Developing an Effective Community of Practice for the Uptake of Technology Facilitated Learning

This workshop intends to explore the concept of Communities of Practice as they apply to HE institutions. The concept of sharing practice and knowledge through the development of effective Communities of Practice (CoP) is gaining ground in the HE arena, focusing on the ability of a community to “cultivate organisational knowledge” (Puspitasari and Numao, 2012: no page cited). A growing body of evidence suggests that it is an effective mechanism to share knowledge and help support aspects of teaching and learning (McDermott, 1999, 2000, Wenger et al, 2002, Tremblay, 2007, Nugent et al, 2008, Puspitasari and Numao, 2012 and Swan et al, 2012). This project arose out of the recognition that an informal CoP already exists in the Ulster Business School, University of Ulster and elsewhere in the University, in relation to the uptake and adoption of technology facilitated learning (TFL). This session will share the experience of galvanising progress already made and the further establishment of a CoP. This CoP focuses in particular, on the development of guides, case studies and wikis on the implementation of particular aspects of TFL. Additionally, the aim is to pilot a mentoring system to help staff who may be less familiar and/or more resistant to the use of the technology, allowing them to learn more about its functionality and key benefits in order to make informed decisions about its utilisation. The session is aimed at exploring the effectiveness of such CoPs and will focus on staff reflections and evaluations of the process. It is also intended that the concept of CoPs elsewhere will be explored through discussion of best practice in relation to CoPs, where their effectiveness can be exchanged and shared through this discussion.