Cooperative Learning through Communities of Practice

2012 ◽  
pp. 189-199
Author(s):  
Emilio Lastrucci ◽  
Angela Pascale
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Web Technologies ◽  
Working Environments ◽  
Mutual Engagement ◽  
Common Task ◽  
Traditional Training

A community made up of a group of individuals becomes a “community of practice” when a mutual engagement is established between its members. The mutual engagement unites the participants in the carrying out of a common task (Wenger, 1998). The main aim of a community of practice is to find the solution to a problem by sharing experiences (Midoro, 2002). This paper examines the definition, characteristics, management and effectiveness of communities of practice. They are understood as being communities of self-managed learning where professional development is not based on a pre-set training course but on sharing experiences, identifying best practices and helping each other face the daily problems encountered in one’s profession (Trentin, 2000). Such communities are useful in particular working environments as an opportunity to improve digital competences. In communities of practice, it is possible to encourage ways of co-building knowledge through teaching methods such as cooperative learning. Until now cooperative learning has been limited to traditional training contexts, but it can be realised via Web technologies.

Cooperative Learning through Communities of Practice

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
Emilio Lastrucci ◽  
Angela Pascale
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Web Technologies ◽  
Working Environments ◽  
Mutual Engagement ◽  
Common Task ◽  
Traditional Training

A community made up of a group of individuals becomes a “community of practice” when a mutual engagement is established between its members. The mutual engagement unites the participants in the carrying out of a common task (Wenger, 1998). The main aim of a community of practice is to find the solution to a problem by sharing experiences (Midoro, 2002). This paper examines the definition, characteristics, management and effectiveness of communities of practice. They are understood as being communities of self-managed learning where professional development is not based on a pre-set training course but on sharing experiences, identifying best practices and helping each other face the daily problems encountered in one’s profession (Trentin, 2000). Such communities are useful in particular working environments as an opportunity to improve digital competences. In communities of practice, it is possible to encourage ways of co-building knowledge through teaching methods such as cooperative learning. Until now cooperative learning has been limited to traditional training contexts, but it can be realised via Web technologies.

Facilitator Toolkit for Building and Sustaining Virtual Communities of Practice

2011 ◽  
pp. 202-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Kimball ◽  
Amy Ladd
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Work Training ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice ◽  
Over Time

The boundaries of a Community of Practice (CoP) have changed significantly because of changes in organizations and the nature of the work they do. Organizations have become more distributed across geography and across industries. Relationships between people inside an organization and those previously considered outside (customers, suppliers, managers of collaborating organizations, other stakeholders) are becoming more important. In addition, organizations have discovered the value of collaborative work due to the new emphasis on Knowledge Management—harvesting the learning and the experience of members of the organization so that it is available to the whole organization. This chapter offers a practical toolkit of best practices, tips and examples from the authors’ work training leaders to launch and sustain a virtual CoP, including tips for chartering the community, defining roles, and creating the culture that will sustain the community over time.

Case Studies from the Inquiry Learning Forum

2010 ◽  
pp. 42-59
Author(s):  
Rebecca Scheckler
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Inquiry Learning ◽  
Online Professional Development ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Online Tool ◽  
Development Tool ◽  
Electronic Tool

Two intense case studies were done of teachers using the Inquiry Learning Forum (ILF), an online space for professional development in inquiry pedagogies. Major findings included: The ILF initially conceived as an online professional development tool in the form of a Community of Practice (COP) was reconceived as an electronic tool within a larger space that included the online tool but also many co-present spaces pertinent to a teacher’s practice of inquiry pedagogy. These case studies also demonstrated the transformative nature of teachers engaging in a COP. Not only is the teacher changed but also the COP is changed by the practice. The cases demonstrated the need for teachers to feel disequilibrium in their practice before they are willing to engage in change of those practices. Lastly immersion in practice described as The Pedagogy of Poverty hampered one teacher’s progress in the ILF. These findings are based upon my empirical observations with the backdrop of John Dewey’s Theory of Inquiry and of Etienne Wenger’s concept of communities of Practice. Future trends in using online COPs for professional development need to look at practice in these terms where allowance for transaction, support outside the electronic space, and disequilibrium are considered.

scholarly journals Building Effective Working Relationships among Academics through Participation in Communities of Practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeola Folasade Akinyemi ◽  
Vuyisile Nkonki ◽  
Lulekwa Sweet-Lily Baleni ◽  
Florence Rutendo Mudehwe-Gonhovi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Common Agenda

