ELESIGAn international community of researchers and practitioners

Jenny Mackness & Malcolm Ryan

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Birth of ELESIGGrowing national interest in

learner experiencesCo-founders from Oxford Brookes,

Bradford and GreenwichHEA Pathfinder fundingF2F launch meeting – March 2008Ning site http://elesig.ning.comProgramme of activities/resource

generation proposed

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Growth of ELESIGMarch 2008 (54) May 2010

(860)UK Europe InternationalHE Life Long SchoolsExperienced Early careerF2F symposia, webinars, residentialsSponsorshipSmall grants schemeNewsletterResources collection – Cloudworks

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CoP: a definition

‘Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.’

Three crucial characteristics are: the domain, the community and the practice

Three critical dimensions: mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire

Etienne Wenger, http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

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Is ELESIG a CoP?The Domain – research into

learner experiences of e-learning

The Community – researchers investigating e-learner experiences

The Practice – sharing research

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Is ELESIG a CoP?Mutual engagement – membership,

relationships, social engagement, through which information flows

Joint enterprise – negotiated and shared goal, mutual accountability for knowledge creation

Shared repertoire – shared discourse, common understandings, resources

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ELESIG as a CoP

Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of practice learning as a social system. Vol. 9, No. 5. The Systems Thinker

Potential People face

similar situations

without the benefit of a

shared practice

Coalescing Members come

together and recognize their

potential

Active Members engage in developing a

practice

Dispersed Members no longer

engage very intensely, but the community is still

alive as a force and a center of knowledge Memorable

The community is no longer central,

but people still remember it as a significant part of

their identities

Finding each other, discovering commonalities

Exploring connectedness, defining joint enterprise, negotiating community

Engaging in joint activities, creating artifacts, adapting to changing circumstances, renewing interest, commitment, and relationships

Staying in touch, communicating, holding reunions, calling for advice

Telling stories, preserving artifacts, collecting memorabilia

Stages of Development

Typical Activities

time

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Task1. In 3 groups examine the

supplied data from the ELESIG 2009 evaluation survey and recommend immediate, medium and long term actions that could be taken to further the development of ELESIG as a Community of Practice.

2. Present your recommended actions as a poster.