The document provides guidance on facilitating learning circles for young people to learn through the internet. A learning circle involves a group of 15 people who meet every two weeks for 6 months to discuss an e-course together and motivate each other. The facilitator helps set up a learning scheme based on participants' interests and available online resources. Participants then take turns creating explainer videos and slideshows about the topics to share their new knowledge and contribute to an online library for others. The goal is for participants to learn ICT skills while building up an educational community resource.

1. (first version) Manual – Learning
Circles
How to facilitate a group of young
people to learn through Internet?

2. Intro
Learning Circles
Learning circles deal about a specific theme: a group of 15 people who
follow the same e-course, and come together to discuss the
course, motivate each other. A trainer or teacher in the ICT centre can
facilitate the group.
Target group
15 youngsters 16 - 25 years
old
Time planning: a meeting of 3
hours every two weeks for 6
months.
(Optional for participants to
meet each other week)

3. Action plan for a learning circle
Steps 1)
Research the demands that are there within the
group about the specific topic (e.g. ICTeducation, entrepreneurship): What are their
personal or professional aims? The facilitator helps
out to get the questions to a realistic level: what is
there to find & where to find it! RuralWeb can be the
bridge between what the 'users' want and how to get
there.
Step 2)
A learning scheme can be set up according to
that, making use of what participants can find
on the internet about it; what they already
know and teach each other; the expertise and
materials of the facilitator and facilitating
organisation; support of RuralWeb team and
content.

4. Tip: If available – use
RuralWeb content
In case existed materials
from RuralWeb will be
used; participants can
comment, adjust and
improve the information.

5. Step 3)
Start the learning circle along the
programme that you developed with
input from the participants.

6. Tip: In a group you learn
from each other
Make use of peer group
activities, such as peer
training, experience sharing
and documentation (for
example using video
diaries, video filming and/or
community dialogues*).
*Barr Youth ICT Network has experience in this

7. Tip: One learns best by
doing!
Trainings will be rather
practical, than theoretical.
The assignments, homework
should be closely link to their
personal or professional aim.
E.g.: type an application letter; search for
one job that you like; find your dream
employer; talk with someone who already has
your dream job or company, etc.

8. Tip: One learns best by
trying and doing
him/herself!
The facilitator knows that to
help best, never take over (e.g.
the keyboard and mouse) but
instead show the participants
what to do, and then let them
do it themselves. (One learns from making
mistakes, and getting the chance to make mistakes!)

9. Step 4)
The next step is to create content for the RuralWeb
community about what you just learnt- Remember: One
learn best by explaining it to some else! - , such as:
Explainer videos
Explainer slide shares
A list of FAQs and answers; or
A list of links to relevant e-resources
The manuals how to make an explainer video and an
explainer slide share (including story telling) will give
participants a clear framework. The facilitator will guide
them further in making a slide share or 2-minute-video with creativity! - in which they explain a certain topic they
learnt about.
Every learning circle results in at least 15 videos or slide
shares (1 per participant or one per topic).
NB:
See RuralWeb for:
– manual explainer video
– Manual explainer slide share
and more!

10. Tip: Evaluate with the
group regularly
Regularly check with the
participants in a fun way, if the
learning circle still provides
them with what they want to
learn, or that their questions
might have changed.

11. Step 5)
Learning circles could also prepare an online meeting
with two or more learning circles together, sharing
experiences and questions on skype or a livestream like
ustream.com. We really want to make this interactive, so
that anyone can join the class to pose questions.

12. 1 Activity leading to 2 Results :
The participants learn working with ICT in the
meantime, and RuralWeb will grow the online
library. Content that comes from the learning
circles will be shared at Facebook and
Wikiversity, where everyone can share, adjust
and add on it. This will attract people around
the globe.

13. Made by RuralWeb
Inemarie Dekker, the Netherlands
www.facebook.com/inemarie.dekker
NB: this manual needs to be extended
Do you have comments, or anything that should really be in the manual too?!
Please share & let us know. RuralWeb is meant to be a co-creation from all
that we know together.
Or can you do a better job when it comes to design? You might help us to
make our videos, manuals and slide share look more nice!

14. Some more info:

15. Offline use
Want to copy the slide share to a flash drive or print the slideshare for offline
use? Press the ‘save’ button & get the Powerpoint document.