LCN600 Assignment 2

1. Introduction to CL environment mapping project
Purpose of the project & Assignment 2
What is a CL environment?
- CL principles, CL properties, CL design principles -
Key points to consider for your CL environment map
Getting started

2. Assignment 2
3 parts:
a) Map the CL environment of a particular community of
networked CL learners, ie:
 visually represent this CL community’s network and its various
elements
[2 A4 sheets or equivalent]
b) Critical discussion of the CL environment that you have
mapped
[Approx 2000 words]
c) Critical reflection on your experience as connected
learner in LCN600
 Focus on ONE critical incident
[Approx 500 words]

3. Individual project
Mapping a connected learning environment
Purpose:
To explore the CL network of a particular community of connected
learners within the wider CL environment:
What are the key elements of their CL network? Eg:
• Who and what make up this community of connected learners?
• How and what do they learn?
• How does their network connect them and support their learning?
• How do they use social media/software to connect?
• What other ‘connecting’ strategies for they use?
CL network – community of connected learners
In contrast to the Assign 1 project that focused on a particular CL
resource
– you are now considering a CL network of people, media, tools,
information, products

4. What is a connected learning environment?
Ito et al. (2013) pp. 60-63 …
• A community of interest centred on peer interaction
• A network of interest and expertise with high standards od work and
credible information
• Characterised by a ‘virtuous feedback loop’ between the individual
pursuit of learning and excellence and quality of the collective
knowledge of the group
• An alchemy of designed and emergent elements in the process of
experimentation and flux
What does this mean?
• Formal and informal learning
• Interest rather than age or curriculum
• Individuals contribute to shared, interactive learning
• Experiential – learning by doing
• Changing, developing approach – flexible to learners and context

5. Why map CL environments?
• To deepen your understanding about the nature of a CL
network
• To enable you to design and support innovative learning
• To communicate ideas in different modes

6. Part a: Map
Conceptual map
 you are not required to create any online resources, or to submit detailed
lesson/program plans.
 the map can be hand-drawn - or use social software, eg. concept map, videoscribe,
prezi
Real or imagined CL community
The map shows how the community reflects
 connected learning principles
 CL core properties
 CL design principles
Ito et al.(2013, p. 74-81)
CL Principles, Properties and Design principles are outlined in the next slides …
See Connected learning report (Ito et al., 2013, p. 73 – 86) for details

7. CL principles: 3 spheres of learning

8. 3 spheres of learning
Interests – personal affinity, passion, engagement
Academic subjects, professional development, hobbies, sport, arts,
political activism, community engagement
Peer culture – social networks (virtual & real life), school, community
Shared culture, knowledge, expertise, inter-generational
Academic – future directed goals, purposeful learning, ‘work’
Formal outcomes, skills, life-readiness, ability to participate in society

9. Many [young] people experience their learning in the three spheres of
interests, peer culture and academic subjects as disconnected, and do
not have sufficient exposure or support to explore their interests. Even
among those who do, their interests generally lack connection to cross-
generational learning, academic subjects, career pathways, and civic
and political participation. Whether focused on sports, games, popular
media, creative production or the arts, these interest-driven activities
are often pursued in relatively self-contained institutions, peer-groups,
or communities of practice that do not cut across the divides of home,
school, afterschool, and peer culture.
Connected learning, as its name implies, works to connect these
spheres more purposefully.
By giving equal weight to all of these different sites of learning, we can
create more entry points and diversify the pathways towards learning
and opportunity.
Ito et al., 2013, p. 65

10. CL: Core properties principles

11. Table 6
Guiding Design Principles for
Connected Learning

12. Key points to consider when mapping your CL environment …
 Who? Peer culture
Peer learners, colleagues, mentors, CL community
 What?
Shared interest, community of learning/practice
 Why? Academic
Purpose, objectives, outcomes
 How?
Social media, personal and professional networks
Interactive
Inquiry, experience, hands-on production
 What not to do?
o Static web site
o Replicate curric docs, unit outlines, lesson plans
o Teacher-driven instruction
o Information overload

13. Part b: Critical discussion
of the connected learning environment
Critically discuss the connected learning environment that you mapped (in Part a).
Consider the strengths and limitations of the connected learning environment and
indicate opportunities for further development. The discussion should:
 Relate to Ito et al.’s connected learning principles, core properties and design
principles (2013, p. 74-81)
 Demonstrate and discuss the main strengths and limitations of the connected
learning environment that you have mapped. In particular, address:
(a) how peer-supported, interest-driven learning about the topic occurs within this
environment
(b) how social media support learning and interactions of this networked CL
learner community
(c) ‘missing elements’ in this CL environment (compared with Ito et al., 2013)
 Indicate further opportunities for development of the connected learning
environment
 Draw on select scholarly references (3-5) in addition to Ito et al. (2013) that
support your discussion and/or recommendations
 Be written in formal academic style, with full, accurate and consistent referencing
(APA preferred)
 Approx 2000 words

14. Part c: Critical reflection
on your experience as connected learner
Your Critical Reflection should:
 focus on one critical incident that you have
experienced during the course of this unit
(must be a different incident to the one you discussed
in Assignment 1)
 consider how the outcomes of this incident will inform
your future professional learning and practice as
connected educator
 be written in a personal, informal style
(references to scholarly literature are not required, but
it’s OK to include some if you wish)
 Approx 500 words