Virtual

Communities of
Practice: Enabling
g
Peer--based
Peer
Distance Learningg

Kristina Schneider
Centre for Instructional
Technology gy
John Molson School of Business
Concordia University
CADE/ACÉD
May 2005
 Presentation Objectives
j

ƒ To g
get educational p
practionners:
ƒ to recognize the advantages of supporting peer-
based learning activities through distance learning
with a virtual community of practice
ƒ to prepare a list of considerations when doing a
needs analysis for a virtual community of practice
ƒ to outline a list of requirements when designing,
d
developing,
l i iimplementing
l ti andd evaluating
l ti a virtual
it l
community of practice
 Presentation Outline

ƒ Distance learningg with a virtual community

y of
practice
ƒ Virtual communities initiated by JMSB
ƒ Needs analysis for a virtual community of
practice
ƒ Virtual community of practice design
ƒ Drafting a virtual community of practice blueprint
 Distance
Learning with a
Virtual
Community of
P ti
Practice

Recognizing the
advantages of supporting
peer-based learning
activities
 Defining
g a Community
y of Practice

ƒ Communities of practice
are “groups of people
who share a concern, a
set of problems or a
passion about a topic
topic,
and who deepen their
knowledge g and expertise
p
in this area by interacting
on an ongoing basis”.

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 More then a Community
y of Learners

ƒ “More than a ‘community

of learners’, a community
of practice is also a
‘
‘communityit th
thatt llearns’.
’
Not merely peers
exchanging ideas around
the water cooler, sharing
and benefiting from each
other's expertise, but
colleagues committed to
jointly develop better
practices.”

Source: George Pór, Community Intelligence Labs

 Distinctive Traits

P
Purpose M b
Members B
Boundaries
d i I
Incentive
i D
Duration
i

Community of ƒ Create, expand & ƒ Self-selected ƒ Fuzzy ƒ Passion for the ƒ Evolve & end
practice exchange based on domain organically
knowledge expertise or ƒ Identification with
ƒ Develop individual passion group & expertise
capabilities
Formal ƒ Deliver a product ƒ Those who report ƒ Clear ƒ Job requirement & ƒ Intended to
departments or service to the manager common goals be
permanentt
Operational ƒ Ongoing process ƒ Those assigned ƒ Clear ƒ Shared ƒ Indented to
Teams by management responsibility be ongoing

Project Teams ƒ Task oriented ƒ Those who have a ƒ Clear ƒ Project goals & ƒ Predetermine
direct role milestones d ending

Communities ƒ Inform ƒ Those interested ƒ Fuzzy ƒ Access to ƒ Evolve & end

of Interest information organically

Informal ƒ Distribute ƒ Friends & ƒ Undefined ƒ Mutual need & ƒ Need based
Networks information business relationships
acquaintances

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Defining
g a Virtual Community
y of Practice

ƒ Environments in which individuals with similar

interests interact with one another at a distance.
ƒ Most often used with global or distributed
communities of practice
ƒ Main advantages:
ƒ Not limited to their local peers/expertise
ƒ H th
Has the potential
t ti l tto beb more iinclusive
l i
ƒ Gain a global perspective
ƒ G i a cross departmental/organisational
Gain d t t l/ i ti l perspective
ti
 Challenges
g of Virtual Communities

ƒ Connecting g across borders and time zones

ƒ Requiring local chapters because of potentially
g membership
larger
ƒ Managing the goals and priorities which are
likely to differ significantly
ƒ Overcoming the obstacles with knowledge
sharing and intellectual property
ƒ Recognizing that cultural differences can lead to
communication difficulties
ƒ Employing the proper technology to support
such a community
 Vi t l
Virtual
Communities
Initiated by
JMSB

Networking the
International Aviation
Industry
 John Molson School of Business ((JMSB))

ƒ Is the business facultyy of Concordia University

y
ƒ Is the largest English speaking business school
in Canada
ƒ Has an enrolment of 6,000 students
ƒ Has
H a strong
t di
disciplinary
i li research
h
ƒ Has a strong links to industry
ƒ Has dedicated educational technologists that
g & development
design p of distance education
environments
 JMSB Distance Education Model

