to share their inner-most thoughts? Of course, comparing Twitter, a social networking tool that limits you to typing no more than 140 characters to a listserv where you could write a lengthy response, the quality and types of interactions differ greatly. Furthermore, does size also matter? In the case of a place-based community, one typically thinks of the lesser-populated environments as those where a stronger regard and understanding of others exists. However, when online, the larger the size of a "community" the more possibility in getting responses or support from others in your network.
If you refer back to my story of the parenting listserv, I think what made it seem more like a "community" of people would be that much of the questions and advice relayed are emotionally involved - that is, we are often seeking emotional support which requires opening up to others in a way that one doesn't always feel comfortable doing in other environments. There is a sense of anonymity in that we don't have profile pictures posted nor do we need to share any personal information with our audience. Perhaps in this regard, we feel more free to speak our minds and admitting that parenting is challenging at best without the risk of finger-pointing.
I think the need to re-define the term "community" with respect to the online realm is evident as we hear this word creep up more often with the rise of social media. I sometimes feel concerned we over-use it or misuse it entirely as some education professionals have mentioned before.
What are your views on using the word "community" when online? What are some factors that you think we need to consider? Is it realistic to use this term for anything other than a place-based setting as some would advocate?
Labels: community, Facebook, listserv, Masters, online grade book, Palloff, PLN, Pratt, Twitter