Community-Based Learning: The In-Thing in Online Learning Today

Community is a crazily popular word now, and I bet you must have heard it time and again. In fact, I
talked a little about it in my post last week. I’ll be shedding more light on that today; why you should
consider community learning as a student or a professional seeking career growth. So, here we go! 🐱‍🏍

But first, what is community?

A Wise Man Once Said
A King I know once said, “Community is a survival need. Having a community is a blessing.”. You may
know him. His name is Salem King, a Digital Creator who is passionate about storytelling and building the African Creator economy. He is known to be one of the kings of community building in Africa, so you bet he knows his onions. His book, “CommYOUnity” is such an eye-opener on the importance of finding your own tribe and nurturing it.

No Soldier Ever Went to Battle Alone
Imagine being a soldier and going to war as a lone ranger; no one to cover your back and fight alongside you. It’s just you and your foes. They charge at you and you’re out- finished! before you’re even afforded the chance of throwing the first punch.
Travelling through life alone is just like that. There’ll be no one to cheer, hold your hand and keep
pushing you in the right path when you’ve forgotten why you started the journey. When the foes
(challenges) come at you, you’ll have no shoulder to lean on. One of those many journeys in life that you can’t do on your own is learning. *Alexa, play Asake’s Lonely at the top
Think about it; maybe you started your educational sojourn in daycare (as a butter pikin). There, you
weren’t alone. You had fellow little humans who could share in your joy whenever there was a new toy to play with. Or was it when you were in nursery? Being away from your parents and siblings was less scary because you made a friend or two. You went on to primary school, then high school where you had classmates who could put you through a tough lesson.

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CYBERSECURITY OPPORTUNITIES 

Study Groups = Fun Learning
I remember moving with my family from one state to another when I was in JSS3. I struggled with some classes in this new school because certain subjects weren’t taught in my previous school. I mean, why was I learning Music when I didn’t sign up to be Beethoven’s replacement? I sought help from a friend who was good at it, and would you know that I scored 5 out of 5 in the next classwork? Transcription and Transposition didn’t seem so scary anymore. I was beyond excited and grateful to my friend.
I have a number of instances like that where learning with a friend made classes easier and more
enjoyable, and I bet you have too. Even if you were homeschooled and didn’t have friends helping you, you had your parents. It was never a lone affair. In Uni, I joined a study group that made learning fun. We bonded over a common goal- acing our tests and exams and emerging with good grades. We cheered each other on while at it, shared and ate kelewele* together when we were hungry and shared a joke or two when we needed to take our minds off studying. We were building a community without even knowing it.

Why Community-Based Learning is a Survival Need

• Sharing Resources: Imagine the wealth of information at your fingertips when you have
  someone else on the same learning path as you. Have a question? Someone in your learning
  circle probably has the answer. Need extra materials or study tips? Just ask your learning pals,
  and I bet they’ll be happy to assist. It’s like having a library of expertise accessible within your
  learning community.

• Enlightening Conversations: Learning isn’t a one-way street. One of the most beautiful things
  about community learning is that you get to engage in intriguing chats that open your mind to
  various viewpoints and ‘aha’ moments. Learning should be a collaborative and engaging
  experience where you and your buddies have the opportunity to exchange ideas and perspectives. Your conversations could involve debating concepts or sharing personal insights
  on various topics relevant to the community’s learning objectives.
• Building Accountability: Remember that assignment you’ve been postponing? Or that topic
  you’re yet to study because social media seems to get the best of you? Sharing your progress
  with your gang ensures you stick to your learning goals. The friendly nudge you get from your
  tribe can be a total game-changer for you.
  Here’s how it works; you and your pals create a system where you have weekly and monthly
  learning goals. Each of you is responsible for updating the others with your progress and actions and checking in with the others to know how far they’ve come with their goals. It gives each of you a sense of responsibility, helps you stay committed and overcome procrastination.
• Growing Your Network: Within your learning community, you’re likely to encounter individuals
  with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Engaging with them allows you to
  broaden your horizons and gain exposure to different ideas and mindsets. You get to build
  valuable connections and foster opportunities that can impact your educational and
  professional journey. Within your community, you might stumble upon fantastic opportunities; from finding a collaborator on a project, to finding a mentor, or even landing your dream job.

These and many more are the reasons why at Certifications by Unify, we are developing Cohort-based and Community-driven learning and are committed to building Africa’s largest learning community. This is why we also have a virtual community that is designed to help graduates, Corp members and entry-level professionals in navigating their career journeys.
Speaking of which, we had the most amazing virtual hangout last week! We called it, “How Na?”.
Interesting name, I know right? Community members had the chance to mingle with each other and
connect with top recruitment experts. We laughed, shared stories about career struggles, sent virtual
hugs and received insight to help guide us in whatever phase of our careers we were. It was awesome! Peep a few words of wisdom we gleaned from our speakers.
*Include pictures of speakers’ quotes.
There’s more from where that came from. You’ll find plenty of such value in our community. There, you
can ask questions, share ideas and even find partners to collaborate with. To stay updated on all the
juice we’ve stored in our value-jug (a jug from which we pour out value😃), please click here:
bit.ly/JoinTheGradHQ
Can’t wait to see you in the community🤗. I’m certain you’ll find your tribe of like-minded learners
and collaborators.
And I hope that as you journey through life, you find a bunch of fellow explorers on the same quest as
you; people who are just as passionate about the journey as you are🙂
Do you have a tribe of like-minded individuals you already are journeying with? What’s it like? Fun?
Engaging? Mind sharing a thing or two about what having your own tribe has taught you?
If you’re passionate about bringing people together, fostering meaningful connections and nurturing
value-driven relationships, you might want to explore a profession in Community Management. A career in Community Management provides the chance to make a positive impact whilst developing valuable skills. Also, with organizations increasingly recognizing the importance of Community Management in building brand loyalty and advocacy, the demand for Community Managers continues to grow, offering job security. And oh, I should say this, there is enough schmoney in it too 🤫

Glossary
*Kelewele – A popular Ghanaian dish of fried plantain seasoned with spices, and sometimes eaten with groundnuts.
*Pikin – meaning ‘child’ in pidgin English