Generative AI for Communities of Learning

Learning involves vulnerability. It requires acknowledging our limited understanding of the world. This can make students feel intimidated by their teachers, especially as they become more self-conscious about how they present themselves.

At its core, the teacher-student relationship is based on the idea that the teacher knows, and the student doesn’t. While some thrive in traditional school environments, this power imbalance can negatively affect those with low self-confidence, poor social skills, anxiety, or a lack of motivation.

However, those who struggle in formal education might flourish in other settings. An alternative is to find others with similar interests and form a community of learning.

Communities of learning

A community of learning is a group of people with shared interests who collaborate and support each other in their collective and individual learning.

Each community is uniquely defined by its structure, values, objectives, and methods. They can be local or global, meet in person or online, and range from small groups to large networks.?

Nevertheless, they often rely on collaborative learning, shared resources, active participation, and mutual encouragement.

Here are some example of communities of learning:

?? Video games

Every game gives birth to multiple communities of learning with varying objectives: finding optimal gameplay strategies, exploring the game lore, understanding its technical details... These communities discuss on platforms like Discord and Twitch, share videos on Youtube and distribute information on dedicated websites and forums. They often form highly decentralized yet deeply engaged and collaborative groups.

??Influencers on social media

Many influencers on social media share valuable insights on topics they are passionate about. Instead of a top-down approach, their followers interact and collaborate through the influencers’ channels, creating rich learning environments. Some of them might already be experts themselves while others find in such communities a place to start their learning journey.

?? Music bands

Musicians in bands often discuss influences, share ideas, and explore new techniques. Most of the time, they also join other communities to enhance individual skills - master a new musical pattern, discover new artists in a specific genre -, which in turn benefits the band. This is a great example of how different learning communities can intersect and support each other.

These are just a few illustrations. There are millions of communities of learning around us.?

Let’s take a pause and reflect.

• How many communities of learning are you part of?

• How and why did you join them?

• How have they impacted you in terms of personal growth?

...

One of the best examples of an intentional learning community is the Learning Creative Learning (LCL) course by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab , which I joined as a facilitator a few years ago.

LCL gathers educators interested in creative learning. Participants explore topics and resources at their own pace and are encouraged to learn from each other through online workshops, forum discussions, and local meetups.

Prominent experts like Mitch Resnick and Natalie Rusk provide resources and facilitate interactions, but they never “teach”. The result is a flexible structure that lets the community engage meaningfully with the people and content that they find valuable at an individual level.

Generative AI and communities of learning

Communities of learning offer a learner-driven model, different from the traditional teacher-student dynamic that is predominant in our education system.

How can generative AI support communities of learning? Here are some roles it can take:

??Ideator

Without a professor or leader, starting a learning journey can be challenging. AI can suggest exploration areas, resources, and themes for the community. For example, a group interested in pottery might need guidance on where to start before progressing to advanced techniques.

?? Secretary

Managing the logistics of meetups, communications, and member engagement can be daunting. AI can organize meetings, optimize attendance, take notes, share summaries, and communicate with each member individually and simultaneously to increase the community’s efficiency.

?? Source of information

AI tools can search, filter, categorize, and summarize information efficiently. Communities can use this to strengthen their knowledge, settle debates, and fuel ongoing learning.

?? Community manager

AI can manage social media, outbound communication, and daily interactions with a broader audience, attracting more potential members to enrich the conversations.

?? Gold standard

Though not specifically related to generative AI, certain tools can set high benchmarks, like the tool-assisted speedruns (TAS) that provide the perfect achievable score in a video game, motivating members to improve and reach new heights.

Forming learning communities doesn’t negate the importance of traditional teaching or expertise, even with the use of AI. Experts remain a valuable resource, but in a learner-driven model, goals and methods are set and adjusted by the learners, not structured around the experts’ knowledge and pedagogy.

?? What other roles can you think of for generative AI in the context of communities of learning? Please share your thoughts in the comments!