Welcome to Online Learning Circles!

Learning circles is a structured form of collaboration that balances the value
of individual ownership with collective responsibility for accomplishing shared
learning goals. Learning circles have been used effectively in educational
settings with students of all ages as well in professional development
contexts with adults.  This site is devoted to helping others understand
what online learning circles share in common across all of these settings.

The learning circle model is described in terms of critical features and
norms for circle interaction.  Working in learning circles takes place over a set of phases and
these are described in more detail with examples of  schedules from different types of learning
circles.

This online learning circle model has been used across almost three decades for different groups 
of participants for different purposes. These links will share some of the different ways in which
Learning Circles have been implemented.

•     Primary, Middle and Secondary School Learning Circles to promote Global Education
  
•     Professional Development Learning Circles for Teachers at IEARN
•     The Global Conversations - A Cross University Course for Study Abroad Program
  
•     Action Research Learning Circles at Pepperdine University Graduate School
  
•     Learning Circles for Researchers by American Evaluation Association

We invited other groups who are working in learning circles to also add these models to this site. 
To contribute to the site, you will need to join. Once you join, the site will become a wiki which
means you will be able to edit what is posed and add new pages to share your work.  Send
request to join to Margaret Riel.