Building a Community of Practice in an Online Learning Environment
- 1. Building a Community of practice in an online Learning environment Dr. Lynne Young RN PhD University of Victoria Betty Poag RN, MN (c), BSN
- 2. Overview of PresentatIon • Overview of UVic School of Nursing Master’s Program • Definition and principles of Teacher-centred vs Learner- centred education • Community of Practice (CoP) vs Community of Inquiry (CoI) • Elements of Effective CoP • Case Analysis • Activity • Summary • Questions
- 3. Uvic School of Nursing MN Program Description • Master of Nursing Program • Nurse Educator • Advanced Practice Nursing • Nursing and Health Information Science • Nurse Practitioner • Mature practicing nurses • Program delivered entirely online
- 4. On-Line Learning: Teacher- or Learner- CentEred? • Do on-line course platforms lend well to teacher- or learner-centred teaching? • Does the culture of on-line university teaching guide a course designer to teacher- or learner-centered teaching? • How can on-line courses be designed to be learner- centred?
- 5. Teacher-centred • Knowledge is transmitted to passive listeners/students who receive the knowledge • Focus is on ensuring learners acquire knowledge • Emphasis is on students knowing ‘right’ answers • Teaching and evaluation of learning are separate • Educator is the main knowledge/information giver and evaluator
- 6. Learner-centred • Students construct knowledge (Constructivism) • Focus on use and communication of knowledge to explore questions, issues, problems, in real-life contexts • Emphasis in on learning from confronting problems and issues to develop skills of inquiry and exploration • Teaching and evaluating are integrated throughout and student and teacher together evaluate learning • (See Dewey, 1963/38;Young and Paterson, 2007) Image retrieved from: www.constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com
- 8. Co-Learning a stRategy for learner- centred teaching • Vygotsky (1978) posits that individual development occurs by way of social interaction, that is social constructivism • Noddings (1998) inspired by social constructivism speaks of cooperative learning • Social constructivist cooperative learning posits that it is through interaction that we learn the basic questions of reflective inquiry.
- 9. Social Constructivist Cooperative Learning • Basic questions of social constructivist cooperative learning are: • How did I arrive at this? • Does it work? • What is it useful for? • How can I be sure? • How can I explain this to others? • Are there viable alternatives? • How do others perceive my views? • Noddings, 1998, p 132
- 10. Community of Inquiry • “group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding” (Garrison, 2007, p. 2). • Three elements required for development of a Community of Inquiry (CoI) • Cognitive Presence • Social Presence • Teaching Presence
- 11. Community of Inquiry Garrison and Arbaugh 2007
- 13. Community of practice • Is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who come together on an ongoing basis (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002) • Three components necessary for a CoP: • A shared domain • A community • A common practice
- 14. Components of Effective Community of Practice • Identify Purpose: focused and well defined purpose, goals, and vision (Cambridge, Kaplan, & Suter, 2005; Wenger, 2002) • Determine Domain: what are the boundaries of the domain and issues of interest? (Wenger, 2002) • Identify a Facilitator: key to success of CoP (Wenger, 2002; Andrew, et al., 2009)
- 15. Components of Effective Community of Practice • Build Relationships: engage in activities to build trust, respect and commitment (Cambridge, Kaplan, & Suter, 2005) • Clear Action Plan: keep members engaged through regular communication and activities (Wenger, 2002) • Create a Space: regular events and ‘place’ for CoP information, activities, history • Find ideas worth sharing: CoP discover the knowledge most important to the group (Wenger, 2002)
- 16. Background Master of Nursing On-line Program… • Diverse group of students • Face-to-face on campus 4-day program orientation • ‘Social’ activities
- 17. issues • Challenge of building and sustaining an engaged community of learners • Differing experience and knowledge levels among students • Fully on-line program • Many students working while engaged in course-work
- 18. Facilitators • Orientation enabled initial relationship development • Program highly student-centred • Highly motivated learners • Skilled educators
- 19. Betty’s Experience Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/89697726@N08/14420730443/">through the lens 2012</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
- 20. Participant Activity: PaiR-Share • Reflect on your learning in a group. Was there a group learning experience that was transformative for you? • If so, what was it that you learned that was transformative? • If group learning has not been positive for you, what was it about group learning that interfered with your learning? • How might a teacher foster robust on-line group learning? • What strategies might a teacher use to facilitate the development of a community of practice in an on-line course?
- 21. Concluding Thoughts • Fully on-line programs across Canada, challenged to engage students fully in on-line discussion • Face-to-face component offers opportunity for student relationship development • Student-centred approach offers increased quality of engagement, discussion and learning • Development of robust on-line engagement offers rich opportunity for development of Community of Practice
- 22. Pair-share ideas
- 24. References • Andrew, N., Ferguson, D., Wilkie, G. Corcoran, T., & Simpson, L. (2009). Developing professional identify in nursing academics: The role of communities of practice. Nurse Education Today, 29 (X), 607-611. • Cambridge, D., Kaplan, S., & Suter, V. (2005). Retrieved from: http://www.cacuss.ca/_Library/documents/CommOfPracticesGuide.pdf • Dewey, J. (1963/38). Experience and education.New York:Macmillan. • Garrison, D. R. & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learnng: uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7 (2), 95-105. • Garrison, D. (2007). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11 (1), 61-72. • Garrison, D. R., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2007). Researching the community of inquiry framework: Review, issues, and future directions. Internet and Higher Education,
- 25. References • Noddings, N. (1998). Philosophy of education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press • Rovai, A. P. , & Jordan, H.M. (2004). Blended learning and sense of community: A comparative analysis with traditional and fully online graduate courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 5 (2), 1-13. Retrieved from: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/192/274 • Vygotsky, L. (1978). The mind and society. Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press. • Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. • Wenger, E. & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015). Communities of practice: a brief introduction. Retrieved from: http://wenger-trayner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/07-Brief- introduction-to-communities-of-practice.pdf • Young, L.E., & B. Paterson (Eds.) (2007). Teaching Nursing: Developing a student- centered learning environment. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins.