This chapter addresses the significance and importance of communities of practice in the professional development of academics as university teachers. Its documents the role of communities of practice in enabling and enhancing the development of a professional knowledge base, the acquisition of skills, and competencies for effective teaching practice, as well as the dissemination of practical knowledge needed within a community of teaching practitioners. It provides details of how a community of practice comes into being, and how working relations within a community of practice are fostered. There is an elaboration on how members of a community of practice come to perceive their substantive issues the same way, and how a common agenda is formed around those issues. It also discusses peculiar ways of dealing with the identified issues, and the manner in which expertise, resources, resourcefulness and experiences are exchanged and shared with improvement, change and further development of academics’ teaching practices in sight.

scholarly journals "Go for Broke and Speak Your Mind!" Building a Community of Practice with Bilingual Pre-Service Teachers

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyesun Cho
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Teacher Preparation Program ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Mutual Engagement

Despite the popularity of communities of practice (CoP) in education, there is a paucity of research on teacher preparation programs that are deliberately created to build and sustain CoP to help bilingual pre-service teachers’ learning. This qualitative study describes how a community of practice was purposefully developed in a teacher preparation program for bilingual undergraduates in Hawaii. Using multiple forms of qualitative data, such as classroom transcripts, interviews, online discussion posts, and reflection journals, I illustrate how a cohort of pre-service teachers and their instructor created a facilitative and reflective classroom community of practice. Using narrative inquiry and thematic analysis, I identified two overarching contextual conditions that provided a favorable learning environment for student participation: (1) sustained support and rapport within a cohort, and (2) narratives as a process of mutual engagement. Findings suggest teacher educators purposefully create CoP for pre-service teachers around shared narratives in order to foster sustained critical reflections.

Use of Technology-Enabled Informal Learning in a Learning Organization

2018 ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Lori Miller-Rososhansky ◽  
Valerie C. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Technological Society ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Membership Organization

This chapter explores how an organization created to inform members became an online learning organization. Using technology, the organization continued to support the professionals as they evolved in their individual careers and within the organization. Best practices arose to better inform the members and to expand communities of practice (CoPs). Members meaningfully engaged in the learning organization, in their avocations, and their vocations. This mix-method study, with over a 118 Association for Talent Development (ATD) professionals, addressed how the ATD could continue to support professionals in our evolving technological society. The study allowed the ATD professionals themselves to identify how they could help the organization and its' members to advance the organization by using technology, informal learning and research-based learning to improve the membership organization roles. The study highlighted how important informal learning, professional development, modeling, and identifying best practices, are to an organization's growth and the professionals' growth.

scholarly journals CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO SUPPORT PRE-SERVICE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Valéria C. Santos ◽  
Agnaldo Arroio
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Mutual Engagement ◽  
Teaching Community ◽  
Joint Enterprise ◽  
The University

The concept of communities of practice can be used in different contexts, included the educational context. The development of communities of practice where pre-service teachers work together, refine their practices and learn is a good training for these future teachers. Since communities of practice help teachers learn about teaching and improve their practices, this study aim to characterize the project PIBID of chemistry carried out at the University of São Paulo as a community of practice. On the first half of 2013 the PIBID project included 12 pre-service teachers who attended weekly meetings. These meetings consisted of theoretical training about the use of visual tools in teaching and other concepts about education and meetings to plan activities and classes about topics of chemistry to be applied in a public school at the city of São Paulo, Brazil. During these meetings was possible to notice that the pre-service teachers were engaged in a community of practice, demonstrating the three characteristics emphasized by Wenger (2008): mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and a shared repertoire. Thus the project PIBID of chemistry could be characterized as a community of practice. Furthermore, it was noticed that the community helps in the training of pre-service teachers, since it is providing support to them learn about teaching in practice and implement their knowledge. Key words: chemistry teaching, community of practice, pre-service teacher training.

scholarly journals Comunidade de prática na formação e desenvolvimento profissional na educação física: uma metassíntese

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-123
Author(s):  
Leonardo Ristow ◽  
Ana Flávia Backes ◽  
Daniela Bianchessi ◽  
Vinicius Zeilmann Brasil ◽  
Rodolfo Silva Da Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Systematic Review Methodology ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Mutual Engagement ◽  
Joint Enterprise

