New Horizons for Learning's open learning community on the Internet is called the Building - more a verb than a noun, as it continues to grow daily. It is the primary communication vehicle for a non-profit international education network. As an Internet site, built along the same principles as a building or house, it can be visited, consulted and interacted with to:
-act as a catalyst for change in education;
-identify, synthesise and communicate relevant research and information on effective teaching and learning practices, support an expanded vision of learning that identifies and fosters the fullest development of human capacities
-support implementation of proven strategies for learning at every age and ability level
-build support for comprehensive life-long learning communities.
The Building contains a journal with contributions from around the world. This is hyperlinked to user-friendly categorised resources in the Building and on the Internet. Entrance to the Building is through a lobby which leads to the Web Travel Agency, a Reading Room and to an elevator to reach the different floors. It contains 11 floors which include some of the following:
-The Cornerstone and Foundations, which provide the philosophical base
- The Tool Room, with some well-documented teaching and learning practices, their source and origin, a description, where it has been applied, what results it has obtained, where to get further information and a bibliography and other resources
- Resource Library and Databases
- New Horizons Journal and Publications
- Learning in Business and Industry
- Parents and Families, Early Learning
- International Education News
- Recreation Centre which includes a Gymnasium with information
on ways to keep fit
- Adolescent centre
- The Brain Lab
- Multicultural Education
- Restructuring Education, focused on the school years
- Technology in Education
- Observation Deck with inspiring ideas and new resources and
futuristic concepts
Various individuals, organisations, universities and an International
Advisory Board collaborate with the Building. The Building does
not have on-line discussion groups, as participants found them
cumbersome, repetitive and difficult to keep up with; so instead,
new ways of communicating between individuals are being sought
as a way of increasing the participation of members of an open
learning community. Participants currently communicate via e-mail,
which is offered in nearly every area of the Building. Software
connected to the site details who comes in everyday, from where
and what they print out. As a result, the organisers are able
to know that educators, school administrators, business people,
parents, policy-makers, researchers and consultants from around
the world visit the site, print out large numbers of documents,
sending back responses via e-mail and providing new information,
including articles and other resources. This active participation
is encouraged. At present, the Building is able to reach twenty
times more people than via its previous quarterly newsletter.