Cyworld is my world: Korean adult experiences in an online community for learning

Abstract

This article introduces Cyworld, a popular online social networking service in South Korea, and explores it as a potential context in which informal learning occurs through social activities and communication. Based on the results of an online survey, this article discusses (a) the nature of social activities in Cyworld in terms of informal adult learning, (b) user perception of online activities in relation to learning, and (c) the relationship between the users' perception of the online activities and their definitions of learning (i.e., learning as acquisition or as reflection). The article concludes that Cyworld appears to be a meaningful context that facilitates informal learning, and that users who emphasise a meaning-making process for learning perceive that mini-homepage activities are both learning-related and constructive.