Flipped Community: Decentralizing Online Learning
Several years ago, I was working on a draft paper that discusses decentralizing online learning by flipping our concept of a learning community. The notes below summarize the draft paper, which, at the moment, remains still incomplete and unfinished. The concept of "flipping" is popular in education. It implies a change for the better, whether in course design ("flipped classroom") or, as proposed in this article, the underlying concept of "learning community." Flipping Community: A New Approach The authors argue that the traditional notion of "learning community" in higher education is problematic for several reasons: Lack of Theoretical Grounding: They critique the field for its fragmented approach and lack of a unifying theory of learning community and social presence in courses. Static View: Traditional communities can be seen as static, failing to recognize the shifting, multi-faceted identities of students. Isolation: These communities can promote an insular view, cut off from the wider world and students' other communities. Singularity: There's a risk of promoting a dominant, potentially superior view that suppresses diverse perspectives. Mono-Cultural: Even when trying to be inclusive, a learning community can inadvertently perpetuate a mono-cultural perspective. The 'Flipped Community' Model The authors propose a solution: the "flipped community" theory. Key characteristics include: Shifting, not Static: Embracing the transient, diverse nature of student identities. Metropolitan, not Isolated: Acknowledging students' existence within many communities, and valuing learning from those external contexts. Multiple, not Singular: Allowing for a range of viewpoints without pressure to conform to a single perspective. Multi-Cultural, not Mono-Cultural: Actively promoting diverse viewpoints and preventing consensus-driven monoculture. Big Picture Considerations The article then contrasts traditional and 'flipped' communities on aspects like: Focus: Inward vs. Outward/External Goals: Centralized around the instructor vs. Decentralized Student Connections: Primarily within the course vs. also including engagement with wider society Duration: Illusion of permanence vs. Acceptance of transience Instructor's Shifting Role Traditional View: Instructor as the central authority, [...]
