Connected learning

Connected learning is a type of learning in which a young person pursues a personal interest with friends and adults. Their learning is linked to academic achievements, career success, or civic engagement. Their approach leverages new media to broaden access to opportunities and meaningful learning experiences. The connected learning model suggests that youth learn best when they are interested in what they are learning; they have peers and mentors who share these interests, and their learnings are directed toward opportunity and recognition. According to the proponents of connected learning, social support for interest-driven learning and connections drive individual learning outcomes. Platforms that support connected learning are generally characterized as having a sense of shared purpose, a focus on production, and openly networked infrastructures.