What is Social Learning Networks?

In this week's learning, I have access to a new concept, Social Learning Networks, and thus know many tools about it.

So, what is Social learning Networks? It seems to be easy to understand the concept by understanding words by words. Also, it has the following characteristics based on my understanding:

1. Collaboration Learning
2. Instructors as facilitators
3. Peer Learning
4. Communication
5. Sharing

Blackboard (Bb) is one of tool for Social Learning Networks, and I will use it as an example to explain those characteristics.

1. Students in Bb could use group discussion to collaborate on a task by communicating, sharing, and learning from each other.
2. Instructors, especially of online courses, upload reading materials, learning videos, assignments, and so on to create an learning context, to provide necessary materials, and establish norms. Also, instructors offer platforms (e.g., discussion board) for students to share, communicate, negotiate, and learn with each other. Therefore, instructors are more like facilitators than knowledge importer.
3. Through communicating and collaborating with peers, students understand, learn and apply.
4. Students could communicate with each other in both formal (e.g., discussion board and sending emails) and informal (e.g., using mobile or other social media) settings.
5. Students share not only other learning resources, but also their own understanding by asking and answering questions.