Connected Learning
Connected learning is “socially embedded, interest-driven, and oriented toward educational, economic, or political opportunity. Connected learning is realized when a young person is able to pursue a personal interest or passion with the support of friends and caring adults, and is in turn able to link this learning and interest to academic achievement, career success or civic engagement.”
(Ito et al., 2013, p.4)
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My initial exploration of connected learning involved a conceptual map of the loosely networked learning environment of 365 Projects. This is followed below with a discussion of the alignment between the features of connected learning as described by Ito et al (2013) and a consideration of the risks to this network and the opportunities for development.
365 Projects
365 Projects, also known 365 challenges or Photo A Day projects, invites participants to take one photograph a day for one year and share the results online. This has grown organically to include video and visual art projects as well. The 365 Project draws on existing photographic traditions, such as the annual school or family portrait. In well-known series The Brown Sisters, Nicholas Nixon shows his wife and her three sisters photographed in the same arrangement since 1975. The current phenomenon however, owes much to George Taylor McKnight, who in 2004 blogged about a personal challenge that he called Project 365. In this, he took a photo every day in order to improve his photography skills and shared the results and the process through his website. In 2006 he employed Flickr to share a subsequent project and encourage participation from others. This was largely superseded in January 2009 by 365project.org, a social networking style sharing community which acts as a single platform to collect, share, and discuss 365 Projects. It expands on the original Flickr community with options for making ‘friends’, liking and commenting on photos, creating and participating in Discussion Boards, viewing statistics of various photos, following Blog posts, and connecting through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All basic features are accessible for free, however paying an annual fee for ‘Ace Membership’ adds features such as multiple album options and an advertising free interface.
365project.org
Youtube
Contexts for learning
365 Projects successfully 'knit together' the three crucial contexts for connected learning (Ito et al., 2013, p.12).
The learning environment consists of a loose network of interest driven learners drawn together by the desire to create and share photographs, and the appeal of accountability and extrinsic motivation to improve their skills in this area. Participants generally choose to engage to improve their photography or editing prowess, develop their digital identity, or document their lives or the world around them. This aligns with Garcia et al.’s (2014, p. 11) assertion that “interests that are explored in interest-driven learning… are integral elements of our identities.” Within the learning environment, participants can then “experiment without penalty” thanks to the plethora of guides and examples of 365 Projects which are freely available across multiple online platforms, in a variety of formats, and at different skill levels (Carfagna, 2014, p.10).
By leveraging online platforms with social functions such as commenting, voting and discussion boards, participants learn in a peer supported environment where they co-construct knowledge (Garcia et al., 2014, p.25) and use collaboration for individual benefit (Carfagna, 2014, p.20). 365Project.org, a major node in the network, is known as a “friendly website where the community is supportive and helpful”. Peer support is facilitated through ‘like’ and ‘comment’ functions and the ability to create ‘friend’ groups and ‘discussion boards.’ There is also an optional newsletter which regularly offers tips, tricks, inspiration and invitations to challenges. These features allow participants to engage as actively or passively as they choose. Multiple avenues for seeking specific and detailed feedback, critiques or support also encourage informal mentoring and foster a participatory culture (Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2012, p.11). The supportive and collegial tone of peer interactions creates positive and productive relationships which fosters the development of mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships (Downes (2017).
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365 projects are learning oriented, with participants creating, editing, viewing, critiquing and giving and requesting feedback on work across a wide variety of styles and abilities. In this situation, knowledge exists both within the learner and the wider network (Downes, 2017) and the diversity of the community allows participants to benefit from the perspectives of others with various expertise levels (Hodgson et al., 2014, p.226). Participants credit the space with helping them learn skills such as framing, editing, production and camera functions, as well as supporting their creative drive, the development of an artistic style and even personal growth. This aligns with the connectivist approach to learning as an active, network-based learning generated through user interactions (Siemens, 2005) which prioritises open sharing of knowledge and informal mentorship (Jenkins, 2006). The digital literacies gained while navigating these spaces are also highly relevant to academic pursuits, civic engagement, and employment pathways (Ito et al., 2013, p.12).
