Utilizing Virtual Communities in Professional Practice

Utilizing Virtual Communities in Professional Practice
Author: Smerda-Mason, Dana L.
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2024-07-23
Genre: Computers
ISBN:

In an era dominated by the demands of the 21st-century workforce, the imperative for distributed and asynchronous work has never been more pronounced. Global organizations grapple with the challenge of fostering connections for diverse purposes, ranging from team building to promoting inclusivity in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and addressing collaborative operational needs. A deep dive into the creation and utilization of virtual communities, illuminating their effectiveness in various professional settings across industries is necessary to empower leaders to connect with their teams. From informal social learning environments to formal organizational structures, more knowledge is needed to showcase how professionals can leverage authentic connections to inform and support modern professional practice. Utilizing Virtual Communities in Professional Practice serves this purpose and stands as a comprehensive guide that seeks to support professionals in exploring the latest theoretical frameworks underpinning successful virtual communities. Each chapter of the book combines theoretical insights with practical applications, rooted in research and supported by relevant literature. By providing examples from diverse industries, the book empowers individuals to consider new virtual community approaches for their unique professional settings. The objective is to equip readers with new ideas and considerations, enabling them to customize and implement virtual communities effectively in realms such as education, business, and community engagement.

Research Anthology on Facilitating New Educational Practices Through Communities of Learning

Research Anthology on Facilitating New Educational Practices Through Communities of Learning
Author: Management Association, Information Resources
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 843
Release: 2020-10-30
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1799872955

With the future of education being disrupted and the onset of day-to-day uncertainties and challenges that have to be solved quickly, teachers are now turning to professional development communities/support communities where they can share and learn about effective practices to use in the classroom. While transitioning to blended or online learning and keeping up with the technological advances in education, these communities provide an essential backbone for teachers to rely on for support and updated knowledge on what educational practices are being utilized, how they are working, and what solutions have been found for the ever-changing climate of education. Research on the benefits and use of these communities, as well as on the latest educational practices, is essential in teacher development and student learning in the current culture of a rapidly changing educational environment. The Research Anthology on Facilitating New Educational Practices Through Communities of Learning contains hand-selected, previously published research that provides information on the communities of learning that teachers are currently involved in to seek the latest educational practices. The chapters cover the context of these communities, the benefits, and an overview of how this support is a necessary tool in today’s practices of teaching and learning. While highlighting topics such as learning communities, teacher development, mentoring, and virtual communities, this book is essential for inservice and preservice teachers, administrators, teacher educators, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in how communities of practice tie into professional development, teacher learning, and the online shift in teaching.

Utilizing Virtual Communities in Professional Practice

Utilizing Virtual Communities in Professional Practice
Author: Douglas John Koch
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024
Genre: Identity (Psychology)
ISBN:

"This book supports those interested in the latest theoretical frameworks that provide a basis of understanding for successful virtual communities, so that others may be able to consider how aspects of professional circles can be affected by virtual communities"--

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice
Author: Jacquie McDonald
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 644
Release: 2016-11-14
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9811028796

In this book about communities of practice in the international, higher education sector, the authors articulate the theoretical foundations of communities of practice (CoPs), research into their application in higher education, leadership roles and how CoPs sustain and support professional learning. Research demonstrates that communities of practice build professional and personal links both within and across faculty, student services and administrative and support units. This book describes how community of practice members may be physically co-located and how social media can be used to connect members across geographically diverse locations. It positions higher education communities of practice within the broader community of practice and social learning literature, and articulates the importance of community of practice leadership roles, and the growing focus on the use of social media for community of practice implementation. The multiple perspectives provide higher education leaders, academic and professional staff with the means to establish, or reflect on existing CoPs, by sharing insights and critical reflections on their implementation strategies, practical guidelines and ideas on how community of practice’s theoretical underpinnings can be tailored to the higher education context.

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice
Author: Etienne Wenger
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1999-09-28
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1107268370

This book presents a theory of learning that starts with the assumption that engagement in social practice is the fundamental process by which we get to know what we know and by which we become who we are. The primary unit of analysis of this process is neither the individual nor social institutions, but the informal 'communities of practice' that people form as they pursue shared enterprises over time. To give a social account of learning, the theory explores in a systematic way the intersection of issues of community, social practice, meaning, and identity. The result is a broad framework for thinking about learning as a process of social participation. This ambitious but thoroughly accessible framework has relevance for the practitioner as well as the theoretician, presented with all the breadth, depth, and rigor necessary to address such a complex and yet profoundly human topic.

Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education

Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education
Author: Jacquie McDonald
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 676
Release: 2016-11-23
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9811028664

In this edited collection, the authors pick up the communities of practice (CoP) approach of sharing practice in their reflection on the experience of taking their CoP vision from a dream to reality. Their stories articulate the vision, the passion and the challenge of working within and/or changing existing institutional culture and practice. The book discusses strategies that worked and considers the lessons learnt to inspire future dreamers and schemers. The multiple perspectives provided in the case studies will assist higher education leaders, as well as academic and professional staff, in establishing or assessing CoPs. The book offers insights into implementation strategies, practical guidelines and ideas on how CoP theoretical underpinnings can be tailored to the higher education context.

Building Successful Online Communities

Building Successful Online Communities
Author: Robert E. Kraut
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2016-02-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0262528916

How insights from the social sciences, including social psychology and economics, can improve the design of online communities. Online communities are among the most popular destinations on the Internet, but not all online communities are equally successful. For every flourishing Facebook, there is a moribund Friendster—not to mention the scores of smaller social networking sites that never attracted enough members to be viable. This book offers lessons from theory and empirical research in the social sciences that can help improve the design of online communities. The authors draw on the literature in psychology, economics, and other social sciences, as well as their own research, translating general findings into useful design claims. They explain, for example, how to encourage information contributions based on the theory of public goods, and how to build members' commitment based on theories of interpersonal bond formation. For each design claim, they offer supporting evidence from theory, experiments, or observational studies.

Teacher Learning in the Digital Age

Teacher Learning in the Digital Age
Author: Chris Dede
Publisher: Harvard Education Press
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2016-03-29
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1612508995

With an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training, Teacher Learning in the Digital Age examines exemplary models of online and blended teacher professional development, including information on the structure and design of each model, intended audience, and existing research and evaluation data. From video-based courses to just-in-time curriculum support platforms and MOOCs for educators, the cutting-edge initiatives described in these chapters illustrate the broad range of innovative programs that have emerged to support preservice and in-service teachers in formal and informal settings. “As teacher development moves online,” the editors argue, “it’s important to ask what works and what doesn’t and for whom,” They address these questions by gathering the feedback of many of the top researchers, developers, and providers working in the field today. Filled with abundant resources, Teacher Learning in the Digital Age reveals critical lessons and insights for designers, researchers, and educators in search of the most efficient and effective ways to leverage technology to support formal, as well as informal, teacher learning.