Creating group spaces in the VLN
Anyone who has signed up to the VLN, can create a group.
Currently, there are 550 groups across the VLN covering a wider range of educative needs. Some groups have a few members, others have more. Some are active, several are dormant and some are featured groups.
Having a designated space in the VLN offers blended opportunities for:
- Communication, collaboration, feedback, contribution and participation
- Connectiveness and desiloing of practice
- Flexible ways to learn, to create and share learning
Before you create a new group, you might like to clarify the intention, purpose, audience and maintenance of this group. You might also like to focus on learning you want to create within the space. Some guiding questions include:
I want a group space for access and motivation: 
- for like-minded colleagues interested in a particular focus area
- for tasks such as:
- > sharing a calendar.
- > sending alerts/messages to group members
- > uploading files
- > bookmarking links
I want a group space for networking online: 
- to ask/answer questions
- respond to individual or common needs
I want a group space to exchange information:
- to share/access resources, readings, links, stories, exemplars, research
- provide clarification
I want a group space for knowledge construction: 
- to debate, discuss and collaborate about complex, trending issues
- to co-construct, collaborate and build new knowledge
I want a group space for learning and reflection:
- to encourage peer mediation/reflection on practice
- to mentor inquiries/trials
IMPORTANT: It is important to note, that with any group created:
- Find out if similar groups already exist. You don't want to double-up.
- Someone needs to take ownership of maintaining/facilitating the group
- The group's description on the landing page needs to reflect the group's original intention
- The group look/feel/tone/language needs to be appropriate to the group's original intention and meet the Terms and Conditions of the VLN.
You will need to think about the sustainability of your group. For example, it is possible to transfer ownership of your group to someone else.
Also important to remember: that some of the featured/popular groups have many members, therefore statistically, you're more likely to engage with other community members in the larger groups. It may be that your group is designed for a more localised/focused purpose - and that's ok too.
For more on how to set up groups in the VLN, view this video from Enabling e-Learning on Vimeo.
For all other tips, find out more about Getting Started on the VLN and for specific requests for help, go to VLN Help or you can contact Karen Melhuish Spencer, Tessa Gray & Catriona Pene.
Images sourced from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
