Communities of inquiry: developing digital literacies in teachers and students

Teachers’ and students’ classroom work is increasingly described as knowledge work conducted in a in a rapidly changing globalised, digital world. To enable teachers to effectively support students in the shifting contexts created by constantly emerging new technologies, teacher professional learning has gained prominence as a priority area in education (Yates, 2007). This paper reports on research into teacher and student learning of digital literacies within the context of a project undertaken by a university and an educational authority. The professional learning project was designed to enable practising teachers to engage their students with digital literacies.The project seeks to offer innovative, differentiated professional learning by combining the concept of a collaborative learning community with structures of distributed leadership and processes of inquiry learning. The mixed methods research explored teacher and student learning through online surveys and case studies. Initial findings indicate that teacher agency, knowledge creation and commitment to sustained pedagogical change were fostered through inter- and intra-school communities of inquiry. Purposeful development of digital tools, within the context of teacher inquiry, collaboration and distributed leadership, led to increased and discerning use of these tools by teachers. As a result students had greater school-based access to digital tools and teachers and students worked collaboratively to develop their digital literacies.

Creating communities of practice : scoping purposeful design

Purpose – This paper seeks to scope the nature and form of practices, understandings and institutional arrangements that might contribute to the successful “design” and continuity of Communities of Practice (CoP) in a state government department in Australia. The study aims to provide research evidence to support the design and establishment of a CoP based on systems thinking within this department. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 13 semi-structured interviews were undertaken involving 14 informants. The interviewer also attended one CoP meeting. An emergent approach to research design was adopted with data analysis guided by previous studies on CoPs. Findings – The research revealed the existence of six CoPs that were purposefully created internally by the department. Six “design” and practice considerations were suggested for practitioners aiming to create and sustain successful CoPs. Research limitations/implications – Interview material was the only source of primary data and it was gathered from one organisation only – a state government department in Australia. Findings indicate that the role of the CoP coordinator is still not fully understood. Practical implications – The results from this study can be used in re-designing a systems thinking CoP to support systems thinking within the department. The study also revealed that purposefully designing CoPs is possible and useful for practitioners aiming to collaborate and share expertise across disciplinary and divisional boundaries. Originality/value – This study provides some guidance for the purposeful design of CoPs, which has been under-examined in the literature.

Learning from others at work: communities of practice and informal learning

This paper addresses the question of who is involved in learning in workplaces and the ways in which members of workgroups learn as part of their normal work. It draws on qualitative data from a study of multiple worksites with differentiated work within a large organisation. It examines the value of the notion of communities of practice in conceptualising such workplace learning and suggests that other forms of conceptualisation are also needed.

Analysis of circadian rhythms from online communities of individuals with affective disorders

The circadian system regulates 24 hour rhythms in biological creatures. It impacts mood regulation. The disruptions of circadian rhythms cause destabilization in individuals with affective disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorders. Previous work has examined the role of the circadian system on effects of light interactions on mood-related systems, the effects of light manipulation on brain, the impact of chronic stress on rhythms. However, such studies have been conducted in small, preselected populations. The deluge of data is now changing the landscape of research practice. The unprecedented growth of social media data allows one to study individual behavior across large and diverse populations. In particular, individuals with affective disorders from online communities have not been examined rigorously. In this paper, we aim to use social media as a sensor to identify circadian patterns for individuals with affective disorders in online communities.We use a large scale study cohort of data collecting from online affective disorder communities. We analyze changes in hourly, daily, weekly and seasonal affect of these clinical groups in contrast with control groups of general communities. By comparing the behaviors between the clinical groups and the control groups, our findings show that individuals with affective disorders show a significant distinction in their circadian rhythms across the online activity. The results shed light on the potential of using social media for identifying diurnal individual variation in affective state, providing key indicators and risk factors for noninvasive wellbeing monitoring and prediction.

Leaning towards collegiality: narratives of university communities of practice

This study explored the relationship between professional learning, community, narrative and identity in strategic communities established to enhance teaching and learning at three Australian universities. It adds to the field by proposing an adaptive model for understanding and fostering future communities of practice in higher education.

Touching space: Using motion capture and stereo projection to create a "virtual haptics" of dance

This paper describes the work of a group of artists in Australia who used real-time motion capture and 3D stereo projection to create a large-scale performance environment in which dancers seemed to "touch" the volume. This project re-versions Suzanne Langer's 1950s philosophy of dance as "virtual force" to realize the idea of a "virtual haptics" of dance that extends the dancer's physical agency literally across and through the surrounding spatial volume. The project presents a vision of interactive dance performance that "touches" space by visualizing kinematics as intentionality and agency. In doing so, we suggest the possibility of new kinds of human-computer interfaces that emphasize touch as embodied, nuanced agency that is mediated by the subtle qualities of whole-body movement, in addition to more goal-oriented, task-based gestures such as pointing or clicking. © 2010.

