Justification

=Justification of a collective learning experience=

After reading about our target learners, and our learning context, it may lead to the conclusion that our site fosters an individual rather than collective learning experience. This is not so. According to Kilpatrick, Barrett & Jones (2003) collective learning experiences have several essential elements. To summarise these elements are: Learners attracted to our site have a shared purpose at the very least – to sing about something that pisses them off. Collaboration in learning occurs through most obviously the writing of lyrics and scores using the information provided by others who have written the ‘how to’ tutorials. Further collaboration can occur if learners elect to share their songs which is the intention of the site. You come to learning to write scores and lyrics to share with others through song.
 * Learning is collective **
 * Shared purpose, interest or geography with common values, beliefs, practices or goals which allow for:
 * Collaboration partnership and learning on matters that draws on the social capital of the group/ community in order to create:
 * Vibrant participants who are aware and respectful of socio, economic and cultural environments in which skills and knowledge is being used and created to:
 * Enhance the potential to create new knowledge.

The characteristic of the learner target group enhance the likelihood of vibrant participation. Possibly driven by anger at injustice and seeking a creative outlet, this site provides the means to achieve what the learner is seeking – a voice for their conscience. Finally it is this voice that also has the greatest potential to create new knowledge not only locally but globally. Songs such as “Free Nelson Mandela” raised the consciousness of young people around the world who had never experienced apartheid and contributed the creation of new knowledge regarding the inherit equality of people regardless of their skin colour. While the pen is mightier than the sword, the sung word overpowers both.

According to Wenger (1999 p.236 - 239) the key components for designing an online community that is likely to enhance education are found in three modes of learning: facilities of engagement, facilities of imagination and facilities of alignment. In designing our site, these three modes were incorporated into the three site areas: "Explore, Create, Share".
 * Design promotes collective learning **


 * Explore ** supports engagement of people entering the site through an interactive virtual tour designed to create an empathic and supportive bond with the learner. This is done through the use of interactive Avatars to promote a feeling of mutuality. You are not alone out there – there are many other people that think like you do and want to create a better world, will the subtext of the story told by the Avatars.


 * Create ** provides the opportunity for imagnation. Learners can take the passion that drove them to the site and use their imagination to fashion a response of their making. While this may appear initially to be a quiet narrow focus for critical learning, support has been built into the site to provide opportunities for the learner to broaden their perspective. A library of information and other knowledge is always only a click away; as are forums and blogs for critical reflection.


 * Share ** provides for a number of activities to assist in the convergence and co-ordination of learning. Here is where all users of the site can most easily participate through contribution. Those few so called ‘knowledge creators’ can showcase their songs, while the many more can review and weight their contribution with words and/or ratings. Also a page has been provided called “How good am I!” for learners to test their creations and interact with a virtual audience. This mechanism also provides interaction point for the all important critic. This is the learner not sufficiently motivated to create their own works but comfortable with commenting on others. The critic drives the creator and is vital to the learning process.

Hopefully there is something for everyone who is troubled by an injustice that provides with solace and inspires them to remember “We shall overcome!” Design promotes organic and sustainable learning ** According to Seely Brown & Adler (2008) with the emergence of Web 2.0 we have the opportunity for ‘demand-pull’ or “passion based learning, motivated by the student either wanting to become a member of a particular community of practice or just wanting to learn about, make or perform something”. Our site has been designed for this purpose. If Seely Brown and Adler are correct and our design works as intended, then an organic and sustainable learning site should evolve.