S+Wood+-+Learning+Context+of+Change

**Evaluation of the learning context of the change in the case of my action research project:**
Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Behaviorist Theory states that through observation, imitation, and modeling people learn from one another. Even those who appear to work or learn in a solitary fashion are still in fact connected to others through books, the Internet or previous observation. According to Gladwell in his book the “Outliers”, upon closer scrutiny he says successful people “are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” With that said, from the stand point of Bandura’s behaviorist theory and Gladwell’s observation of “hidden advantages” one of richest ways to learn appears to be with others. Collaborative learning may open up the opportunity to find “hidden advantages.” The focus of my action research project is, “how does one start a group of collaborative learners and how does one keep the group together?

**What learning will need to take place and by whom?:**
Learning community participants will be learning and sharing knowledge about what it will take to start a non-traditional assisted living/nursing home care facility? Each member will find and share information in regards to such questions as:


 * What is the contact information for the governing and/or regulatory organizations that license and oversee assisted living/nursing home facilities?
 * What law regulates the requirement of 55 and older communities?
 * Is there a legal option that will allow for the blending of 55 and older communities with family members of various age groups for the purpose of keeping families together?
 * What are the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications for assisted living/nursing homecare facilities?
 * A compilation of studies and data that show the health effects of familial separation on the aging, invalid or the family at large.

**How will you address the learning needs and challenges?:**
This learning community will be comprised of voluntary participants. Therefore, I believe two primary challenges will be to keep people actively involved. Moreover, people have varied schedules and preferred methods of communication. In order to keep people actively involved, and to communicate with people in the mode and timeframe that best fits their needs, I plan to address and utilize the following:


 * In order to allow people to give their time when they can, I plan to collaborate asynchronously
 * Use a variety of web 2.0 tools to communicate and interact with people through the tool that gives them the greatest ease. Some participants and may collaborate with via phone or face to face
 * Collaborate and learn with people who have similar beliefs and values, and may have an interest in discovering how to bring this project to fruition
 * Plan a quarterly, bi-annual or annual social gathering for member to attend, bond, receive recognition, etc.
 * To provide the opportunity for prestigious membership to a group who learns collaboratively about how to improve the lives of people and effect social change
 * Take advantage of the “Wisdom of Crowds” concept discovered by Vernon Smiths when he used his classroom as a laboratory. According to Smith’s study (as cited by Surowiecki, 2004, p.107).), “people can be naïve, unsophisticated agents yet can coordinate themselves to achieve complex, mutually beneficial ends even if they’re not really sure, at the start, what those ends are or what it will take to accomplish them. As individuals they may not know where they are going. But as part of a market, they are suddenly able to get there and fast.”
 * My focus will remain on the people and the development of relationships

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