It ain't just what you do and the way that you do it: why discourse matters in higher education communities of practice

A number of Australian universities have established and sponsored interdisciplinary communities of practice (CoPs) to develop teaching and learning. CoPs are popularly defined as groups of people who share a passion for something and, together, learn how to do it better. Without further specification, this definition is of limited use in understanding intentionally established CoPs in higher education settings. The term CoP is used and applied in a range of ways in higher education and has been accompanied by some scholarly debate about the meaning and relevance of CoPs to academe. The prevalent response to such debate has been to propose typologies. While typology can be useful, epistemology and discourse are also significant in understanding and developing higher education CoPs. In this paper I focus on discourse surrounding CoPs as a conceptual and developmental factor which has been insufficiently considered in the literature on higher education CoPs. I draw on findings from interviews with 33 CoP members and facilitators in three Australian universities. My findings indicate that discourse surrounding CoPs is significant in shaping notions of participatory value. Connecting with the literature, my findings also reveal a ‘big D’ Discourse of collegiality whereby CoPs offer social support and knowledge sharing to build capacity, as well as spaces in which a collegial academic identity can thrive. This coincides in complex and unpredictable ways with a Discourse of managerialism. I conclude that discourse should supplement typology and epistemology in adaptively shaping understandings of contemporary higher education CoPs and their future development.

In good faith: benefits and challenges of a secular NGO working with Melanesian communities of faith

Christian belief across the Pacific region of Melanesia is almost universal. Resulting primarily from missionary activity that in many instances predated colonial interactions, Christian beliefs and institutions are tightly embedded in the political and social domains of these countries (Leach et al. 2013). Melanesian countries, such as the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, also experience constraints to economic development due to limited comparative advantage, poor terms of trade, small and dispersed populations, and geographical disconnectedness (both internal and external). As such, they are highly dependent upon foreign assistance (Feeny and McDonald 2015).

Can knowledge management save regional development?

Australia needs to create innovative regions to sustain economic prosperity and regional development. In order to do this, regions will need to systematically address their knowledge needs and identify tools that are appropriate in maximising their effectiveness. Many initiatives have focused on information and communication technology (ICT) to enable knowledge exchange and stimulate knowledge generation, but active knowledge management (KM) strategies are required if ICTs are to be used effectively. These strategies must respond to the regional economic and social environments which incorporate small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper outlines the importance of KM for supporting regional cluster development and the key ways in which communities of practice (CoPs), a KM technique, have been used to add value in similar contexts. How CoPs and their online counterpart, virtual communities of practice (VCoPs), can be used and developed in regional areas of Australia is considered along with a program for further research.

The telehealth skills, training, and implementation project: an evaluation protocol

Background: Telehealth appears to be an ideal mechanism for assisting rural patients and doctors and medical students/registrars in accessing specialist services. Telehealth is the use of enhanced broadband technology to provide telemedicine and education over distance. It provides accessible support to rural primary care providers and medical educators. A telehealth consultation is where a patient at a general practice, with the assistance of the general practitioner or practice nurse, undertakes a consultation by videoconference with a specialist located elsewhere. Multiple benefits of telehealth consulting have been reported, particularly those relevant to rural patients and health care providers. However there is a paucity of research on the benefits of telehealth to medical education and learning.

Objective: This protocol explains in depth the process that will be undertaken by a collaborative group of universities and training providers in this unique project.

Methods: Training sessions in telehealth consulting will be provided for participating practices and students. The trial will then use telehealth consulting as a real-patient learning experience for students, general practitioner trainees, general practitioner preceptors, and trainees.

Results: Results will be available when the trial has been completed in 2015.

Conclusions: The protocol has been written to reflect the overarching premise that, by building virtual communities of practice with users of telehealth in medical education, a more sustainable and rigorous model can be developed. The Telehealth Skills Training and Implementation Project will implement and evaluate a theoretically driven model of Internet-facilitated medical education for vertically integrated, community-based learning environments

Building virtual learning communities

This chapter introduces the concept of virtual learning communities and discusses and further enhances the theory and definitions presented in related literature. A model comprising four criteria essential to virtual learning communities is presented and discussed in detail. Theory and case studies relating to the impact of virtual learning communities on distance education and students from diverse cultural groups are also examined. In addition, this chapter investigates the enabling technologies and facilitation that is required to build virtual learning communities. Other case studies are used to illustrate the process of building virtual learning communities. Emerging technologies such as wikis and video lectures are also analysed to determine the effects they have on building and sustaining effective virtual learning communities.

The pubstro phenomenon : Robin Hoods of the internet

This paper presents a case study of a compromised Web server that was being used to distribute illegal 'warez'. The mechanism by which the server was compromised is discussed as if the way in which it was found. The hacker organisations that engage in these activities are viewed as a Virtual Community and their rules and code of ethics investigated.

Understanding security threats in virtual worlds

The influx of Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Toyota and Starwood Hotels into the virtual world of Second Life has generated much publicity in 2006 and 2007. The virtual world landscape has changed substantially since. Many early adopters have abandoned virtual worlds, and the number of security-related incidents in virtual worlds has risen substantially. This paper discusses key security threats in virtual worlds, and highlights the need for users and stakeholders to better understand these threats in order to manage them more effectively. The issue of managing security threats in virtual worlds is especially important in ensuring that virtual worlds remain a friendly environment to thriving online communities and ebusiness; and represent an environment whereby the interests of various stakeholders are protected and upheld. The paper contributes to practice and research by (i) raising security awareness among virtual world users and stakeholders, and (ii) prescribing a systematic approach for analyzing the nature and implication of security threats in virtual worlds.