About Connected Learning - Connected Learning Alliance (original) (raw)
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
What is Connected Learning?
Connected learning integrates personal interests, supportive relationships, and access to opportunities. It is learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connections that grows from the diverse interests and assets of young people.
Meet Maria: A Connected Learner
Interests
Maria is an avid fan of professional wrestling. She was first introduced to wrestling through her family.
Relationships
Maria’s friends tease her about her wrestling interests. She goes online to connect with fellow fans in an online fan fiction community where she writes stories about wrestling.
Opportunities
Hearing about Maria’s interests, a teacher she is close to encourages her to write for the school newspaper and a college writing degree.
Elements of Connected Learning
The research is clear: Learning is irresistible and life-changing when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity.
Interests
Learning is irresistible and relevant when it grows from interests, culture, and identity. This could be personal interests like arts, sports, or literature, as well as social issues and community connection that motivates civic engagement and activism. Learn more in our reports on connected arts learning and connected civics.
Relationships
Learners thrive when they are supported and challenged by caring peers and mentors with shared affinities. Youth can find these support and affinity groups in school and community settings, as well as in supportive online spaces and peer interactions. Learn more in our report on social media and youth wellbeing.
Spotlight: YOUmedia Chicago
YOUmedia, a youth digital makerspace in Chicago’s main downtown public library, embodies the values and elements of connected learning.
YOUmedia centers on digital media production such as music, art, poetry and journalism. Young people can “hang out socially, mess around with new projects and geek out” in areas of specialization when they want to take the leap. Librarians and mentors organize showcases, support the production of various projects and broker connections to other opportunities in their interest area.
Youth who participated at YOUmedia saw clear results.
- Feeling emotionally and physically safe and a sense of belonging
- Becoming more involved in the chosen interests they brought to YOUmedia
- Improving in at least one digital media skill
- Improving academic skills: better communication with adults and improved writing ability
- Understanding more about opportunities available to them after high school
Elements of Connected Learning Environments
Connected learning does not rely on a single technology or technique. Rather, it is fostered over time through a combination of supports for developing interests, relationships, skills, and a sense of purpose.
Sponsorship of Youth Interests
Organizations and adults must meet youth where they are in order to foster connected learning. They do this by being sponsors of what youth are genuinely interested in — recognizing diverse interests and providing mentorship, space, and other resources.
Shared Practices
Ongoing shared activities are the backbone of connected learning. Through collaborative production, friendly competition, civic action, and joint research, youth and adults make things, have fun, learn, and make a difference together.
Shared Purpose
Learners need to feel a sense of belonging and be able to make meaningful contributions to a community in order to experience connected learning. Groups that foster connected learning have shared culture and values, are welcoming to newcomers, and encourage sharing, feedback and learning among all participants.
Connections Across Settings
As connected learners develop, they access varied programs, communities and opportunities. In order to support diverse learner pathways, organizations and caring adults can form partnerships, broker connections across settings, and share on openly networked platforms and portfolios.
Our Impact
Educators have been putting connected learning into practice through a wide range of networks and organizations, in both formal and informal environments.
Educator Networks
The National Writing Project, Young Adult Library Services Association and the Consortium for School Networking have embraced the connected learning framework. Click [here] to learn more about connected learning in teaching practice, and [here] for connected learning in libraries.
Connected Learning In Action
Programs and organizations designed around connected learning are serving young people around the country and world.
YOUmedia
Libraries and museums across the country have established YOUmedia learning labs to engage thousands of young people in creative, hands-on connected learning experiences.
Quest to Learn
The Quest to Learn school in New York City continues to be a beacon for game-based connected learning. Students have shown improvement in traditional test scores, as well as assessments designed to measure critical and independent thinking.
Connected Camps
Connected Camps has developed online STEM summer camps and after-school programs that connect interests in gaming with STEM learning, serving over 20,000 learners from diverse backgrounds.
North America Scholastic Esports Federation
The North America Scholastic Esports Federation uses esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. In addition to supporting a competitive league, NASEF supports school clubs, coaching, research, and a high school curriculum centered on STEM skills and competencies such as digital production and entrepreneurship in esports.
Connected Scholars Program
The Connected Scholars Program supports college students in developing networking and relationship-building skills based on a connected learning model. Because of growth in self-efficacy and GPA and improved campus relationships, UMass Boston has rolled out the program campus-wide.
FUSE Studio
FUSE facilitates learning through ‘making,’ develops 21st century skills, and builds collaborative, youth-centered learning communities. FUSE is designed for students in middle and high school, but is also implemented in community colleges and in lower elementary in some contexts.