INTRODUÇÃO: A aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento profissional em Educação Física ocorrem em diferentes contextos. Entre eles, as comunidades de prática são consideradas um contexto promissor, pois possibilitam a participação ativa, envolvendo os membros em um ambiente colaborativo onde o aprendizado e o desenvolvimento ocorrem com e através das relações pessoais. OBJETIVO: Desse modo, o objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma metassíntese a respeito dos fatores que influenciam o desenvolvimento e manutenção das comunidades de prática de professores e futuros professores de Educação Física.MÉTODOS: A metassíntese é uma metodologia de revisão sistemática que sintetiza os resultados de estudos qualitativos em categorias. Os resultados dos estudos originais foram analisados e sintetizados a partir da análise de conteúdo. As categorias foram determinadas a priori: engajamento mútuo, empreendimento em conjunto e repertório compartilhado.RESULTADOS: Os resultados dos 16 estudos selecionados nos indicam que as comunidades de prática na formação e no desenvolvimento profissional tem origem a partir das necessidades dos interessados. A negociação quanto ao tema ou conteúdo dos encontros ocorreram tanto no início quanto ao longo dos encontros. A comunidades de prática apresentaram diferentes objetivos: aprender a ensinar Educação Física, aprender a implementar modelos de ensino, elaborar um novo currículo, aprender a aplicar uma determinada abordagem de ensino e aperfeiçoar práticas de ensino. Já a manutenção ocorreu a partir das trocas de experiências profissionais e das relações pessoais informais em diferentes contextos: em redes sociais, no estágio obrigatório do curso de graduação, na disciplina do curso de graduação e encontro de grupos de professores. Vale destacar o papel do facilitador para que o repertório compartilhado fosse criado. CONCLUSÃO: Em suma, as comunidades de prática se apresentam como um excelente contexto de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento profissional, já que as comunidades de prática investigadas parecem ter satisfeito as necessidades dos participantes.ABSTRACT. Community of practice in physical education teacher education and professional development: a metasynthesis.BACKGROUND: Learning and professional development in Physical Education occur in different contexts. Among them, communities of practice are considered to be a promising context as they enable active participation. Engaging members in a collaborative environment where learning and development take place with and through personal relationships.OBJECTIVE: Thus, the aim of this study was to carry out a meta-synthesis about the factors that influence the development and maintenance of communities of practice for teachers and future Physical Education teachers.METHODS: Metasynthesis is a systematic review methodology that synthesizes the results of qualitative studies in categories. The results of the original studies were analyzed and synthesized from the content analysis. The categories were determined a priori: mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire.RESULTS: The results of the 16 selected studies indicate that the communities of practice in teacher education and professional development originate from the needs of those interested. Negotiations regarding the theme or content of the meetings took place both at the beginning and throughout the meetings. The communities of practice had different objectives: learn to teach Physical Education, learn to implement teaching models, develop a new curriculum, learn to apply a particular teaching approach and improve teaching practices. Maintenance, on the other hand, occurred based on the exchange of professional experiences and informal personal relationships in different contexts: in social networks, in the mandatory stage of the undergraduate course, in the subject of the undergraduate course and meeting of groups of teachers. It is worth highlighting the role of the facilitator so that the shared repertoire was created.CONCLUSION: In short, communities of practice present themselves as an excellent context for learning and professional development, since the communities of practice investigated seem to have satisfied the needs of the participants.

Community of Practice Among Faculty Team-Teaching Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) Students: A Reflective Study

10.28945/4775 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 379-393
Author(s):  
Christopher M Clark ◽  
Kate Olson ◽  
Ozge Hacifazlioglu ◽  
David L Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Reflective Study ◽  
Faculty Team ◽  
Practice Of Teaching

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study was to contribute to knowledge about the ways in which incorporating a Community of Practice into doctoral seminar teaching and course management could be a practical and sustainable path to professional development for doctoral faculty aspiring to become stewards of the practice of teaching. Background: This report documents a reflective self-study conducted by four professors engaged in a community of practice while team-teaching a linked pair of EdD seminars on action research at Arizona State University. Methodology: This reflective study used field notes and written reflections as its sources of data to examine how participants’ identities as professors of education changed during and after participating in a team-taught professional doctoral pair of courses. Contribution: An important goal of the community of practice was to promote faculty professional development as stewards of the practice of teaching. Engaging in disciplined reflection on teaching is uncommon in American graduate education and rarely documented in the literature of post-compulsory education. Findings: Analysis of post-hoc reflective accounts and contemporaneous notes revealed a general pattern of gradual transformation by the teaching team members. The professors moved from anxious concern about appearing competent to growing confidence and appreciation for the potential of a community of practice to provide significant professional benefits to students and faculty. Salutary features of reflective team teaching in a community of practice persist in participants’ subsequent teaching practice. Recommendations for Practitioners: Reported benefits include eagerness for team teaching, increased openness to pedagogical suggestions from peers, comfort with being observed by colleagues while teaching, and willingness to revise plans when initial plans and practices are not working effectively for students. Recommendation for Researchers: Data analysis and testimony support the claim that engaging in a CoP, in this case, did support their identity transformation as stewards of their own practice as instructors and professors of education. However, the study design does not support a claim that most or all future Communities of Practice in doctoral education will produce similar salutary results. Testing this proposition will require additional research in settings and programs different from the one represented here. Impact on Society: Implementing communities of practice in doctoral programs can make room for professional development for both the faculty team and for the students. Future Research: Further studies could be conducted to document the ways in which other communities of practice can be used to develop faculty instructors in masters and doctoral programs and in undergraduate education.