ƒ Objective
j
ƒ Enabling industry professionals and managers to
remain on the job while earning their degree or
professional training
ƒ Solution
ƒ Researching distance education literature and models
ƒ Taking
g advantageg of state-of-the-art communications
and educational technology
ƒ Establishing communities of practice to permit
industry professionals to make meaningful links
between theory and practice.
 VCoP: Context of Application
pp

ƒ Graduate level classes

ƒ Professional training programs
ƒ Alumni communities

Regardless of level of experience

experience,
most learners have gathered a
certain amount of knowledge about
their field of study and practice
practice.
 VCoP: Method of Application
pp

ƒ Professors act as facilitators for students’

learning:
ƒ Enablingg them to make links between research and
practice
ƒ Encouraging
g g learners to teach one another
ƒ Not only do they benefit from each other's expertise,
but they can also develop improved practices and
processes together
 VCoP: Considerations for Application
pp

ƒ Virtual communities of p
practice as p
part of an
instructional plan:
ƒ Pedagogically
g g y must be structured to be aligned
g with
learning objectives
ƒ Formal structures must be p put into p
place to allow for
this kind of learning
ƒ Communication tools must be distributed and
mastered by learners and facilitators in order to
ensure that interaction occurs
ƒ The
Th chosen
h ttechnology
h l mustt b
be able
bl tto capture
t
conversations and exchanges
Managing
g g Learning
g and a Career
“What I like about the
I t
International
ti l Aviation
A i ti MBA
Program is its applicability to
real-life situations. I was able
to implement whatever I
learned in the IAMBA Global
Executive Programg to my
y daily
y
work effectively and with
impressive results.”

Haile Belai
Class of 2004
Chief, Universal Safety
Oversight Audit Section, ICAO
 Global Aviation MBA Program
g

ƒ Format adopted: 4
semesters (2 years)
ƒ Initial offering: October
2000
ƒ Since then 3 classes
h
have graduated
d t d and d 1 iis Distance
Education
in progress
ƒ GAMBA Alumni are in the 2 Week 2 Week
Session Session
process of developing a
community of practice
2 Week 2 Week
Session Session
GAMBA Students - Countries of Origin
g

Iceland
I l d Sweden
Latvia Russia
Canada Ireland Estonia Romania
England Germany
France Switzerland
USA Japan
Italy Bosnia China
U.A.E
Hong Kong
Gambia
Trinidad India
Ghana Singapore
Ecuador

South Mauritius
Africa

New
Zealand
 Recent Distance Education Projects
j

ƒ Development of Aviation ƒ Development of Airport

Security Management Executive Leadership
program in partnership Program in partnership
with
ith ICAO with
ith ACI

VCoP in the mandate

These programs are further enriched by the formation of

a community of practice that continues well beyond the
initial course delivery.
 Professional Link to Aviation Industry
y

ƒ A competitive advantage
in a growing industry
ƒ Unique learning
environment, international
and professional
ƒ More
M th
than 70 client
li t
organizations from
around the world
ƒ Integrated industry focus
through formal and
ongoing consultations
and partnerships with…
N d A
Needs Analysis
l i
For a Virtual
Community of
Practice

Preparing a list of
considerations
 Is a VCoP the Correct Strategy?
gy

Considerations Fit with VCoP

Learners work in industry and/or have prior
knowledge about subject matter 9
Learners are dispersed geographically or
h
have schedules
h d l th thatt d
do nott permit
it th
them tto 9
meet face to face
An instructional objective is to promote life
long learning
9
An program objective is to promote virtual
team work
9
 Attributes of A VCoP

ƒ Size
ƒ Life span
ƒ Physical
y boundaries, such as:
ƒ Collocated or distributed
ƒ Homogenous or heterogeneous
ƒ Inside and across boundaries, such as:
ƒ Within business
ƒ Across business units
ƒ Across organizational boundaries
ƒ Formality
ƒ Spontaneous or intentional
ƒ Unrecognized to institutionalized
Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”
 Structural Elements of a VCoP

