Three Spheres of Learning
“Connected learning is realized when a young person is able to pursue a personal interest or passion with the support of friends and caring adults, and is in turn able to link this learning and interest to academic achievement, career success or civic engagement.”
– Mimi Ito et al. in Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design
Teens’ learning occurs primarily in three different contexts, or spheres: their unique personal interests, their relationships, and their academic, work, or community settings. When the spheres are connected, teens’ quality of learning and engagement with learning increases.
| Interests | Learning opportunities are aligned with teens’ goals and motivations |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Teens build relationships by learning with and from other teens as well as adults |
| Opportunity | Building skills directed towards academic, civic, or economic achievement |
Learning that engages all of these spheres is learning teens want to do because it is aligned with their goals and benefits these important areas of their lives.
Connected Learning Explained
This is an excerpt from a longer talk. You can see the full 18-minute video on YouTube.
Worksheet #3: Self-Assessment Activity
As you read about the three spheres of learning in this section — interests, opportunity, and relationships — think about your library’s teen services and programs. How is each sphere present in the youth experience? How well do the learning experiences provided by your library incorporate the spheres of connected learning? Use Worksheet #3 to conduct your assessment.