Blog 1

What is a community (How is it defined)? What is a virtual /online community?

A community as a whole is a group of people working together and meeting on a regular basis to share in their common interest. A virtual / online community essentially is the same thing, they (end users) share common interest and meet regularly but the difference between a “community” and an “online community” is that they do not meet in a physical sense.


What bring people together and what motivate them to stay together as members of a community? Cite examples from the recent issues of the Time magazine and/or from your personal experience with a real or virtual community you belong to and discuss the concept of a community.

Members of a community stay together for several reasons, one reason that I currently stay with my previous learning community from Minnesota is the safe/non-judgmental feeling I have when I ask questions and share ideas with the group. I think this is probably a reason many folks continue to be a part of communities, especially learning communities. In the article, Citizens of the New Digital Democracy, Leila says that “The feeling of togetherness is unbeatable. It’s a beautiful thing.” As I was typing this out I could not help but wonder if we choose the virtual community over face-to-face communities simply because we fear rejection and in a virtual community, the idea of rejection is really non-existent. Even if someone came right out and said they did not want you to be a part of the community; it is a form of rejection but the reality is not so up-close and personal when it is coming over the web. Another aspect of the community that is motivating is the quick feedback that it provides. The community, as described in Chapter 3: Community Building With and For Teachers @ The Math Forum, provides continuous learning experiences for the students and teachers a like. The sharing of information and the pure desire to constantly evolve with the participants motivates people to return and bring along friends to join in on the community.

How are the real community and the virtual community similar and different at the same time?


The real community and virtual community is similar in the fact that it is bringing together people who have a common/shared interest. And when they are together they exchange ideas, provide solutions and work together for the common purpose. The difference between the two communities is that one is physical (face-to-face) and the other is via the web. Sometimes people in virtual communities never see the other community members. I would have to say that this can be both a positive and negative as a lot of people communicate and respond to people just based on their non-verbal language. For me, this was one of the hardest aspects to overcome when I became a part of a virtual community. I was so use to picking up what people where trying to say by watching their body language instead of listening to the words coming out of their mouth. However, if the leaders of the virtual community state expectations for the way communication should be written and transferred, then the members will not have to worry about what is “really” being said as what is “really” being said is appropriately stated in the written text.

How do the emerging technologies, specifically the internet, “alter our sense of boundaries, participation, and identity” of a community (p. 14, Shummar & Renniger)?

The emerging technologies have created endless boundaries, greater participation and validation to increase a better sense of self. The creativity and innovation that is shared collectively within a virtual community enhances the systems thinking (thinking in wholes versus parts) within the group. The community provides a wide-angle lens for seeing what can be and answers those very questions with the diverse and passionate individuals that make up the virtual communities. There is no limit to the internet, which allows the community, individually and collectively, to see no limit to what they can create, revitalize, enhance and redesign.


From your own experience of a virtual community, do you think people learn and construct knowledge by participating in the community? If so, what are the implications of a virtual community for learning and change?

Yes, I do think that people learn and construct knowledge by participating in the community. The first thing that comes to mind is the learner’s preparation for participation in the community. It is also implies the learner is the person they say they are. I know skeptics of online learning and virtual communities have often said, “Well, how do you know it is the actual person participating?” I would also have to say that the learners in virtual communities have a shared passion and interest so the transfer of knowledge should be free-flowing. Lastly, I feel that virtual communities have experience in what they are participating in so the sharing of experience becomes an essential tool to enhance the learning within the community. Practical knowledge and experiences that are shared will also be useful to others in the community who will be able to apply the new knowledge almost immediately. And when people are able to make connections with the information with multiple contexts, the probability of the information being processed for future use is heightened. For change, I think it implies that change is constant and will inevitably happen in a virtual community. More specifically, I think it implies that the people who participate in virtual communities want desire and seek out change.


Independent Reflection

I was most connected to the Chapter 3 readings and The Gurus of YouTube article. Chapter 3 triggered my understanding of the human learning principle of information processing in a virtual world. I identified that the learning strategies are designed to provide connections for the student. This is an important aspect of cognitive learning. When the student learns to solve the problem using the connections he or she has made, the probability that the student will be able to solve a like or similar problem is greater. I have to wonder that if students do not have that face-to-face interaction, are they more willing to think on their own instead of trying to negotiate the answer from the instructor or other students in the classroom? I am also a big fan of the feedback that is given to both the students and the instructors in this Math Forum learning environment. This type of feedback will only reinforce the behaviors that are useful to students and instructors; as well as offer suggestions for improvement if necessary. I think sometimes people think that once you reach a certain level, whether that is academically or by title organizationally, you don’t need feedback. This community shares knowledge by working professionals in real situations so that others may benefit. Because of this structure, the individuals involves as well as the community itself will continue to evolve and grow.

The learning community also serves to enhance teacher understanding, which essentially serves as a tool for sharing best practices, with dialog. And, this is all being done “without judgment” to questions, responses and overall communication with one another. The feeling of security is one of those motivating factors that will continue to bring people back. You think about all of those times in a face-to-face classroom setting or even with your own co-workers when you wanted to ask a question but didn’t because of the fear of being labeled and being made fun of by the people around you.

Lastly, I noted the structure of the delivery seems more like a facilitation of knowledge that allows learning to take place both with the student and the instructor, creating a shared sense of responsibility; the responsibility being learning and sharing thoughts and ideas.