ƒ Domain, which:
ƒ Legitimizes the community
ƒ Defines boundaries
ƒ Community, which:
ƒ Provides an environment for people to interact, share and learn
ƒ Enables relationship building
ƒ Practice, which:
ƒ Encompasses the shared knowledge assets of the community
community,
such as:
ƒ Framework ƒ Ideas ƒ Tools
ƒ Information ƒ Styles ƒ Language
ƒ Stories ƒ Documents

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Virtual
Community of
Practice Design

Outlining a list of
requirements
 Stages
g of Community
y Development
p
The jagged line represents the level of energy and visibility
that the communityy typically
yp yggenerates over time.
Stewardship
Levels of Energy
and Visibility

Coalescing

Planning and
Launching Maturing
Communities
of Practice Transformation

Potential

Developmental Discover/ Incubate/Deliver Focus/ Ownership/ Let Go/ Time

Tensions Imagine Immediate Value Expand Openness Live On

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Potential

ƒ At this stage:
Structural Elements Key Issues
ƒ Informal network of
learners with differing Domain To define the
experiences but with scope of domain
similar issues and needs of interest to the
members as well
ƒ Learners need to discover as being aligned
common ground d andd t the
to th
discover each others’ organisation.
strengths Community To discover extant
social net
network
ork that
engages in that
topic.

Practice To identify the

common
knowledge needs.
 Coalescing
g

ƒ At this stage:
Structural Elements Key Issues
ƒ Learners start to find value
in engaging in learning Domain To establish the
activities and design a value of sharing
community domain
knowledge.

C
Community
it To develop
T d l
sufficient trust to
discuss practice
problems.

Practice To discover what

knowledge should
b shared
be h d and d
how.
 Metaphor
p for Design
g

ƒ Wenger, McDermott and

Snyder offer an analogy
of growing a plant, which
i a useful
is f l one iin
conveying the organic
process in cultivating
communities of practice

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Designing
g g with Goals in Mind

ƒ Explicit design principles: ƒ Networking and

ƒ shows the relationships knowledge sharing
between elements ƒ Team building and
ƒ makes it possible to be distributed virtual work
more flexible and
improvisational teams processes
ƒ Theoretical
Th ti l fframeworkk ffor
efficient problem-solving
C
Conceptual
t l for company/industry
problems and
opportunities

P ti l
Practical
 Steps
p for Designing
g g a VCoP

1. Design
g for evolution
2. Open a dialogue between inside and outside
perspectives
3. Invite different levels of participation
4 Develop
4. D l b both
th public
bli andd private
i t community
it
spaces
5. Focus on value
6. Combine familiarityy and excitement
7. Create a rhythm for the community
Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”
 Design
g for Evolution
Characteristics Design Requirements
ƒ Organic ƒ Steering rather the (re)creating
ƒ Evolve naturally ƒ Should be catalysts for a
ƒ Dynamic by nature community's
community s natural evolution
ƒ Build on existing connections ƒ Resembling life-long learning
ƒ New membership p mayy shift strategies
focus ƒ Fewer elements at the
ƒ Reflect on and redesign beginning and focus on
elements of themselves recruiting
gppotential members
throughout their existence ƒ Should introduce new
practices and elements
gradually

