This is a unique site. We love to have new people join us, but we are very clear about what we expect from participants. Please review these guidelines carefully before contributing.

Our working hypothesis is that effective groups (online or offline) engage in at least four different practices on a regular basis.

[1] Individuals in the group invest the time necessary to reach consensus about which needs, questions, or challenges should be worked on next.

[2] The group quickly identifies new knowledge and skills that will help them meet the need, answer the question, or overcome the challenge.

[3] Individuals in the group seek out or create new models for that inspire them to meet their goals.

[4] Individuals in the group experiment with these different models and apply them to create tangible, meaningful results.

[5] Individuals in the group generously share with others what they are learning from their experiences.

This network welcomes all individuals who are engaged in designing effective group learning, but we are particularly interested in educators, trainers, etc. who have models to share and real-world experiences demonstrating how they successfully leveraged the power of the group. We ask that when possible these models be shared via video clips, slideshows, or images accompanied by descriptions of the group strategy, activity, lesson plan, or project.

In other words, this is a place for concrete ideas on how to maximize group learning in a variety of different contexts. Please respect how the forum is structured and tag all of your entries so that visitors can easily find what they are looking for.

Unlike the Forum, Study groups can be used for less structured discussion. Feel free to create a Study Group on any topic, hopefully group-learning related. We'd love it if most group discussions were left open to the public.

Your personal blog, of course, is for you. This is the place for marketing yourself, your services, or pontificating about topics related to group learning or education in general. Please keep the forum clear of any personal or non-professional references. The forum is a place for specific questions, concrete ideas, personal experiences, and careful reflection about those experiences.

Thank you for contributing your ideas and experiences to this network. Enjoy!