Developing a Community of Learning through the 4 Cs Model: Context, Contingency, Collaborative Learning and Contribution

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has engendered change in the ways universities approach teaching and learning. In many respects, much of the change that has taken place in the past few years was already in place but accelerated by the exigencies of the emergency. In particular, digital technology has been viewed by many within Higher Education as a pragmatic way of delivering the curriculum to students. Such a view fails to appreciate the opportunities presented not just using digital technology but also through new approaches to teaching and learning and the empowerment of students as learners. This paper reports on a Foundation Programme in Business and Management that sought to develop a student-driven community of learning through the use of digital technology. The application of Flipgrid, Padlet and Google Slides engaged students in an exercise that built community identity and a sense of belonging whilst developing new skills. This paper summarises this approach in terms of the 4 Cs model of Context, Contingency, Collaborative learning, and Contribution.