BINGO!!!+I+have+finished+my+task!




Key features of the learning community **  A learning community is an environment where a group people share their knowledge and experiences, resources and responsibilities through a mode of communication. McConnell (2006) suggests that a learning community is a community that ‘embodies a culture of learning’. In such a community members will be engaging in learning as collective body and the key features of the idea will be ‘sharing and distributing among its members’ (p.19). Therefore, in the designing face of our learning community, we need to include features which provide opportunities to the individuals to interact so that they can contribute to the community that enable them to learn effectively as unique community.
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Bach //at el.// (2007) believes that learning communities can take a number of different forms. According to Lewis and Allan (2005) cited in Bach //at el.// (2007), there are three types of learning communities. Those are; the simple learning communities, managed learning communities and complex learning communities. Further, Lewis and Allan believe that there is no means to limiting learning communities as they are in a wide social sphere. Therefore, in our learning community, the Explorers, I think the best way would be giving the maximum strength to learners to interact by providing the most useful features of social learning community.

Online learning provides a means of communication between tutors and their students, and between student peers (Bach //at el.// 2007). Therefore, I believe that the following features suggested by Bach //at el.// (2007) can be included in our learning community, the Explorers.

1. **Announcements: ** The use of this feature would be giving opportunity to the community members to check the most recent updates.

2. **Discussions: ** The main use of this feature is to encourage members to discuss their concerns/problems that would emerge wide range of collaborative learning. By discussing, members can share knowledge and experience which is one of the key characteristics of a learning community as McConnell (2006) suggests.

3. **Communication tools: ** Communication tools like group email facilities in important that connects fellow learners quickly and easily. Also it will provide opportunities to the members to contact identified groups within the community.

4. **Links: ** The web sites in related topic areas or online books/journals can be linked that would wide scope of learning materials and increase knowledge in a particular topic/area that will help learners to maintain their self-directed learning as well.

5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Multimedia facilities: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Waterhouse (2005) believes that multimedia resources in e-learning can dramatically improve student responses in the learning community. Thus, we could include multimedia resources like images, animations, audio and video clips that would help learners to enhance their learning.

6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Multi Grouping: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Members can form different groups according to their interested areas which would help them to discuss about specific matters in the particular area.

7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Creating blog posts: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Members can post blog posts as they wish to discuss or share a topic in detail. Further, this helps to develop members writing skills along with reading as well.

8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Posting events: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Members could post interesting events that would help others to enhance their learning and experience by participating them.

9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Policies and Guide lines: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> According to Waterhouse (2005), in any instructional environment it is crucial to have a clear understanding among the community members, so that they can maintain self-directed learning effectively. Further, it will help members to draw their own boundaries which are vital to build a mutual relationship among the community members that would make feel learners secure enough to contribute their experiences as <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Thomas (2005) articulates.


 * 10. Search:** In this feature, can members can browse topics of relevant interest


 * 11. RSS Feeds** : Members could access various significant websites that enhance community learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">I think the features discussed above is enough for an active learning community as most of them can be seen in the e-learning communities we have participated and experienced so far. We can, thus, make our e-learning community, the Explorers, a fascinating community by including these features, I believe.