Ito, Mizuko, Kris Gutiérrez, Sonia Livingstone, Bill Penuel, Jean Rhodes, Katie Salen, Juliet Schor, Julian Sefton-Green, S. Craig Watkins. 2013. Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design. Irvine, CA: Digital Media and Learning Research Hub.
Connected learning knits together three crucial contexts for learning:
Peer-supported: In their everyday exchanges with peers and friends, young people are contributing, sharing and giving feedback in inclusive social experiences that are fluid and highly engaging.
Interest-powered: When a subject is personally interesting and relevant, learners achieve much higher-order learning outcomes. Academically oriented: Learners flourish and realize their potential when they can connect their interests and social engagement to academic studies, civic engagement, and career opportunity. Core properties of connected learning experiences include:
Production-centered Digital tools provide opportunities for producing and creating a wide variety of media, knowledge, and cultural content in experimental and active ways.
Shared purpose Social media and web-based communities provide unprecedented opportunities for cross-generational and cross-cultural learning and connection to unfold and thrive around common goals and interests.
Openly networked Online platforms and digital tools can make learning resources abundant, accessible, and visible across all learner settings. (Ito 12)