Fostering Sociability in Learning Networks through Ad-Hoc Transient Communities

Abstract

Although lifelong learners can fulfil their competence development needs in both formal and non-formal educational settings, the latter are best suited to them. Learning Networks are learning environments specifically designed for the support of non-formal learning. A Learning Networks is not a community from the outset, by imposition, its community-like nature should emerge from the interactions of its inhabitants and evolves over time. How can this be done? After briefly going into the the long-term and short-term motives learners have to engage socially, the paper goes into the question of how the emergence and evolution of social behaviour in a Learning Network can best be promoted. The notion of ad-hoc transient communities is then introduced as a promising mechanism to drive the emergence and evolution of social behaviour. They are successful because by helping alleviate immediate needs, the desired sociability is produced along the way. Finally, some suggestions for further research are discussed.