Institutions often keep communities/LMS alive because they have to – they are the lifeblood of the school, college, or business. Educators, from the little bit of research I’ve done, are seeming to find value primarily in sharing learning materials, networking with other teachers to share teaching tips/hints, having a professional/easy to setup web presence, and making money.

Learners are an entirely different category with a bunch of subcategories. These are very broad sub-categories, but they begin to hint at the value these groups might be looking for.
-lifelong learners – want to learn new skills and keep their minds young.
-test-prep – a place to encourage each other and find study materials to pass the GMAT, LSAT, GRE etc.
-students – K-12 and college – ability to form study groups
-homeschoolers – place to connect, share curriculum and share teaching responsibilities amongst parents.

I’m really enjoying this discussion. Thanks for posting on it. I plan on writing a bit more on our company blog on this issue.

Institutions often keep communities/LMS alive because they have to – they are the lifeblood of the school, college, or business. Educators, from the little bit of research I’ve done, are seeming to find value primarily in sharing learning materials, networking with other teachers to share teaching tips/hints, having a professional/easy to setup web presence, and making money.

Learners are an entirely different category with a bunch of subcategories. These are very broad sub-categories, but they begin to hint at the value these groups might be looking for.
-lifelong learners – want to learn new skills and keep their minds young.
-test-prep – a place to encourage each other and find study materials to pass the GMAT, LSAT, GRE etc.
-students – K-12 and college – ability to form study groups
-homeschoolers – place to connect, share curriculum and share teaching responsibilities amongst parents.

I’m really enjoying this discussion. Thanks for posting on it. I plan on writing a bit more on our company blog on this issue.

I think the value the community brings to individual members is as important as the value of the content itself.

I think the value the community brings to individual members is as important as the value of the content itself.

So, when I’m writing about this topic in this blog, I’m making sure I attribute information, keep things in the right context, not change information (vs. just making meaning which of course is OK). RE: transparency…it’s being able to say I don’t have the answers, this hasn’t worked for me (and here’s why), etc.

(BTW…I totally agree that this is crucial…no one likes BS, blather, etc.)

So, when I’m writing about this topic in this blog, I’m making sure I attribute information, keep things in the right context, not change information (vs. just making meaning which of course is OK). RE: transparency…it’s being able to say I don’t have the answers, this hasn’t worked for me (and here’s why), etc.

(BTW…I totally agree that this is crucial…no one likes BS, blather, etc.)

Take that TRDEV listserv. Some members found value in the advice posted by certain people who were expert (or experienced) in some topic. Some members found value in being able to ask questions. Some members found value in being able to share their opinion, experience, or expertise. Some members found value in being able to read or participant in discussions (or threads with disagreements) because the discussion added to the reader’s knowledge.

Not all members of the list shared all of these values, and not all members would give the same weight to any one value. But on the average, enough members as individuals (a) shared enough of the values with some other members and (b) found sufficient value for themselves, to remain. (That explains why “lurk” is not necessarily a four-letter word.)

Take that TRDEV listserv. Some members found value in the advice posted by certain people who were expert (or experienced) in some topic. Some members found value in being able to ask questions. Some members found value in being able to share their opinion, experience, or expertise. Some members found value in being able to read or participant in discussions (or threads with disagreements) because the discussion added to the reader’s knowledge.

Not all members of the list shared all of these values, and not all members would give the same weight to any one value. But on the average, enough members as individuals (a) shared enough of the values with some other members and (b) found sufficient value for themselves, to remain. (That explains why “lurk” is not necessarily a four-letter word.)

One thing I might add: Authenticity or genuineness. The person leading or focusing the community should bring a sense of authenticity. He/she should be genuine — truly behind the community and sincerely interested in its success. And authentically passionate about it. Is this the same as being “transparent?”