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Open
p a Dialogue
g for Multiple
p Perspectives
p
Characteristics Design requirements
ƒ Insider
I id appreciate:
i ƒ An
A iinsider's
id ' perspectivei to llead
d
ƒ The issues at the heart of the the discovery of what the
domain community is about
ƒ The shared knowledge ƒ Built on the collective
ƒ The challenges their field experience of community
faces members
ƒ The potential in emerging ƒ Channels to bring information
ideas and techniques from outside the community
ƒ Insiders can identify the real into the dialogue about what
players
l are andd th
their
i the community could achieve
relationships ƒ Tools to educates community
ƒ Insiders can understand of members about the role of
community issues communities
ƒ Outsiders can help members
see the possibilities
Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”
 Invite Different Levels of Participation
p
Characteristics Design Requirements
ƒ It is unrealistic encourage all ƒ Many levels of participation
community members to ƒ A "coordinator"
participate
p p equally
q y ƒ A healthy degree of movement
ƒ Three main levels of between levels
community participation: ƒ Participants at all levels to feel
ƒ Th
The heart
h t off the
th community
it like full members
ƒ The active group
ƒ Create opportunities for active
ƒ The peripheral group members to take limited
ƒ Outsiders who have an interest leadership roles
in the community ƒ Draw members into more
Community members move through active
ti participation
ti i ti
these levels because the boundaries
of a community are fluid.

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Develop
p Public and Private Spaces
p
Characteristics Design Requirements
ƒ Rich with connections that ƒ Public events:
happen both in: ƒ Members experience being
ƒ The public places part of the community
p y
ƒ The private spaces, which ƒ See who participates
helps strengthen relationships ƒ Gain a better appreciation
amongst members
members. overall
ƒ The public and private ƒ Private spaces:
dimensions of a community are ƒ Assess the needs of
i t
interrelated
l t d community members
ƒ Participants often have ƒ Good communities orchestrate
multiple
p agendas:
g activities in both p
public and
ƒ Completing a group task private spaces
ƒ Finding help

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Focus on Value
Characteristics Design Requirements
ƒ Value
V l iis kkey to community i lif
life ƒ Should
Sh ld d develop
l a systematic i
ƒ Full value is often not apparent and fully accessible body of
at first knowledge
ƒ Source of value often changes ƒ Should promote events,
over the life of the community activities, and relationships
ƒ Early value often comes from that help their value emerge
focusing on the current andd enable
bl members
b tto
problems and needs discover ways to harvest it
ƒ Should trace the impact of a
shared idea which takes time
Many of the most and attention
valuable community
activities are the small, ƒ Should encourage g community y
everyday interactions. members to be explicit about
the value of the community
throughout its lifetime
Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”
 Combine Familiarity
y and Excitement

Characteristics Design Requirements

ƒ Successful communities ƒ Should combine both
offer: familiar and exciting
ƒ Familiarity, which creates a events:
comfort level, which in turn ƒ Routine activities provide
invites candid discussions the stability for relationship-
ƒ Excitement, which enables building connections
divergent thinking and ƒ Exciting events provide a
activity which in turn
activity, sense off common
complements familiarity adventure.

Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”

 Create a Rhythm
y for the Community
y
Characteristics Design Requirements
ƒ The rhythm is the strongest ƒ Should combine whole
whole-
indicator of its aliveness community and small-group
ƒ too fast: feels breathless gatherings
ƒ too slow: feels sluggish ƒ To create a balance between
the thrill of exposure to many
ƒ The tempo is influenced by the different ideas
rhythm ƒ To permit the comfort of more
ƒ There are many rhythms in a intimate relationships
community: ƒ Should have a mix of idea-
ƒ The syncopation of familiar sharing forums and tool-
and exciting events building projects
ƒ The frequency of private ƒ To foster casual connections
interactions
ƒ To promote directed
ƒ The ebb and flow from the community action
sidelines into active
participation
ƒ The pace of the community's
overall evolution
Source: Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), “Cultivating Communities of Practice”
 Considerations for VCoPs

ƒ Because VCoPs most often serve distributed

communities, additional efforts in 4 development
q
activities are required:
ƒ Achieving stakeholder alignment
ƒ Creating a local/global structure
ƒ Building a strong rhythm to maintain visibility
ƒ Develop the private spaces more systematically
 VCoP Local/Global Structure

Large local
group

Local
coordinator

Small local
group
Regional Global
group coordinator

Designing a
di t ib t d
distributed
community with a Small local
fractal approach group

Source: McDermott and Jackson (2000), “Designing Global Communities”

 Drafting a
Virtual
Community of
Practice
Bl
Blueprint
i t

An Exercise
 Thank you
y

Question & comments