Learning Communities and Learning Communities and Social CapitalSocial Capital

Duncan Timms, Philip Crompton, Sara Ferlander, Liz TimmsDuncan Timms, Philip Crompton, Sara Ferlander, Liz Timms

Project SCHEMAProject SCHEMA

University of Stirling, UKUniversity of Stirling, UK

Project SCHEMAProject SCHEMA

Social Cohesion through Higher Education in Social Cohesion through Higher Education in Marginal AreasMarginal Areas

Funded under EU 4th framework fundingFunded under EU 4th framework funding

Development of continuing professional Development of continuing professional development courses for online delivery to health development courses for online delivery to health and welfare workersand welfare workers

Social constructivist approach emphasising Social constructivist approach emphasising interaction, collaboration and learning interaction, collaboration and learning communitiescommunities

SCHEMA ModulesSCHEMA Modules

Community PortraitsCommunity Portraits Quality Management in care service provisionQuality Management in care service provision A person-centred approach to the care of dementiaA person-centred approach to the care of dementia Approaches to the control of drug and alcohol abuseApproaches to the control of drug and alcohol abuse A virtual tour of housing areas in GlasgowA virtual tour of housing areas in Glasgow Developing care services in marginal communitiesDeveloping care services in marginal communities The social implications of the InternetThe social implications of the Internet Applied social research methodsApplied social research methods

Community Portraits ModuleCommunity Portraits Module

The community as a context for health and The community as a context for health and welfare practicewelfare practice

Collaboration as a method for working and Collaboration as a method for working and learninglearning

The Internet as an enabler of collaborative The Internet as an enabler of collaborative learninglearning

Delivery Delivery (trial run Spring 1999)(trial run Spring 1999)

Course required students (professional workers) to Course required students (professional workers) to work collaborativelywork collaboratively

Participants from Scotland, Germany & FinlandParticipants from Scotland, Germany & Finland

Organised in three groups of threeOrganised in three groups of three

Course objective: the development of community Course objective: the development of community portraitsportraits

ProgrammeProgramme Weeks 1-5: Introductory PhaseWeeks 1-5: Introductory Phase

Week 1: Week 1: Introductions Introductions Weeks 2-3: Develop protocol for collaborative workingWeeks 2-3: Develop protocol for collaborative working Week 4: Week 4: Consider notion of community Consider notion of community Week 5: Introduce communitiesWeek 5: Introduce communities

Weeks 6-16: Project WorkWeeks 6-16: Project Work Weeks 6 - 8: Groups work independently of each other Weeks 6 - 8: Groups work independently of each other

monitored by tutor monitored by tutor Week 9: Groups review their progress Week 9: Groups review their progress Weeks 10 -12: work on portraitsWeeks 10 -12: work on portraits Week 13: Group presentationsWeek 13: Group presentations Weeks 14 -15: Group assessments of portraitsWeeks 14 -15: Group assessments of portraits Week 16: Reflection on collaboration onlineWeek 16: Reflection on collaboration online

OrganisationOrganisation

Group 1: Group 1: Scotland - maleScotland - maleGermany - femaleGermany - femaleNorthern Finland - femaleNorthern Finland - female

Group 2: Group 2: Scotland - maleScotland - maleGermany - maleGermany - maleMid Finland - femaleMid Finland - female

Group 3: Group 3: Scotland - maleScotland - maleNorthern Finland - femaleNorthern Finland - femaleMid Finland - femaleMid Finland - female

TELSIpro - TELSIpro - the systemthe system

TELSIpro - TELSIpro - online evaluationonline evaluation

EvaluationEvaluation

Three levelsThree levels Level 1: TechnologyLevel 1: Technology Level 2: PedagogyLevel 2: Pedagogy Level 3: Learning CultureLevel 3: Learning Culture

ToolsTools System statisticsSystem statistics QuestionnairesQuestionnaires EmoticonsEmoticons InterviewsInterviews

Questionnaire - Questionnaire - TELSIproTELSIpro

Problems with TELSIpro

0 1 2 3 4 5

Opening documents

Creating documents

Modifying documents

Moving documents

Searching for documents

Giving access to documents

Using chat button

Sending Emails

Reading Emails

Searching Emails

Using help button

Access to tutor

Communicating

Other difficulties

CollaborationCollaboration

Technological issues:Technological issues: Chat button failed to workChat button failed to work Use of group emailing and individual mailing confusingUse of group emailing and individual mailing confusing

Polite behaviourPolite behaviour Behaviour governed by rules of social engagementBehaviour governed by rules of social engagement Determined culturally and applied generallyDetermined culturally and applied generally Failure to recognise interpersonal differencesFailure to recognise interpersonal differences

Significance of triviaSignificance of trivia Legitimising irrelevant exchanges vs. task and time onlineLegitimising irrelevant exchanges vs. task and time online

ConclusionConclusion

Social constructivist approach - challengingSocial constructivist approach - challenging

Much to be learned about processes and Much to be learned about processes and dynamics of collaborationdynamics of collaboration

Visibility of collaborative relationships onlineVisibility of collaborative relationships online

Online collaboration may reflect its face-to-face Online collaboration may reflect its face-to-face counterpart - but in slow motioncounterpart - but in slow motion

Process benefits from being guidedProcess benefits from being guided

Where Next?Where Next?

Bringing in members of the communityBringing in members of the community Local nets and learning communitiesLocal nets and learning communities Lone parents and seniors in Stockholm and Lone parents and seniors in Stockholm and

GlasgowGlasgow Future extensionsFuture extensions Learning communities, local communities and Learning communities, local communities and

social capitalsocial capital

ContactContact

Duncan Timms Duncan Timms (dwgt1@stir.ac.uk)(dwgt1@stir.ac.uk)

Philip Crompton Philip Crompton (pc4@stir.ac.uk)(pc4@stir.ac.uk)

Sara Ferlander Sara Ferlander (sara.ferlander@stir.ac.uk)(sara.ferlander@stir.ac.uk)

Liz Timms Liz Timms (elizabeth.timms@ed.ac.uk)(elizabeth.timms@ed.ac.uk)

SCHEMASCHEMA

http://www.stir.ac.uk/schema/http://www.stir.ac.uk/schema/