scholarly journals Understanding the Dimensions of Identities and Its Impact Upon Member’s Participation in an Online Community of Practice

10.28945/4152 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 527-547
Author(s):  
Fariza Khalid
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Online Community ◽  
State Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Community Of Practice ◽  
The Way

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to explore the dimensions of identities in relation to an online community of practice (CoP) and how the dimensions of identities influence the way teachers behave on their online CoP. Background: One of the emerging approaches for teachers’ professional development is through a form of community of practice, through which teachers learn through collaboration and active learning. In line with the progression in technology, online communities of practice have been widely accepted as one of the possible approaches for teacher professional development that can enhance the opportunity for collaboration. Even though online CoPs provide a better platform for collaboration and sharing best practices among teachers, some issues lead to a failure of any online CoPs. Day, Sammons, Stobart, Kington, & Gu (2007) stress the importance of understanding the aspects of identities and their impact on how teachers perform and commit to any activities and that an understanding of teachers’ identities is central to any analysis of teachers’ effectiveness, work, and lives. Previous research, however, studied the aspects of identities in the perspectives of the development of their identities as teachers in the context of their daily interaction with significant others in face-to-face mode. However, there has been very little research that has focused on teachers’ identities in relation to their participation in online communities. The extent to which their identities influenced the way they interact, engage, and contribute to their online CoP is still debatable, although it was profoundly stated that identities play a great role in shaping teachers’ behavior in their offline CoPs. Taking this into account, this study aims to identify the dimensions of identities in an online CoP setting and how these identities influence their capacity to involve themselves in online sharing through communities of practice (CoPs). Methodology: This research employed a case study approach which involved 16 teachers from six high performing secondary schools. The selection of the participants was made through purposive sampling. Data was generated through in-depth one-to-one interviews. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis through which the emerging themes were carefully identified. Contribution: The study has successfully identified the dimensions of identities in relation to teachers’ participation in an online CoP, which adds to the current body of literature. The result of the study also illustrates how these dimensions of identities interrelated to each other that led to the teachers’ level of participation in an online CoP. Having an in-depth understanding about identities also would provide a better understanding of why the members reacted the way they did and, and how the dimension of identities plays a role in this. Findings: The result of the analysis indicates four main dimensions of identities, i.e., personal identities, professional identities, learner identities and member of the community’s identities. These dimensions were found to influence each other. Overall, there are seven factors seen as ‘immediate’ causes leading to the final outcome (participation in online CoPs), i.e., beliefs in the benefits of informal sharing activities, perceived importance of online sharing activities, perceived role in community, willingness to initiate discussions, willingness to respond, acceptance towards others’ comments, and beliefs in the benefits of online communities. Personal identities affected not only their jobs as teachers but also influenced their commitment towards their participation in the online CoPs in this project. Their prior knowledge and experience influenced teachers’ perceived competency in using online sharing applications. Their prior experience also impacted the way they perceived the benefits of online activities (teachers’ identities as learners) and their attitudes towards them. The findings indicate that different individuals had different sharing preferences, and the differences were partly driven by how they conceived of professional development as well as how they perceived themselves professionally. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study also indicates that to ensure the success of any online professional development for teachers, it is essential to take into consideration the aspect of endorsement by senior management, e.g., principals or coordinators from a district or state level. It is also critical for stakeholders to understand the working culture of teachers and their conception of professional development to ensure any new policies is in line with teachers’ identities. Recommendation for Researchers: The analysis in this study was developed by exploring the reasons behind the teacher’s behaviors. In the future, it will be more meaningful for new researchers to consider the dimensions of identities when they develop any online CoP. Future Research: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach. The emerging dimensions of identities can be used by future researchers as a basis to do quantitative research that covers a larger sample size, through which a generalization can be made. A causal network that was developed in this study can be tested using inferential statistics.

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