An online hub on a learning platform is a central space where learners, tutors, and experts can access resources, participate in discussions, and collaborate on learning activities. On atingi, the community hub or learning exchange is a digital community where atingi users can connect, access course materials, and engage in interactive learning experiences.
The community hub or learning exchange is an opportunity for partners to contribute additional value to the atingi learning ecosystem beyond an eLearning course. The hub promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing by allowing atingi users to connect with others who have similar interests or expertise, exchange ideas, and learn from each other's experiences. When designed as interactive learning spaces, the hub can be used to facilitate social learning through discussion, peer feedback, and collaborative problem-solving. Additionally, a well-maintained hub can be used to facilitate continuous learning and professional development by providing its members with access to ongoing learning opportunities and resources. In this way, they can stay updated on latest trends, best practices, and new developments in their field.
- Duration: Flexible duration allowing learners to interact with each other. Typically, a community hub must be maintained by a coordinator along with moderators
- Objective: Establish and cultivate communities, fostering stronger connections among community members
- Learning intention: Individual and group skill development, continuous learning and professional development, mentoring, coaching, or personalized and group learning goals
Click here to access the community hub template
The community hub or learning exchange template is pre-loaded with guidance, a structure, and recommended activities to support either a single open community or a community which supports smaller groups dedicated to specific topics. Special Interest Groups, or SIGs as they are commonly referred to on online platforms, are subgroups within a larger network or community that focus on specific topics, interests, or areas of expertise. These groups allow members with shared interests to connect, collaborate, and exchange knowledge in a more targeted and specialized manner. Based on the objective of your community, you will copy and use the template as you would for a course on atingi. As seen in previous templates, there are mandatory fields and settings that must be maintained for consistency across the atingi platform.
Now, let us look at the core elements for this template.
Community hubs differ from traditional self-paced eLearning courses in that they provide dynamic, interactive environments where atingi learners can engage with peers, access a variety of resources, and participate in discussions and collaborative activities. Unlike self-paced courses, the hub prioritizes community-building, knowledge-sharing, and networking opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and facilitating ongoing learning beyond structured coursework. This means offering and maintaining a space for continuous interaction and exploration. Below you will find a useful table to drive your decisions.
Recommended activities and resources
Here are some suggestions to build a vibrant community hub:
- Add a “database” activity to allow participants to upload, access, share, or comment on resources;
- Add a “forum” activity to provide for asynchronous communication, allowing community members to engage in discussions, share ideas, ask questions, and seek advice from peers;
- Add a “feedback” activity to conduct needs assessments and gather feedback from community members about their learning preferences, challenges, and areas of interest;
- Add the “Etherpad” activity available on atingi to enable real-time collaborative editing of documents, facilitating brainstorming sessions, collaborative note-taking, and co-authoring of documents among community members.