University of Illinois at Springfield

Community of Practice & Faculty DevelopmentLaurel Vaughn Newman, Ph. D.

Shari McCurdy Smith, M.A.

Communities of PracticeCommunities of Practice

Informal groups who share a concern, set Informal groups who share a concern, set of problems or a passion about a topic…of problems or a passion about a topic…

Deepen their knowledge and expertise by Deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis (Wenger, interacting on an ongoing basis (Wenger, Mc Dermott & Snyder, 2002, p. 4).Mc Dermott & Snyder, 2002, p. 4).

Communities of PracticeCommunities of Practice

Allow members to help each other solve Allow members to help each other solve problems, share best practices and problems, share best practices and explore innovations.explore innovations.

Presentation Focus/Explore the Presentation Focus/Explore the development of COPE-L established at the development of COPE-L established at the University of Illinois at Springfield.University of Illinois at Springfield.

Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice

Is situated learning:Is situated learning: embedded in activity/cultureembedded in activity/culture unintentionalunintentional social and collaborativesocial and collaborative

Community of PracticeCommunity of Practiceon E-Learningon E-Learning

Began as a grass roots Began as a grass roots collaborative effort between collaborative effort between experienced online faculty experienced online faculty support staff within the Office of support staff within the Office of

Technology Enhanced Learning.Technology Enhanced Learning.

Why Initiate a Community of Why Initiate a Community of Practice?Practice?

Launching new online programs.Launching new online programs.

Why not build on UIS Why not build on UIS experience?experience?

Reduce faculty time on learning Reduce faculty time on learning curve.curve.

ONLINE?

Knowledge about best practices Knowledge about best practices residing in departmental silos.residing in departmental silos.

Just-in Time LearningJust-in Time Learning

CC – Community – Community

OO – Of – Of

PP – Practice in – Practice in

EE – Electronic – Electronic

LL – Learning – Learning

COPE-LCOPE-L

Early stepsEarly steps

Identify key leaders among faculty and Identify key leaders among faculty and OTEL who teach online (recruited 9)OTEL who teach online (recruited 9)

Explain intent and seek buy in fromExplain intent and seek buy in from Provost Provost Campus SenateCampus Senate

Our Intent ala Wenger…Our Intent ala Wenger… Share knowledge and Share knowledge and

best practices best practices Develop informal Develop informal

networks and mutually networks and mutually helpful relationships helpful relationships among membersamong members

Identify problems and Identify problems and seek solutions to seek solutions to problems shared by problems shared by membersmembers

Provide opportunities to Provide opportunities to explore and innovate in explore and innovate in the area of e-learningthe area of e-learning

Wenger, E, McDermott, R. & Snyder, W.M. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice. Cambridge: Harvard Business School Press

Our DomainOur Domain E-Learning:E-Learning:

Online courses/programsOnline courses/programs Blended Blended

courses/programscourses/programs Technology enhanced Technology enhanced

courses/programscourses/programs

Common Threads:Common Threads: PedagogyPedagogy Scholarship Scholarship TechnologyTechnology Student Services & Student Services &

OutreachOutreach

LaunchLaunchKick off meeting – October, 2006Kick off meeting – October, 2006

Short presentation on state of e-learning at UISShort presentation on state of e-learning at UIS

Topics of interest & scholarship focusTopics of interest & scholarship focus     

The First Two Years….The First Two Years….

Average 25 at each Average 25 at each meeting meeting

Over 50 different Over 50 different faculty/staff have faculty/staff have attended the sessions. attended the sessions.

Over 60 faculty staff Over 60 faculty staff have requested to be have requested to be on COPE-L mailing list.on COPE-L mailing list.

Morning Edition Comes to UISMorning Edition Comes to UISCOPE-L FeaturedCOPE-L Featured

Larry Abramson

Education Correspondent, National Desk

ChallengesChallenges Topic tool on website-get the right toolTopic tool on website-get the right tool Departmental commitments and alliancesDepartmental commitments and alliances Cultural changeCultural change Limitation of form, take time to establish, not a job for Limitation of form, take time to establish, not a job for

any one personany one person Pace of change of the topic—timeliness Pace of change of the topic—timeliness Not techsupportNot techsupport Moving “sphere of influence”Moving “sphere of influence” Capturing change in practice derived from COPE-LCapturing change in practice derived from COPE-L Measure progress in achieving the intentsMeasure progress in achieving the intents

Our Intent ala Wenger…Our Intent ala Wenger… Share knowledge and Share knowledge and

best practices best practices Develop informal Develop informal

networks and mutually networks and mutually helpful relationships helpful relationships among membersamong members

Identify problems and Identify problems and seek solutions to seek solutions to problems shared by problems shared by membersmembers

Provide opportunities to Provide opportunities to explore and innovate in explore and innovate in the area of e-learningthe area of e-learning

Wenger, E, McDermott, R. & Snyder, W.M. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice. Cambridge: Harvard Business School Press

Our WebsiteOur Websiteotel/uis.edu/copelotel/uis.edu/copel

Website ChangesWebsite Changes

WikiWiki Opportunity to add content such as papers Opportunity to add content such as papers

and bookmarksand bookmarks A Virtual Community---A Virtual Community---http://http://

www.ning.comwww.ning.com

A Work-in-ProgressA Work-in-Progress

Learning EventsLearning Events: : Speaker(s) focus Speaker(s) focus Information presentationInformation presentation Time for question & answers.Time for question & answers.

Networking EventsNetworking Events: : Peer-to-peerPeer-to-peer Still topic focusedStill topic focused 10-15 minute conversation starter10-15 minute conversation starter

Our Benefit FocusOur Benefit Focus

Community of Practice in online learning Community of Practice in online learning sparks otherssparks others

Focuses eyes toward peer to peer Focuses eyes toward peer to peer networking/relationshipsnetworking/relationships

Opportunities for reflection Opportunities for reflection Teaching innovationTeaching innovation Expand institutional opportunitiesExpand institutional opportunities

Before you begin…haveBefore you begin…have

Good techsupportGood techsupport Strong influential steering committeeStrong influential steering committee Partnership with campus experts in e-Partnership with campus experts in e-

learninglearning A practical way to include offsite A practical way to include offsite

participantsparticipants Meeting coordinatorMeeting coordinator

Where are we now?Where are we now?

Roberts (2006) asserts that Roberts (2006) asserts that communities communities of practice are not stable or static entitiesof practice are not stable or static entities (p.625) but instead evolve over time.(p.625) but instead evolve over time.

Steering Committee-taking suggestions Steering Committee-taking suggestions and comments from the membership at and comments from the membership at large, has introduced modifications and large, has introduced modifications and improvements. improvements.

Resources for funding an online Resources for funding an online leadership faculty retreat are being soughtleadership faculty retreat are being sought

Bringing in individuals from outside of the Bringing in individuals from outside of the community to stimulate and challenge community to stimulate and challenge membership thinking is critical to prevent membership thinking is critical to prevent complacency and promote environmental complacency and promote environmental responsiveness responsiveness

Only through the establishment of trust will Only through the establishment of trust will the goal of peer-to-peer assistance be fully the goal of peer-to-peer assistance be fully realized. realized.

Sharing practices, addressing questions Sharing practices, addressing questions and peer critiques can at times be a and peer critiques can at times be a difficult and elusive goal in an academic difficult and elusive goal in an academic environment where units compete for environment where units compete for resources. resources.