Category Archives: Belonging

How a student’s association with a place and its community affects learning

Ritual in the learning environment

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Andrew Middleton

In this post I explore what is meant by ritual in relation to the teaching and learning experience and, as we reset our post-pandemic classrooms, why we should care. Given that there is little obligation to care, beyond a notion … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning, Belonging, Co-operative pedagogy, Learner Engagement, Learning Space and Place, Studio and Studio-based Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Between states: metaxis, connectedness and fluency

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Andrew Middleton

Learning, for me, often describes a state of being between. This betweenness may refer to ideas, knowledge and understanding, modalities, or spaces. In this post I examine the nuances of terminology used to describe these states; terminology that goes beyond … Continue reading →

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Lifewide learning domains: rich intersections or contested spaces

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Andrew Middleton

I noted in my previous post on mapping our learning that I would be engaging in the collaborative inquiry ‘Towards a Better Understanding of Our Own Learning Lives’ led by Norman Jackson, Rob Ward and Jenny Willis. I have just about … Continue reading →

Posted in Belonging, Digital Placemaking, Learner Engagement, Learning Space and Place, Personal & Professional Development Planning, Polycontextuality, Scholarship and Research, Social Media for Learning, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Revisting the 5Cs to discover value for different times

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Andrew Middleton

I have had an immense feeling of warmth and solidarity this evening as good thoughts and memories have been triggered by Sheila’s post on How Sheila Sees It ‘Bring your own device for learning or bringing learning to your device?’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning, Belonging, BYOD4L, Co-operative pedagogy, Creativity, Learning Space and Place, MELSIG, Smart Learning & BYOD, Social Media for Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Learning Spaces Iceberg

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

This infographic represents the complexity of learning space discourse and points to the experiential value of the ‘hidden depths’ where the space is least understood because it is least represented and least visible – who are the advocates for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning, Belonging, Digital Placemaking, Learning Space and Place, Media-enhanced learning, Smart Learning & BYOD, Social Media for Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Being part of something – having a sense of presence #activelearning

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

The idea of ‘being’ is about presence and is central to an active learning philosophy. It reflects two things: personal identity and social presence in the learning environment. Lehman and Conceicao (2010) describe this as ‘being there’ and ‘being together’. … Continue reading →

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Non-human actors and experience

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

I have touched on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) in a previous post and the challenging idea that many actors are non-human – they are therefore actors without the potential to intentionally affect change. Objects, ideas, and processes have a role and … Continue reading →

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The problem with communities… a consideration of alternatives

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

Why do I explore ideas like being, belonging and becoming in relation to networks, but I hardly talk about communities any more? In this post I will look at why networks and affinity spaces more than communities have come to … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning, Belonging, Co-operative pedagogy, Creativity, Digital Placemaking, Learner Engagement, Learning Space and Place, Studio and Studio-based Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Space, walking and non-verbal communications #activelearning

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

Learning walks are valuable conversational spaces. They tend to be non-confrontational and, for me, epitomise co-operative learning. Not only do they feel familiar spaces exemplifying a networked paradigm as people move naturally between small groups through the course of semi-structured … Continue reading →

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Learning Spaces twilight walk on #ActiveLearning on Thursday – join us! #SpaceTwalk2020 #ALN

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Andrew Middleton

This is a reminder that this Thursday from 4pm-6pm (UK) our Active Learning Network at Anglia Ruskin University is conducting a learning space walk (#SpaceTwalk2020) and we encourage you to join us from wherever you are – walking in parallel … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning, Belonging, Co-operative pedagogy, Learning Space and Place, Polycontextuality, Social Media for Learning, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment