Why might schools form a Learning Community Online?

There are many reasons for schools collaborating to form a LCO. A common reason in those that already exist is to extend the range of subject choices available to students at senior levels of the school. This was the main driver behind the establishment of the CANTAtech group of schools in 1994. It also underpinned the establishment of the OtagoNet group in 2001, although this group also sought to use the learning community to create opportunities for teachers to network and participate in professional development programmes. The Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mätauranga (KAWM) network has similar objectives for the students and teachers in Maori boarding schools, wharekura, and Ngati Porou East Coast schools. In each case, the primary motivation is to share resources, both staff and physical, across a number of schools, to make best use of what is available, with the ultimate goal of providing better educational opportunities for the students in these schools.