Steph's E-learning and Digital Cultures site » bund http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/stephaniec part of the MSc in E-learning at the University of Edinburgh Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:05:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 edc’bund’MOOC http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/stephaniec/2013/02/23/edcbundmooc/ http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/stephaniec/2013/02/23/edcbundmooc/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 09:53:58 +0000 Steph Carr http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/stephaniec/?p=180 Bell (p.107) appears to be in agreement with Kevin Hetherington’s suggestion that ‘community’ is an outdated vague term, and that perhaps we should revisit the erstwhile sociological notion of Bund. Hetherington notes Freund’s (unenthusiastic) view of Bund as ‘a place for the expression of enthusiasms, of ferment, of unusual doings’. Bell, furthermore, suggests that this notion may be useful to describe  online life and will help to circumnavigate the binary arguments about virtual communities. He adds further descriptors: elective grouping; affective and emotional solidarity; strong sense of belonging; charismatic governance (leader or collective).

So, does the edcMOOC fulfill these criteria? Let’s take a quick and dirty look!!

…ENTHUSIASMS/ELECTIVE GROUPINGS 

From all over the world!

 

…FERMENT

Sian’s challenge to the sentimental campus

…AFFECTIVE AND EMOTIONAL SOLIDARITY

…STRONG SENSE OF BELONGING

…CHARISMATIC GOVERNANCE

Check out our charismatic cyberpunk leaders (all of them appearing to be jacked in to the MOOC uploading their consciousness via white headphone/mic combos :-) ).

…UNUSUAL DOINGS 

Many, many (fabulous) unusual doings. Here, here and here  for instance.

Conclusion: Criteria fulfilled :-)

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