Sos Learning Networks

The decade of the seventies has witnessed the surfacing of nationwide interest in community-based informal education. Reflective of this trend is the existence of more than 200 free university community learning programs (Free University Network, 1980a) and the some 5,600 Department of Education sponsored community education programs (U. S. Department of Education, 1980). Paralleling this growing interest in life-long learning, both individuals and communities are seeking more control, more self-direction, and a greater sense of community (Toffler, 1980). For these and other reasons, the public appears ready to participate in practical, inexpensive, short-term learning experiences, particularly when given the opportunity to do so in an atmosphere that is self-directed and which fosters a sense of community. Attuned to this newly emerging psychological and social climate, the model of community education and development set forth in this paper is specifically designed to overcome several important limitations common to existing community education programs

Business · Knowledge management · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Computer Science