Leveraging online communities in fostering adaptive schools

ct There has long been a call for schools to prepare students for the twenty-first 12century where skills and dispositions differ significantly from much of what has historically 13characterized formal education. The knowledge based economy calls for policy and 14pedagogical efforts that would transform schools. Schools are to foster communities of 15learners. This paper suggests that para-communities may be points of leverage in the 16fostering of adaptive schools. A critical analysis is done on the differences between para17communities (such as online communities) and schools; and an argument is made that they 18each serve differing goals and should be left distinct because they achieve different societal 19and economic demands. 20Keywords Online community. Community of practice . Adaptive organization . 21Adaptive school . Paracommunity. Community of interest . Community of learners . 22Trust-networks 23

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: CSCL
• Authors: David Hung, Kenneth Y. T. Lim, Der-Thanq Victor Chen, Thiam Seng Koh
• Keywords: Adaptive Schools, CSCL 2008, Knowledge Based Economy, Twenty-first 12century