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Learning experiences
The learning experiences available to a participant align with the core properties of a connected learning environment, with experiences being production-centered, focused on a shared purpose and openly networked. (Ito et al., 2013, p.12).
The central focus of the 365 Project network is the production of photographs. The shared expectation is that participants will employ their relative skills and hardware to produce, select, edit and share one image a day. Some subgroups focus on specific aspects of production, such as employing DSLR cameras, creating self-portraits, and digitally edited images. Members leverage digital tools and networked opportunities to create, enhance and share media (Ito et al., 2013, p.76). As Nussbaum-Beach & Hall (2012, p.11) note, this allows users to move beyond passive consumption of information and become active creators.
Richardson & Mancabelli (2011, p.35) describe shared purpose as a fundamental aspect of networked learning. In the 365 Project community the shared pursuit of an individual goal – the creation, editing, and sharing of a daily photograph -- is both competitive and collaborative, resulting in cross-generational and cross-cultural interactions which increase the value of the learning environment (Ito et al., 2013, pp.74-75). This engages participants to learn collective routines –photographing, editing, and sharing – creates a rich community of practice (Wenger-Trayner, 2015, p.1; Dron & Anderson, 2014, p.56).
For learning environments to be truly ‘connected’ it is imperative that they are easily accessible. The organic genesis of 365 Projects has resulted in a freely available and individually adjustable learning experience with multiple points of access. This aligns with Jenkins, (2006) conviction that low barriers to entry are a core feature of participatory cultures. Indeed, the wealth of freely available knowledge and expertise which is shared through digital tools across a variety of platforms creates a highly effective learning environment by leveraging online connections and resources (Deng et al., 2016).
Design Principles
The intentional connecting of learning environments is evident in the 365 Project space. Registration to 365project.org is free and unrestricted, and anyone with an internet enabled device and some form of camera can create a project and share it on one of the multitude of possible platforms. These multiple points of entry help to ensure that everyone can participate (Ito et al., 2013, p. 79) in this connected learning network. Although participants are aiming to develop their skills in digital photography and editing, many choose to use their smartphones for the entire experience. Active engagement is also encouraged by the accommodation of various skill levels, with “different types of expertise” valued equally (Ito et al., 2013, p. 79). With the goal of daily photo production and sharing, 365 Projects are fundamentally “participatory and experiential” (Ito et al., 2013, p. 79) and therefore encourages an experience in which learning happens by doing. Despite this, there is no penalty for not meeting the shared goal, and many participants choose to vary the length or scope of their involvement. Challenge is constant in the 365 Project network. A “need to know” (Ito et al., 2013, p. 81) is cultivated through the constant need to produce and seek new ideas, information, and skills for sustained output. This is evidenced in the plethora of guides and tips freely available across platforms. Likewise, both the nature of the project and the support for social interactions -- liking, commenting, questioning, voting and critiquing – foster a “need to share” (Ito et al., 2013, p. 81). Participants also actively construct connected learning experiences by co-creating challenges within the broader project. For example Project365.org offers a ‘theme of day’ to inspire participation and a ‘theme of the week’. Participants can choose to submit a relevant image for peer voting and be awarded the prestige of being featured on the official blog and Instagram. As evidenced by the conceptual map, 365 Project offers “multiple learning contexts” and provides a variety of options for ongoing feedback and reflection thus ensuring that everything is interconnected. Participants can choose to share in a limited, or even private sub-group, or to make their work accessible across multiple interactive spaces. This gives participants control over when and with whom ideas are shared (Ito et al., 2013, p. 81) Discussion boards are a powerful tool for seeking responsive and detailed feedback on work, with questions ranging from technical advice such as “what setting do you use to achieve bokeh effects?” to critiques such as “which edit do you prefer on this portrait?”. Sharing skills and knowledge is not reserved for ‘experts’ but rather all participants are encouraged to share their ideas. Hashtags have been effectively leveraged by the network to expandthe reach well beyond a single platform. These are most widely used on Instagram, which as of April 2021 include: #365photochallenge (1.3 million views and #project365 2.7M. Hashtags also allow specialization, for example #365sketch challenge. Twitter, which traditionally focusses on the written word is still a surprisingly active node in this network with regular contributions to #photoaday and #Project365. Personal and commercial websites and blogs host guides, commentaries and resources for Project 365 participants. Pinterest is used to share 365 projects, to curate tips for a successful 365 project The project also has strong links with the wider photography learning community, including Digital Photography School and PetaPixel.
