Bromley by Bow Centre/Study Circles on Wikiversity/Study Circles

Study Circles on Wikiversity Back Introduction · Study Circles · What is Wikiversity · Getting Started · Useful Wikiversity links Next Learning by sharing Bromley by Bow Centre, Thursday 2nd February 2012

Study Circles

Study circles emerged towards the end of the nineteenth century as a popular method of developing self-education in a collective and democratic framework. They were generally linked social movements like temperance, social democracy or other aspects of the labour movement. They have remained popular particularly in Scandanavia.

Oscar Olsson (1877-1950)

”If someone tells you: ’This is exactly the way a study circle should look and this is the way it should work’ - You must answer him right in the face: you are a humbug, sir, a genuine humbug, sir!" Richard Sandler, first leader of the Workers' Educational Association

The Swedish experience

In Sweden the study circle is a mass phenomenon with about 2 million participants, however as many people participate in more than one circle, the actual number of individuals is substantially less. Research in Sweden has revealed the following characteristics of Study Circles:

1. Voluntary participation
2. Open access
3. Mixed ages
4. Self-organised
5. No examinations
6. Small groups (5 - 10)
7. Meet once a week (3hrs including breaks)
8. Facilitators need not be experts
9. Equal participation by all
10. No restrictions on area of studies
11. Can be linked to political, religious and social viewpoints

Development on Wikiversity

The development of Study Circles is currently being pioeneered on Wikiversity as part of the University of East London Social Enterprise BA being organised from the Bromley by Bow Centre Communiversity.

See also

• Working in small groups