Social capital: a framework for innovative learning and teaching?

We propose that social capital has potential in helping to create dynamic, interested and 'lean forward‘ thinkers in higher education. In the last twenty years the measures used to assess social capital in education have moved beyond achievement and attainment to include aspiration, engagement and motivation . Attendance, behaviour and commitment to education have also been used as successful indicators which suggests that educational innovations that promote these factors will see an increase in the equality of opportunity. For optimum development of social capital, it is proposed that a blend of bonding, bridging and linking connectivity is aspired to and we discuss how learning and teaching innovations at the research site can contribute to developing such connectivity. By creating dynamic collaborative experiences we are not only encouraging the students to take control over their education; we are also creating deep horizontal and vertical ties; in short developing social capital.