In search for the conceptual origin of university students' community in a confluence of on- and offline learning environments ethnographies in technology-rich, multi-sited fields of study

Abstract

Contemporary society requires its citizens to develop capacities to resituate their activities in collective unities and to successfully communicate their actions within these multiple local and global communities. Also in higher education, educational practices are increasingly fixed around web-based, collaborative learning environments, designed for the values of community and collective learning.

The publication presents a study that explored learning communities in technology-rich higher education milieus. The aim was to search for the conceptual origin of university students’ community and its reference point in this context. In this work, methodological tools to study, to analyse, and to represent participants’ perspectives in collective activities taking place in a confluence of on-and offline learning environments were developed.

By exploring appropriate instructional conditions for successful communal activities to emerge, this study contributes conceptually to educational design for learning communities in technology-rich higher education milieus.