Cultivating learning throughout life: the promise of public online learning communities
Online learning communities (OLCs), categorized into private and public types, are conducive collaborative learning environments for fostering and embracing Lifelong Learning. OLCs used for formal learning have been studied extensively, with private OLCs dedicated to this particular purpose receivin...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis doctoral |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) |
| Repositorio: | O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:openaccess.uoc.edu:10609/149365 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10609/149365 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | comunitats d'aprenentatge en línia aprenentatge al llarg de la vida aprenentatge no formal aprenentatge informal investigació d'estudis de casos estudi basat en mètodes mixtos coadjuvants comunidades de aprendizaje en línea aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida aprendizaje no formal aprendizaje informal investigación de estudio de casos estudio basado en métodos mixtos online learning communities lifelong learning non-formal learning informal learning case study research facilitative mix-method study |
| Sumario: | Online learning communities (OLCs), categorized into private and public types, are conducive collaborative learning environments for fostering and embracing Lifelong Learning. OLCs used for formal learning have been studied extensively, with private OLCs dedicated to this particular purpose receiving more attention compared to those of a public nature. This study investigates how and under what conditions public OLCs are useful environments for facilitating the achievement of their members’ individual lifelong learning goals. We examined six public OLCs based on their purpose (educational, professional, or interest-oriented) and modality (virtual or blended) through a Case Study Research perspective. We used a facilitative mix-method approach to document users’ opinions and learning experiences, which included the use of netnography, online surveys, and online interviews for data collection. The evidence collected was analyzed individually and across cases through Thematic Analysis and Descriptive Statistic Analysis. Our findings revealed the specific features, conditions, and underlying factors that, in combination, facilitate lifelong learning experiences in public OLCs, which we depicted through a model adapted from Randy G. Garrison’s Community of Inquiry Framework. These findings provide a holistic understanding of public OLCs as valuable sources of non-formal and informal lifelong learning, offering reflections on their potential implications for OLC and Lifelong Learning research, design, implementation, and evaluation. |
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