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Conference on Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development

SLERD 2018 2018: The Interplay of Data, Technology, Place and People for Smart Learning pp 23–32Cite as

When Smartness of a Participatory Learning Ecosystem Should Not Be Interpreted as Mediation by Technology: Case-Study of Golbaf Town, Iran

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Part of the Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies book series (SIST,volume 95)

Abstract

Sustainable development is coined with ongoing social learning processes. As part of a sustainable regional development project in Golbaf town, Iran, development of a participatory community-based learning ecosystem (social learning) was soon found to be a requisite. This in turn was seen to be hampered by lack of social capitals, namely trust, self-confidence and participatoriness.

The interim results of the project indicate the followings as a way towards smartness (survivability) of a participatory learning ecosystem in developing contexts where mistrust, inactiveness and lack of confidence prevail: (1) Facilitating rather than doing by conveners, (2) learning by doing by citizens, and (3) gradual trust formation. It also questions suitability and survivability of highly technology-mediated learning ecosystems in such cases characterised by mistrust and lack of confidence.

The results suggest a progressive approach towards mediation of technologies. In fact, above socio-cultural barriers required us to proceed face-to-face for the regeneration of social capital in order to make the newly-born learning ecosystem survivable and embeddable by time.

Keywords

  • Sustainable development
  • Participatory community-based learning ecosystem
  • Mistrust
  • Lack of self-confidence

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Research Institute for Science, Technology, and Industry Policy (RISTIP), Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Maleki, Najmoddin Yazdi, Milad Jalalvand & Seyed Reza Tabibzade

Authors
  1. Ali Maleki
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  2. Najmoddin Yazdi
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  3. Milad Jalalvand
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  4. Seyed Reza Tabibzade
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Najmoddin Yazdi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, Design, and Media Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Hendrik Knoche

  2. Computers and Information Technology Department, University of Craiova, Craiova, Dolj, Romania

    Elvira Popescu

  3. Viale dell’Università - Rettorato - (Campus Universitario) Loc., Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Folcara, Italy

    Antonio Cartelli

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Maleki, A., Yazdi, N., Jalalvand, M., Tabibzade, S.R. (2019). When Smartness of a Participatory Learning Ecosystem Should Not Be Interpreted as Mediation by Technology: Case-Study of Golbaf Town, Iran. In: Knoche, H., Popescu, E., Cartelli, A. (eds) The Interplay of Data, Technology, Place and People for Smart Learning. SLERD 2018 2018. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 95. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92022-1_3

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