Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Facebook’s Developer Circles Draws Social and Online Learning Community Worldwide

Facebook last week at its F8 developer conference unveiled a program that aims to connect developers around the world and foster collaboration in computer science.

The new Developer Circles from Facebook program is free, community-driven and designed to create locally organized communities for developers, according to a company blog post. Local circles are run by “circle leads” who organize meetups, hackathons and other events and help promote events online. (Circle leads are selected by Facebook via application, but are not sponsored by Facebook in any way.) Membership is open to developers with varying experience and expertise, ranging from industry professionals to college students.

Aside from in-person events, members can “share knowledge, collaborate, build new ideas and learn about the latest technologies from Facebook and other industry leaders” in their designated Facebook Groups online, the blog post states. The program is in its early stages, but Facebook has already started piloting features in Facebook Groups like subject-specific “social learning units composed of sequential trainings,” the blog post states. Facebook partnered with online learning company Udacity to launch training programs that are tailored to the Developer Circles community, like classes on how to create a seamless user experience for mobile apps, for example.

Developer Circles is now available globally, with more than 20 active chapters already launched across Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, according to the program FAQ. Interested individuals can find a circle nearby or start their own.

Learn more by watching the video below or visit the program site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Blurred silhouettes of business people in a modern office with a glowing blue network overlay

    Open Secure AI Alliance Moves to Linux Foundation

    The Open Secure AI Alliance has moved under the Linux Foundation, giving the initiative what the organizations describe as a neutral home for developing open source tools, shared standards and defensive practices. The Alliance was launched by NVIDIA in July to develop open security technologies for AI systems and agents.

  • Digital Screen with young woman using a virtual reality headset

    Montclair State U Partners with Dreamscape Learn on New VR Facility

    New Jersey's Montclair State University has announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • closeup of hands using smart phone

    Learning Continuity Built into the LMS Withstands Cloud or Cybersecurity Interruptions

    When your institution's administrative or instructional capabilities face disruption from natural, technical, or malicious events, what measures does your LMS offer to provide a "business as usual" operating and learning environment? Instructure's Ryan Lufkin comments on the LMS and learning continuity.

  • artificial intelligence on laptop

    OpenAI to Combine AI Products into Desktop 'Superapp'

    OpenAI is reportedly developing a desktop application that would combine several of its emerging AI products into a single platform, according to reports, marking the latest step in the company's effort to transform ChatGPT from a standalone chatbot into a broader productivity and automation environment.