communities of learning

Communities of LearningJann Rustin

Noanie SullivanLinzee LiaBraaten

Presentation Outline

Community Online Communities Learning Communities

Theoretical Foundations Types of Learning Communities & Examples

CoP Structural Model Dimensions Negotiation of Meaning 5 Stages of Community Development

Common & Recommended Features Four Challenges of Building CoPs Conclusion

CommunityCommunities can refer to people who share common: Interests

Personal Professional Social economic political

Policies History Ownership & Participation Location

“In their simplest sense, communities are

collections of individuals who are bound together

for some reason, and these reasons define the

boundaries of the communities.”

-Richard A. Schwier

Online Community Characteristics

Define and articulate the purposeBuild flexible, extensible gathering places

Create meaningful and evolving member profilesDesign for a range of roles

Develop a strong leadership program

Encourage appropriate etiquettePromote cyclic events

Integrate the rituals of community life

Facilitate member run subgroupsAmy Jo Kim

Learning Communities

Three types of learning communities: Knowledge-based Task-based Practice-based

Task-based Communities

Practice-basedCommunities

Knowledge-based Communities

Learning Communities

practiceIdentity learning as

becoming

practiceCommunitylearning as belonging

Situated Cognition: Learning Communities, terrestrial or online, rest on the idea that cognition is situated, context-dependent, and distributed, going beyond the boundaries of a person to include environment, artifacts, social interactions, and culture.

Social Learning TheoryA Foundation for Learning Communities

practicePractice learning as

doing

practiceMeaning learning as experiencingLearning

Fig. 1 Components of a social theory of learning -Etienne Wenger

Task-based Learning Communities

Community Dimensions Task-based Learning Communities:

Membership Structures Membership is well-defined and members know one another

Group Identity is temporary

Membership may or may not be voluntary

Task Structures Well specified topic, task, or problem with learning goals

Participation is often defined with specific roles and responsibilities

Participation Structures Use of a timeline often with phases and a specified deadline;

Specific Learning Community ends with the production of the product which reflects the learning

Cultural Mechanisms Practices and procedures passed from one community to the next, but the connections are discontinuous with the task structure or leadership providing the linking cultural mechanisms.

Membership StructureEmail addressGrade Level

Subject(s) taughtMain interest in using Passport to the

Rainforest Number of students

Planning to team teach?Demographics questions

We invite you to "hang" your student work on our "virtual bulletin board" so that all the students and teachers in our virtual classroom can view the work being done by your great pupils.

Passport to KnowledgeA task-based learning community

Task Structure

The Live From The Rainforest Teacher’s Guide contains more than two dozen lesson plans developed by teachers for teachers.

Vocabulary Materials Engage Explore

Explore/Procedure


Participation Structure

Timeline for multiple media learning adventures is flexible.

PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE offers an ongoing series of LIVE FROM... specials appearing on participating public television stations and NASA-TV.

M e n t o r s & P T KA d v o c a t e s


Cultural Mechanisms

Evaluation of NSF IMD Grant

A S S E S S M E N T I N F O R M A T I O N Changes in Students' Attitudes towards Science and Scientific CareersTeachers were asked to consider the impact on students of a specific PtK module

Report


Knowledge-based Learning Communities

Community Dimensions Knowledge-Based CommunitiesMembership Structures Members may or may not know each other personally;

Base membership on credentials as knowledge builders;Share common interest in development of the community;

Knowledge Products Evolve the knowledge base through current use and for future users;

Participate in peer review of the knowledge products

Participation Structures Generally have a long term commitment to construct and reconstruct knowledge base;

Ties to other knowledge building communities who work in related areas

Cultural Mechanism Generates a language for characterizing group work Follows and evolves a set of procedures for evidence and interpretation

Knowledge LoomA knowledge-based learning community

•Membership Structures

•Knowledge Products

•Participation Structures

•Cultural Mechanisms

Practice-based Learning CommunitiesCommunity Dimensions Practice-Based Learning Community

