Communities as Context Providers for Web-Based Learning

Abstract

This chapter addresses the use of communities as a context-creating approach forthe management of learning in virtual settings. It stresses the lack of consensusaround the concept of community, its recent deployment in the educationaldomain, and the extent to which the educational use of virtual settings has neg-lected the construction of appropriate learning contexts. On the other hand, itpoints to the existence of a large body of knowledge from areas such as organiza-tional learning, actor-network theory, sociology, constructivism, and learning com-munities that may help overcome the limitations of Web-based learning as it is cur-rently put into practice. The theory covered will offer a better understanding of therelationships between different concepts and trends and of learning communitiesas entirely new tools for contextual approaches to the management of learning invirtual settings.