This Visitor, Resident distinction is useful when considering which technologies to provide for online learners. For example if your learners are mainly Visitors they are unlikely to take advantage of any feed based system for aggregated information you may put in place. They are also unlikely to blog or comment as part of a course.

We have learned that Critical Friendship, an essential ingredient for learning communities, is best achieved through providing deliberate time and structures to promote adult growth that is directly linked to student learning.

However I think “choose your own topic” can be very difficult for students who have spent years being fed criteria checklist style assignments.

The teachers that are facilitating these spaces are as new to social networking as the students.