Membership Structures Joined and were acknowledged by the community as members;Have a community identity that is defined in terms of their evolving expertise, and by the division of labor in the practice of the community;Share access to experts and expertise through participation structures, e.g., mentoring

Outcomes of Work Have a common interest in carrying out the best possible practice;Evolve the practice of the community through reliance on development of discourse, tools and artifacts of work, action routines, anecdotes about practice, and other cultural mechanisms

Participation Structures Represent a generation or iteration of practice in a multi-generational community;Are primarily engaged in production or practical work, in the course of which learning opportunities arise. The CoP is committed to jointly develop better practices in the field (George Por)

Cultural Mechanisms Interact with adjacent Practice Communities, e.g., across companies in an industry, or across departments in a company.

Tapped InA practice-based learning community


•Outcomes of Work



Education with New Technologies A practice-based learning community


•Outcomes of Work



PBS TeacherLineA practice-based community


•Outcomes of Work



Cultural Mechanisms in a Practice-based Community

Interact with adjacent Practice Communities, e.g., across an industry, or across departments.


Discussion Board Posting on Textmapping for enhanced reading comprehension

Membership Structures in a Practice-based Community

Joined and were acknowledged by the community as members;

Have a community identity that is defined in terms of their evolving expertise, and by the division of labor in the practice of the community;

Share access to experts and expertise through participation structures, e.g., mentoring


CoP Structural Model

Shared Practice •A set of tools, ideas, language, stories, documents•Actions and participation•Development of knowledge: shared and maintained



Community of People•Fosters interaction/relationships•Members who care about the domain•Encourages sharing of ideas & learning


Domain of Knowledge•Defines a set of issues•Topics of focus identified•Sets a common ground

Community & PracticeDimensions of the RelationshipMutual Engagement Joint Enterprise Shared Repertoire-Engaged diversity-Doing things together-Relationships-Social complexity-Community maintenance

-Negotiated enterprise-Mutual accountability-Interpretations-Rhythms-Local response

-Styles-Artifacts-Stories-Tools-Historical Events-Discourses-Concepts

Joint Enterprise

Shared RepertoireMutual Engagement

Etienne Wenger

Negotiated Meaning & Shared Histories

Joint Enterprise


Crossing Boundaries

Joint Enterprise


High School

District

State & National

Stages of Community Development

The jagged line represents the level of energy and visibility that the community typically generates over time.

Time

Level of Energy & Visibility

Developmental Tensions

Discover/ Imagine

Incubator/Deliver Immediate Value

Focus/Expand Ownership/ Openness

Let Go/ Live On

Potential

Coalescing

Maturing

Stewardship

Transformation

(Wenger, McDermott, Snyder, p.69)

Common & Recommended Features For Communities of Practice

Common on-line facilities and capabilities include: Home page Conversation space Facility for floating questions Directory of membership Shared workspace Document repository Search engine Management tools Spawning capability

Capabilities should ideally be: Easy to learn Easily integrated Not too expensive

Four Challenges of Building CoPs

1. Focus on important topics.

2. Find a well-respected community member to coordinate.

3. Encourage participation.

4. Build on the core values.

5. Get key thought leaders involved.

6. Build relationships within.

7. Develop an active passionate core group.

8. Create forums for thinking and for sharing information

9. Easy access to community resources.

10. Create real dialogue about cutting edge issues

Management Community Technical Personal

ConclusionRelationship to WWSF Project

Project VisionOur vision is to enhance the experience of teachers and students through the integration of technology.

Project Mission/GoalsTo achieve our vision, we will conduct research to determine the best practices of technology in high school, with special attention to communities of practice and after-school programs.

communities of learning

Documents

practicemeaning learning

social theory of learning

s s e s s

t e s passport

e n ti n f o r

t i o n changes

e n t o r sp t ka d

students attitudes