Learner Engagement : an imagined community ?

Who would of thought that the Scotland's Colleges Conference would lead to a reflection on whether we are trying to create a sense of an active learner community based on modern notions of what it means to be a learner , within an institution dedicated to linear progress? What does engagement actually mean ? Who defines it ? Who sets the parameters?

Do our own narratives as learners , the language used , the shared symbols and rituals of learning, create a sense of 'a community of learning'. But is this an imagined community, best loved by the staff who identify with a representation of learning , democratic ideals and community involvement? I reflect on this as someone who loves the world cafe ideology, the sense of empowerment, the discursive nature of learner engagement. However, the students are not actively involved in my sense of community; my narrative. They have, as individuals and small groups found different ways to bring action, by-passing my sense of order, or more significantly my role as an agent for change.

Perhaps we need to let go of the strategy, stand back from order and control (God help me) and watch a pastiche of learner engagement evolve. Is it the outcomes that matter or our own narrative of learner engagement in the imagined community ?