While there are many different ways to learn, the community-based learning approach taps into the knowledge and wisdom within the community. It brings together groups of people with diverse perspectives, practices, and experiences to achieve a common goal, promote civic engagement, and address local issues in meaningful ways. This challenge invites you to consider how this approach can be implemented in digital environments.
Benefits of Community-Based Learning
- Engages Different Learners: Suitable for various learning styles by engaging different senses.
- Builds Relationships: Focuses on interactions and relationships, unlike solitary traditional learning.
- Accesses Diverse Knowledge: Opens up knowledge beyond textbooks, including undervalued types.
- Diverse Teachers: Learn from practitioners, not just traditional teachers.
- Fits Socialization: Encourages relationship-building, countering the solitary nature of traditional learning.
- Unlimited Potential: Leverages technology to connect with global communities.
Challenges of Community-Based Learning
- Meeting Learning Objectives: Flexibility in objectives is key; let learning flow naturally.
- Finding the Right Community: Access is broad, but finding the perfect fit takes time.
- Extra Effort: Building relationships and identifying opportunities requires more work from traditional teachers.
- Stepping Out of Comfort Zones: The best learning often happens outside your comfort zone, which can be challenging initially.
Examples: Six Ideas for implementing a community-based learning approach in digital spaces
- Study Groups: Form small groups of learners who meet regularly to discuss course material, share insights, and support each other’s learning. This fosters collaboration and deeper understanding of the subject matter.
- Online Discussion Forums: Create an online platform where members can post questions, share resources, and engage in discussions. This allows for continuous learning and interaction, even outside of formal meetings.
- Guest Speaker Series: Invite experts from various fields to give talks or workshops. This exposes the community to diverse perspectives and real-world applications of their learning.
- Project-Based Learning: Encourage members to work on collaborative projects that address real-world problems. This hands-on approach helps to apply theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills.
- Peer Mentorship Programs: Pair experienced members with newcomers to provide guidance, support, and encouragement. This helps to build a supportive network and facilitates knowledge transfer.
- Community Events and Socials: Organize events such as book clubs, movie nights, or cultural celebrations. These activities help to build relationships and create a sense of belonging within the community.
By completing this task, you will gain insights into how community-based learning can be effectively implemented in digital environments and learn from the experiences of your peers.
Instructions:
- Identify a Digital Community: Choose an online community relevant to your interests or field of study. This could be a forum, social media group, online course community, or any other digital space where people gather to share knowledge and experiences.
- Engage with the Community:
- Participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights.
- Observe how community members interact, support each other, and collaborate on projects.
- Reflect on Your Experience:
- Consider how the digital community fosters learning and civic engagement.
- Reflect on the diverse perspectives and practices you encountered.
- Think about how this digital community addresses local or global issues.
- Document Your Observations:
- Write a brief summary of your observations and experiences with the community.
- Share with Peers: provide feedback to your peers.
Resources
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- An example of how OER ties into Indigenous community learning through the TK Labels project
- The Handbook of Experiential Pedagogies
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- Review the Community-Based Learning Lesson Plan. Choose one of the four options in the lesson plan to spark conversations at your next class, meeting, or presentation. Try out the activity in a space where it’s safe to fail, and see if it works.
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- Check out additional digital tools listed on the B.C. Digital Literacy repository’s Community-Based Learning page that you would consider testing
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