Introduction

Learning Communities Online - Introduction.
e-learning is now becoming an accepted part of the vocabulary in almost every sphere of educational endeavour. The rapid uptake of information and communications technologies (ICT) together with the increased demands of learner choice and autonomy have led to a number of changes in the way traditional educational operate. The diagram opposite is an attempt to portray the way in which things have changed and are likely to change in the future.
 * eLearning**

convergence diagram [do you want this here?] Some diagram would be useful as i think this model still holds true to the notion of //blended learning//, flexible learning, personalise learning, distributed learning..... however would you describe and show this currently and into the future? RR

As schools in the 21st century come to grips with the implications of this convergence of teaching and learning paradigms, new opportunities emerge that will enable them to re-examine the ways in which they provide educational programmes for their students. Through the planned and strategic use of information and communications technologies, schools, teachers, and students can begin to experience being part of a wider learning community, one where access to learning opportunities is not limited by the geographic availability of a teacher or resources. These Learning Communities Online are set to change many of the ways we currently think about schools and learning.
 * Learning Communities Online**

classrooms could be characterized as teachers generally working on their own in a rectangular classroom with a group of 20+ students for fixed periods of time. Much of the theory and practice that has been developed about what happens in classrooms is based on these assumptions. Similarly, in the field of distance education there has been an emphasis on bridging the geographical separation of teacher and student, based on the notion of a guided didactic conversation being embedded within print-based materials. Each of these areas of education has developed quite separately, with their own bodies of knowledge, skills and experience, and their own theories and practice. The one thing that they did have in common was a focus on teaching, emphasising instructional processes and asking “how can we ‘teach’ better?" || We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the culture of pedagogic practice //are we?? maybe **beginning** to see this RR// in our schools and distance education settings. As primarily face-to-face institutions embrace ICT and attempt to address the demands of learner choice and autonomy, many teachers are adopting practices that may previously have been considered the domain of distance educators, for example, establishing individualized learning programmes on school intranets. Similarly, as distance education providers adopt the use of a range of online technologies to replace paper as the means of providing instruction, they too are facing the challenge of adopting what they may have regarded as face-to-face practices, for example, teaching via videoconferencing. This is the era of e-learning, where a grey area is forming between two previously discreet areas of educational endeavour, as each uses ICT as a means of meeting learner needs instead of emphasizing the role of teaching. || It may be only a relatively short time before we move to the next phase, where we see an almost complete merging of the two paradigms, and where a student’s learning experience will not be dependent on attendance at a particular school or institution, or enrolment with a particular distance provider. Instead, a combination of online technologies will make it possible for students to complete a 'portfolio' of subjects through a range of institutions. In this scenario the role of schools, teachers, and students will all change, and the emphasis on the “e” in e-learning will no longer be necessary //but the ePrincipals are proud of their eness ;-) RR//. Instead, the focus will be again on the whole sphere of education, addressing the issues of both teaching and learning, as well as taking into account the context of that learning. || As schools in the 21st century come to grips with the implications of this convergence of teaching and learning paradigms, new opportunities emerge that will enable them to re-examine the ways in which they provide educational programmes for their students. Through the planned and strategic use of information and communications technologies, schools, teachers, and students can begin to experience being part of a wider learning community, one where access to learning opportunities is not limited by the geographic availability of a teacher or resources. These Learning Communities Online are set to change many of the ways we currently think about schools and learning.
 * then || now || next ||
 * Until relatively recently the practice within face-to-face

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The term Learning Community Online (LCO) is used to describe a group of schools that are bound together by formal agreement to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students across electronic networks. I //We discussed this definition when we were talking about the language of using LCO - this description should reflect that discussion & be more inclusive of diverse LCO RR// Typically this will involve situations where a staff member from one school provides instruction in a particular subject area to students who are attending a different school or schools, usually at a senior level. //This bit is not a definition but one example of what an LCO might look like RR// The term has been chosen to differentiate this arrangement from other forms of clustering or school networks that may exist. The three words in the title are each important in defining the arrangement: “Learning” denotes the main emphasis and purpose of the arrangement; “Community” denotes the nature of the relationships among the members (i.e. more than simply a ‘school’ or ‘class’); and “Online” describes the means by which these learning communities are developed.
 * What is a Learning Community Online?**