Editor's Notes
- #4: Mature students – range in ages (20s-50’s) Working – full or part-time while undertaking course-work - many students with young children Living in different time zones Delivered asynchronously and primarily through text-based communication but also used video; Ted Talks; discussion forums; small and large group Learning Activites weekly; Peer-led teaching; individual and group assignments In addition, the class participants meet 1-2 times per term, via web-conferencing communication which is part of the Uvic CourseSpaces (Moodle) technology -delivered on-line - students complete using a 2 or 3 year schedule
- #6: Teacher as expert or “Sage-on-the-stage” -knowledge is uncontextualized- it is simply information/data/knowledge Knowledge is viewed as an ‘objective truth’ Teacher teaches and after the knowledge is given by the teacher to the student, the student is assessed to ensure they have learned (evaluation) Only the student is learning- teacher knows all
- #7: Based on Constructivist Learning Theory- knowledge construction through use of communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and inquiry . TEACHER AS FACILITATOR
- #8: The Community of Inquiry is a element of Blended Learning – how does the CoI differ from the CoP? CoI primary purpose is one of collaborative and dialogical learning
- #11: 1st Construct of CoI Model-- Cognitive Presence- extent to which learners construct and confirm meaning through ongoing dialogue and critical reflection (i.e., connection of ideas, sharing of related experiences, curiosity, and application of new ideas) (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) 2nd Construct- Social Presence- learners ability to project themselves socially and emotionally, so they are perceived as authentically present in mediated communication 3rd Construct- Teaching Presence- determines course structure making it possible for students to meet learning outcomes- critical aspect of student “satisfaction, perceived learning, and sense of community” (Garrison & Arbaugh, 2007, p. 4).
- #14: CoP recognizes but does not assume intentionality- learning may be a reason to come together but can also be an incidental outcome of the ongoing meeting/contact Domain- CoP has an identify arising from a shared domain of interest- membership in the CoP implies commitment to the domain of interest and a shared competence (Wenger & Wenger-Trayner, 2015) Community- pursuing their interest in the domain, members engage in discussion, activities, assist one another and share information and resources. Build relationships that facilitate co-learning. Practice- members are practitioners with a shared experiences, stories, and practices. These three elements - working in parallel - comprise a CoP
- #15: Purpose: informal group or network begins to identify benefit of more formal connection- common interests, benefits of formalizing loose relationship and sees potential for more systematic and organized approach. Shared domain, directs interest and purpose of CoP- group sees “value of sharing insights, stories, and techniques/practice issues. Must also identify DOMAIN of interest, the community- new members permitted, who and how is this decided, when, and then key practice issues that are common knowledge needs for the group. Determine domain: to engage potential members and determine growth and ongoing evolution of the community. – narrow focus versus a broader focus of interest and learning and diverse membership or narrow and limited. Scope should be wide enough to include new members and their ideas but narrow enough to keep members engaged and enthusiastic. Focus on what is most important to the profession Discovering ideas and sharing experiences, and support are critical to developing trust and respect in the relationship. As important, is ensuring ‘value’ to the membership and/or sponsoring agency during this time is critical to the development of successful CoPs. ID Facilitator: “vitality of leadership (Wenger, 2002, p. 80) is most critical factor to successful CoP. Engages and supports community and its members: Focus on domain and purpose, facilitates discussion and attends to group dynamics, decision-making and maintains and facilitate on-going engagement, relationships, and the CoP’s focus on practice and its domain of interest. Assists community members to make informal links, fosters community development, knowledge development, and community events. Well connected to community members, good communicators, and interested in developing practice and linking members.
- #16: Relationships: takes time and this can be a vulnerable time for a CoP. As members explore ideas and get to know one another, the value of a CoP is not yet evident as the work has not begun. In nursing, CoPs are “grounded in the deep interest of their members, encouraging them to share personal histories and journeys, weaving a narrative, to contextualize professional and practice development. Novices can mix with experts, academics with practitioners and mentors with the mentored” Clear Plan: regular meetings, monthly or as determined by group, newsletter with information and updates, group activities and projects. Seek membership to further build the group and the shared knowledge and domain of interest Create a Space: for CoP to find information, engage in discussion, connect to each other over a common area of interest Find ideas worth sharing: share ideas, knowledge, & practices important to the group, assists members to problem-solve, partner on initiatives and knowledge development- supports innovative and creative action, and leadership within profession- further engages members and builds relationships across agencies, and across sectors- fosters interprofessional development
- #17: 1st bullet- from across Canada- mature students, experienced practitioners” combined with recent graduates with limited life or work experience 2nd bullet- 4-day orientation - small group meetings and discussion activities over course of orientation 3rd bullet- Social Activities– lunches provided each day- so group together throughout orientation in both formal and informal/social ways
- #19: 3rd bullet- some require MN for career advancement; some to maintain leadership positions in their workplace, others to make career change 4th- bullet- Philosophy of program combined with Uvic eductors’ expertise and wonderfulness…not sure how to put this but it is a key element to my way of thinking