{"id":13729,"date":"2020-02-18T14:48:51","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/?p=13729"},"modified":"2020-02-18T14:48:51","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:48:51","slug":"reflections-on-a-decade-of-engaged-scholarship-the-final-report-from-the-connected-learning-research-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/reflections-on-a-decade-of-engaged-scholarship-the-final-report-from-the-connected-learning-research-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on a Decade of Engaged Scholarship\u2013The Final Report from the Connected Learning Research Network"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mimi Ito<\/em>
\nOriginally Published\/\u00a0Connected Learning Alliance<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s rare to have the opportunity to work with a stable team of extraordinary scholars over the course of a decade. It\u2019s even rarer for this group of scholars to span a wide range of disciplines and approaches, while sharing common concerns in research, educational practice, and social change. A long time in the making, we are at last releasing our final collaborative report, The Connected Learning Research Network: Reflections on a Decade of Engaged Scholarship<\/a>, from the MacArthur Foundation Connected Learning Research Network<\/a>, that grew out of a decade of the network\u2019s work together.<\/p>\n

Like our original 2013 report<\/a> which launched the CLRN, this new report describes the connected learning approach and research in the context of broader social, economic, and technological changes. In this new report, however, we have the benefit of drawing from our own research studies conducted over the life of the network, learnings from partners putting connected learning into practice, as well as dialog and debate in our network meetings that took place four times a year for nearly ten years. You will find substantial updates to our connected learning model and design principles, a new synthesis of research evidence relevant to connected learning, and an overview of the studies conducted by the network.<\/p>\n

Our understanding of connected learning evolved significantly since our original conceptualization. We renamed the three spheres of learning that are integrated through connected learning from \u201cinterests,\u201d \u201cpeer culture,\u201d and \u201cacademics\u201d to \u201cinterests,\u201d \u201crelationships,\u201d and \u201copportunities.\u201d I encourage you to read the report if you\u2019re curious as to why we made these changes!<\/p>\n

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Three spheres of connected learning, renamed and explained<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

We also refined our description of what constitutes connected learning experiences and design principles, by considering the role of four elements: sponsorship<\/i>, shared practices<\/i>, shared purpose<\/i>, and connections across settings<\/i>. These elements represent an expansion of our original design principles of shared purpose, production-centered,<\/i> and openly networked.<\/i><\/p>\n

We summarize the uniqueness of the connected learning approach as follows:<\/p>\n