There are many reasons for schools collaborating to form a LCO. A common reason in those that already exist is to extend the range of subject choices available to students at senior levels of the school. This was the main driver behind the establishment of the Cantatech group of schools in 1994. It also underpinned the establishment of the OtagoNet group in 2001, although this group also sought to use the learning community to create opportunities for teachers to network and participate in professional development programmes. The Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mätauranga (KAWM) network has similar objectives for the students and teachers in Maori boarding schools, wharekura, and Ngati Porou East Coast schools. In each case, the primary motivation is to share resources, both staff and physical, across a number of schools, to make best use of what is available, with the ultimate goal of providing better educational opportunities for the students in these schools.
 * Why might schools form a Learning Community Online?**

There is no predetermined number of schools that is required to make a cluster. Each cluster should be formed depending on need and what is logistically possible to manage. Too many schools involved in a single LCO may make it difficult to coordinate, particularly when it comes to the sharing of staff time, resources and timetables. Too few schools and there may not be the critical mass required to obtain the benefits of sharing resources in this way. The frameworks shared in this manual assume an ideal number of schools may be between six and ten.
 * How many schools are needed to make an LCO?**

The internet is the primary means used to facilitate interactions and the provision of resources, although other forms of telecommunications may also be used. Interactions may occur synchronously or asynchronously, depending on which is most appropriate. The increasing availability and affordability of broadband access for schools will make it easier to consider using video-conferencing as a key support in learning communities. Video-conferencing provides //Balance the focus of communication technologies here - too much on the VC side RR// a sense of immediacy and ‘presence’ for all participants but it should not be the only technology used. For an LCO to be truly successful, a combination of synchronous and asynchronous technologies is necessary. Many existing clusters have a video-conference once a week, and support this through a mix of paper-based materials, online resources, and online discussion boards to create a multi-channel learning experience for students.
 * What technology is required?**

Teaching in an online environment should be multi-modal, and involve the use of a variety of channels. The diagram below may be helpful in understanding how a variety of technologies and modes of interaction may be combined to provide a programme of learning online. From a pedagogical point of view, one of the major advantages of moving to the e-learning environment is the capacity for sharing the locus of control within the educational endeavour. In the e-learning paradigm educational 'delivery' will be a thing of the past – instead, the focus must be on participation, negotiation, and provision of appropriate resources and learning experiences to meet identified learner needs.
 * How is the teaching done?**

Barrel image here [link to the flash object on VLN for online ]

In traditional correspondence education the core resources have been paper-based with the use of sets and study guides. In conventional classroom-based education the provision of core resources comes in the form of a variety of texts, library books, curriculum supplements, teacher-produced handouts, etc. In more recent times paper-based resources have been supplemented by a variety of others, including audio and videotapes, CD-ROM material and web resources. These resources may be regarded as 'static' in the sense that they:
 * overview**
 * Core/base resources**
 * are subject to an intensive instructional design and development approach
 * are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process
 * involve a lengthy (and costly) development phase with a view to developing a quality resource that will be available for a period of time
 * are designed for a generic audience (e.g. level two science)
 * are designed to be re-used.

At the other end of the continuum from core resources is the face-to-face teaching that occurs in classrooms and, for distance students, at residential schools, camps, etc. In recent times this has been supplemented with mediated opportunities through the use of video and audio-conferencing, internet relay chat, electronic whiteboards (web-boards), etc. A key feature of this level of the educational transaction is that it is 'dynamic', that is, change can be made easily, and opportunities exist for spontaneous interactions and exchanges. This area of learning focuses primarily on the use of technologies that facilitate the distribution of resources and the discourse that exists in the educational transaction. Current examples of these technologies are learning management systems such as Blackboard, WebCT or First Class ,(perhaps Moodle, Google Apps etc as these are more recent exaples //not forgetting web 2.0 tools, huge range to work with now RR// although these will need to develop significantly in the future to realise the full potential of work in this area. This level of the educational transaction is also 'dynamic', but the interaction does not happen in 'real time' (unlike those facilitated by synchronous technologies). The resources developed and provided in this level are likely to be teacher-created or referenced, and provided to address a particular need or illustrate a particular teaching point that has emerged in the discourse.
 * Synchronous interaction**
 * Asynchronous interaction**

Acknowledge: Carol Moffatt plus contribution of clusters and the VLN community and ePrincipals and clusters