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Microculture of Learning Environments

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Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning
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Synonyms

Culture-within-a-culture; Subculture

Definition

Microculture of a learning environment includes a common set of shared norms, values, symbols, artifacts, practices, and discourse among a restrictive group of participants in a formal or informal learning setting, face-to-face or online. Comprising a network of meanings, a microculture equips its members with an understanding of what is regarded as acceptable behavior within their community of learners. This is established and communicated through the social and cultural norms of this microculture. Microcultures represent cultures-within-a culture of learning environments, where the members are influenced to a great extent by the norms of the surrounding overall culture (institutional context, e.g., their school) but also, are affected largely by the norms of their unique microculture of their particular community of learners.

Theoretical Background

Much of the research on microcultures of learning environments, in face-to-face...

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References

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Correspondence to Johanna Pöysä-Tarhonen .

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Pöysä-Tarhonen, J. (2012). Microculture of Learning Environments. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_964

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_964

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1427-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1428-6

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