ICTs foster new connections and so enable new opportunities for knowledge production. It is not surprising that workers are clicking their way into all sorts of cyberspaces. There is plenty of buzz about online communities whether they are part of new social media configurations, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, or commercialized online product-related spaces carefully cultivated by enterprises. The scale is astounding. Yahoo (2008) alone reports over 113 million members in 9 million groups.
 
Online communities appear to offer something, be it socializing, networking, information or support. But what do we know about these cyberspaces as sites of learning? As it turns out we could know a lot more. Researchers and practitioners are still wrestling with how to best facilitate collective learning online; a challenge that is magnified in the informal communities outside formal education. One of my current research projects focuses on the "informal" online spaces where people go for work-related learning. Although this research explores how self-employed workers engage in these spaces, these findings are relevant for all adult workers engaged in lifelong learning pursuits.
 
The Term: "Online community" is applied to a myriad of online configurations. Some are structured, as in an online course, complete with bounded membership and purposeful design strategies to attain desired learning outcomes. These spaces have generated the most research. However, "online communities" also describe a gathering of people online that is organic, driven by a shared interest, and highly social. These kinds of spaces may also be nurtured by professional associations, workplaces, or businesses. What we call these spaces is not as important as understanding the nuances that make them distinct and therefore call for different learning and instructional design strategies.
 
Slippery Notions: Hodgson and Reynolds (2005) state that idealized interpretations of this concept ignore its more problematic aspects: "limitations in relation to difference, the oppressive aspects of conformity, and the obstacles to participation given inevitable inequalities and conflicts of interest" (p. 17). Edwards and Usher (2008) caution that only those with the necessary skills will be in a position to take full advantage of the Internet for learning.
 
Networked Configurations: Increasingly "community" does not exist in single sites but is built through a network of sites (Baym, 2007). Thomas Ryberg (2008) describes online communities as focused on "interaction, shared interest, and communication" while networked participation entails a "constant traversing of different types of networks with strong and weak ties" (p. 661). These networked architectures enable workers to construct individual, but deeply relational networks, often through social media.
 
Online configurations are evolving. I believe that many workers are moving toward more networked architectures of online participation. Many will include online communities in their configurations, despite the slipperiness of the notion and the inherent tensions. As illustrated in my study, closeness and connection to others is important for some people. Online communities provide a sense of place for these kinds of interactions. How these complex and exciting spaces will change is open to debate, although one thing is certain, they will change.

References

Baym, N. K. (2007). The new shape of online community: The example of Swedish independent music fandom. First Monday, 12(8). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/

Edwards, R., & Usher, R. (2008). Globalisation and pedagogy: Space, place and identity (2nd  ed.). Milton Park, England: Routledge.

Hodgson, V., & Reynolds, M. (2005). Consensus, difference and 'multiple communities' in networked learning. Studies in Higher Education, 30(1), 11-24.

Ryberg, T. (2008, May). Challenges and potentials for institutional and technological infrastructures in adopting social media. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning, 658-665. Halkidiki, Greece. Retrieved from http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk/past/nlc2008/Info/confpapers.htm#Top