Opportunities & Risks
Although 365 Project exhibits many of the features of a connected learning environment there are ample opportunities for development. Indeed, the very scope and scale of the network, which serves to make it such a dynamic learning environment, risks the novice participant losing their way in the wealth of information and options. This highlights the need for explorations of such learning environments to be supported by “caring adults” (Ito et al., 2013, p.12). Likewise, highly active discussion boards are another strength of the community, but the democratic nature of the environment means they are not moderated for quality. Such risks are common across organic connected learning networks, and reflect their inherently flexible and responsive nature. A significant opportunity to value add to this learning environment stems from the potential for more explicit mentorship and credential systems. As noted in Ito et al. (2013, p. 213), such systems can connect the spheres of learning to create powerful impacts and be “very empowering to connected learners”. Although elements of this are present in the commenting, critiquing and support-seeking functions, a more structured and visible system could complement these more informal measures. Opportunities also exist for external organisations to tap into the learning potential offered by 365 Projects to more consciously facilitate a connected learning experience for young people. For example schools could integrate aspects of visual journaling compatible with this platform as a way of explicitly teaching the skills necessary to navigate such networks. Although Ito et al. (2013, p.30), acknowledge that “many schools are confronting narrowing curricula and a push toward accountability in the form of standardized testing” this is a potentially accessible avenue for integration. This could help to mitigate the overwhelming issue that the laudable reform objectives of the Connected Learning framework often lack practical application strategies in the classroom setting (Garcia et al., 2014, p.6). Nonetheless, 365 Projects remains a robust example of a connected learning environment.
References
Carfanga, L. (2014). Beyond Learning-As-Usual: Connected Learning Among Open Learners. Connected Learning Working Papers. Retrieved from https://dmlhub.net/publications/beyond-learning-usual-connected-learning-among-open-learners/
Deng, L., Connelly, J., & Lau, M. (2016). Interest-driven digital practices of secondary students: Cases of connected learning. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 9. 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2016.01.004
Downes S. (2017). New Models of Open and Distributed Learning. In: Jemni M., Kinshuk, K.M. (eds), Open Education: from OERs to MOOCs. (1-22). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-52925-6_1
Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2014). Teaching Crowds : Learning and Social Media. Athabasca University Press
Garcia, Antero, ed., (2014). Teaching in the Connected Learning Classroom. Retrieved from https://dmlhub.net/publications/teaching-connected-learning-classroom/
Hodgson, V., Laat, M., McConnell, D., & Ryberg, T. (2014). The Design, Experience and Practice of Networked Learning (1st ed. 2014.). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01940-6
Ito, M., Gutierrez, K. D., Livingstone, S., Penuel, W. R., Rhodes, J. E., Salen, K., Schor, J., Sefton-Green, J., & Watkins, S.C. (2013). Connected learning: An agenda for research and design. Retrieved from https://dmlhub.net/publications/connected-learning-agenda-for-research-and-design/
Jenkins, Henry. (2006). Jenkins on Participatory Culture. Retrieved 4 April, 2019, from http://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-7/jenkins-on-participatory-culture
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Ritter Hall, L. (2010). The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow.
Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal learning networks : using the power of connections to transform education. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow.
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved 4 April, 2019, from http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm
Wenger-Trayner, B. & Wenger-Trayner, E. (2015). Introduction to communities of practice. Retrieved from https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/