Residual Learning Communities

Brian Mathews interviewed another faculty member at Virginia Tech about his use of Google Glass and his intention to use Google folders to establish residual learning communities . He quotes Ralph Hall on the concept of residual learning communities:

My vision is that once a student takes my course, she/he never leaves. It may take a while for the concept to take root, but I believe that students will like the idea of having a lifelong intellectual connection to their university. As they progress through their professional careers, my hope is that they re-engage with the course when they have something to contribute. This is actually a key point, students can disengage and re-engage by simply deciding whether to open a folder on their computer or look at what’s happening on the Google+ community. (Ralph Hall, 2014)

My thought is that lifelong mentors have been a reality in academic careers for thousands of years, so this concept involves new technology enabling distance relationships.

-DD