Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems

I have heard of expertise being described as spending 10,000 hours or about 10 years doing the same type of work. So when designing a DLC, dynamic learning community, as long as there is a healthy respect among members, there should be more of a feeling that no question is stupid, or that other members may be able to answer questions and not just the experts if they are feeling overwhelmed. If experts feel that they are a valuable part of the team, they find that they are more open to figuring out that they are learning new things, en if they aren't necessarily what they thought they'd learn.

I take my school as this dynamic - the professional development I give the teachers, who are at all levels. I feel like the expert, everyone tends to treat me that way, and yet I recognize that the people I'm dealing with, some of them have 2 master's degrees under their belts, so they are by no means uneducated. They just lack knowledge of technology.

I also think that if ground rules are laid, like the mutual respect, DLCs can work. And the learning doesn't have to take place when all of the members are present at one time. Learning can take place in a variety of areas, with questions being asked and answered as problems arise. Answers can be shared with all those having the problem, or the solution documented if it arises again. I tend to show a piece of technology, and let them try it out within a month, and come to me with problems. If a general problem arises, or I need to address everyone with a solution, I can do it via email, or faculty meeting.

I have found that there was a distinct range along a spectrum among my faculty members when I started giving professional development over 10 years ago. Now everyone has more of a base understanding, so the conversations happen at a higher level of expertise. Where I had to teach where the on switch is, now we discuss the differences and uses of fonts by their names, sizes and types, which are conversations I used to have with other lab assistants in college. It amazes me and makes me proud.

I see the generalizations of setup, use and control of DLCs as delineated in the article can be for anything from a group of face-to-face people to setting up a good online website to teach users something.

I think that again, there is a place for both DLCs and designed instruction. Designed instruction for younger students, especially. Montessori schools try the DLC with young students, and they end up not learning necessary skills. Like writing. And we find that writing is not something that "just comes" to the students. They really have to work harder to develop those skills they are lacking to catch up to the rest of their classmates who have moved on. Also, Montessori students tend to come overly headstrong, unwilling to learn skills or do activities that the whole class participates in. I think DLCs are better for high school and college, although collaborative learning is fabulous around fifth grade and up. I find it doesn't work as well with younger students unless they are doing something concrete, like pointing out where to click to another student.