This week, a book review — examining Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, and considering how the lessons she shares about designing meaningful gatherings might be applied to the ways we shape learning experiences.
We’ve been thinking a lot about the social contexts of learning, and how people come together to explore something in a directed way.
Learning with people is a foundational principle of Hyperlink, and a particular area of focus lately as we prepare for the initial beta launch of our social learning space, Hyperspace.
I enjoyed The Art of Gathering — about hosting good events, generally — so I thought it would be a great book to reexamine more specifically in the context of online learning groups!
I’ll highlight key lessons from the book:
- A gathering should have a purpose
- A gathering should be the right size
- A gathering should have a venue
- A gathering should be hosted with generous authority
- A gathering should “transport us to a temporary alternative world”
- A gathering should begin before it begins
- A gathering should be closed with care
…and for each, consider how they may be relevant to learning on the internet.
This is a long one — you can read the full post here:
Book Review: The Art of Gathering
Let us know what you think! At the bottom of the post, you can click to the forum for further discussion.
What books should we read next? We always appreciate suggestions, and soon will be looking to spin up some book clubs in Hyperspace… :)
—The Hyperlink Team