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11 - Learning in Cyberspace: An Educational View of Virtual Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2009

D. Jason Nolan
Affiliation:
University of Toronto 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada jason.nolan@utoronto.ca
Joel Weiss
Affiliation:
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto CTL Dept, 11 South 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada weiss@oise.utoronto.ca
K. Ann Renninger
Affiliation:
Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
Wesley Shumar
Affiliation:
Drexel University, Philadelphia
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Summary

Learning is the creation of knowledge through the transformation of experience and transcends the particular institutional context that society has reserved for that purpose (Cayley, 1992; Illich, 1970; Kolb, 1984). It is also important not to confuse learning exclusively with school knowledge, for knowledge comes in many forms and for different purposes (Barnes, 1988; Dewey, 1938). Using Kolb's view on learning, if we substitute a particular type of change for transformation then change becomes a condition for learning. People participate in learning settings from birth onward. They move from setting to setting such as the home, playground, school, service groups, and church, and over the years add work settings and other leisure activities. Our interests center around creating and conducting inquiry on such learning environments. This particular focus includes both formal school settings, nonschool settings (museums, science centers, public spaces, and the Internet), and the points of intersection between these environments. These interests combine work in both real and virtual, online and off-line spaces. Understanding the nexus of learning and community relies upon an analysis of each context, so as to ascertain the expectations of participants and the task demands of the environment. We accordingly recognize the diversity of virtual environments, and also the interconnections that exist between online and off-line communities. What connects communities, virtual or otherwise, are the possibilities offered for learning; it is not just “school-based” or specifically an educational institution's private preserve.

Type
Chapter
Information
Building Virtual Communities
Learning and Change in Cyberspace
, pp. 293 - 320
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2002

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  • Learning in Cyberspace: An Educational View of Virtual Community
    • By D. Jason Nolan, University of Toronto 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada jason.nolan@utoronto.ca, Joel Weiss, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto CTL Dept, 11 South 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada weiss@oise.utoronto.ca
  • Edited by K. Ann Renninger, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, Wesley Shumar, Drexel University, Philadelphia
  • Book: Building Virtual Communities
  • Online publication: 12 November 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511606373.016
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Learning in Cyberspace: An Educational View of Virtual Community
    • By D. Jason Nolan, University of Toronto 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada jason.nolan@utoronto.ca, Joel Weiss, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto CTL Dept, 11 South 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada weiss@oise.utoronto.ca
  • Edited by K. Ann Renninger, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, Wesley Shumar, Drexel University, Philadelphia
  • Book: Building Virtual Communities
  • Online publication: 12 November 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511606373.016
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Learning in Cyberspace: An Educational View of Virtual Community
    • By D. Jason Nolan, University of Toronto 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada jason.nolan@utoronto.ca, Joel Weiss, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto CTL Dept, 11 South 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S1V6 Canada weiss@oise.utoronto.ca
  • Edited by K. Ann Renninger, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, Wesley Shumar, Drexel University, Philadelphia
  • Book: Building Virtual Communities
  • Online publication: 12 November 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511606373.016
Available formats
×