Abstract:

The Invisible Colleges, that stem from the small groups of learned individuals from the 17th century, who came together for no other reason than to explore, exchange, and document each other’s knowledge, became fundamental pillars of that century’s Scientific Revolution. With time, these groups became absorbed and institutionalized into what we now know as the structure of modern science in a myriad of representative institutions of higher education and research. The emergence of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) has brought about the possibility of the formation of virtual communities, as virtual invisible colleges. Taking Carolyn Wagner’s definition of the new invisible colleges as a base conceptual framework, this paper presents the experience of one such group of public university academics spread all over Mexico, who regularly meet at a learning institution located in the northwestern mountain region of Mexico. Equipped with powerful ICTs, they advise students working for undergraduate and graduate degrees, in the solution of felt problems of the students’ communities. The paper examines this unique group’s learning and research methodology, with the aim of disseminating its innovative approach.

Keywords:

Invisible colleges, modern science, ICTs, virtual communities, learning innovation.