Learning Communities

One of the major components of successful mentoring programs is the establishment of learning communities.

Learning communities established by mentoring relationships encourage collaboration, communication, and teamwork and provide on-going support in both technology and pedagogy for both mentors and mentees. A nurturing and supportive environment allows members in these learning communities to exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn together to accommodate individual learning styles.

A multidirectional faculty technology mentoring process in College of Education at Iowa State University is illustrated in the model below.

In this model, new knowledge is built on a socially dynamic learning environment where each group of people interacts with one another. Each individual shares beliefs, success, and even challenges arose from technology within a community of collaborative learners.

The structure of the mentoring communities is not linear or hierarchical. Instead, these communities are asymmetric and connected by interaction and collaboration.
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