Profile of a Learning Community: The Daring Bakers

This virtual learning community is not connected to any formal learning organization, such as a college or university, and many of the members are rank amateurs, yet their achievements are often as impressive as those of professionals or students undergoing formal training. The members are scattered across the globe, disconnected geographically, yet brought together by common interests and using technology to connect with each other.

The common interests: baking and blogging. They call themselves The Daring Bakers.

Founded by Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and Lisa of La Mia Cucina, the members help each other to broaden their baking skills through monthly challenges. This is not a contest and there are no prizes for best of anything, just dedicated bakers testing their mettle, learning new techniques, and sharing what they’ve learned through their personal blogs. The model seems to be working because the group is growing by leaps and bounds. For the September challenge, there were over 100 participants, and 80 new members have joined for October.

As a relatively new member of The Daring Bakers, I have enjoyed the virtual camaraderie of the group and the opportunity to learn from the other members. I joined the group in July 2007 and was immediately struck by the level of support that the members provide for each other, and I wanted to learn more about how the Daring Bakers got started and how the founders decided to manage this informal virtual learning community. Ivonne and Lisa were more than happy to answer my questions, and the members shared their thoughts as well.

This is the text of the interview with Ivonne and Lisa, followed by supporting questions for and comments from the members. Read more