Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Connected Community of Practice in Educational Technology: A Model for Future Networked Professional Development?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education

Abstract

While intentionally created communities of practice have continued to grow within the higher education context, simultaneously an organic ‘networked’ community has grown amongst those involved in researching and implementing educational technology internationally. This global community, which we refer to as the “educational technology community”, represents a new and emerging type of community of practice (CoP) that is not bound by geographic location or a need for synchronous contact between members. This chapter will examine this organically evolving educational technology community as a model for future networked CoPs. This analysis will lead to a possible model for future networked CoPs which will align with current thinking about networked learning and professional development (e.g. Sloep in Technology-enhanced professional learning: processes, practices and tools. Routledge, New York, 2014). The overall aim of the chapter therefore is to explore possible future methods of professional development through networked learning in higher education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    It is recognised here that the traditional notion of ‘academic development’ has evolved over the last decade. The term is used here as established nomenclature. Discussion of the appropriateness of the terms ‘academic development’ and ‘academic developer’ is beyond the scope of this chapter. Despite this, it is worth noting here that these roles and the broader role of centralised learning and teaching units have changed markedly in many parts of the world over recent years (see Holt et al. 2011).

References

  • Alexander, C. (1979). The timeless way of building. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baik, C., Naylor, R., & Arkoudis, S. (2015). The first year experience in Australian universities: A decade of findings. Melbourne: Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barac, K., Davies, L., Duffy, S., Aitkin, N., & Lodge, J. M. (2013). Five stages of online course design: Taking the grief out of converting courses for online delivery. In H. Carter, M. Gosper & J. Hedberg (Eds.), Electric dreams. Proceedings ascilite 2013 Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barile, S., Franco, G., Nota, G., & Saviano, M. (2012). Structure and dynamics of a “T-shaped” knowledge: From individuals to cooperating communities of practice. Service Science, 4(2), 161–180. doi:10.1287/serv.1120.0014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, A. W., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates, A. T., & Sangra, A. (2011). Managing technology in higher education: Strategies for transforming teaching and learning. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, S. N. K., & Ward, C. L. (2013). Teaching with technology: Using TPACK to understand teaching expertise in online higher education. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 48(2), 153–172. doi:10.2190/EC.48.2.c

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. New York: Greenwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, W. G. (2015). Higher education in the digital age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. S., & Duguid, P. (1991). Organizational learning and communities-of-practice. Organization Science, 2(1), 40–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, D. (2011). Progress and challenges to the recognition and reward of the scholarship of teaching in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(1), 25–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conole, G. (2012). Designing for learning in an open world (Vol. 4). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, C. (2014). The habitus of digital scholars. Research in Learning Technology, 21, 1–17. doi:10.3402/rlt.v21.21274

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, A. (2005). What are communities of practice? A comparative review of four seminal works. Journal of Information Science, 31(6), 527–540. doi:10.1177/0165551505057016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Houwer, J., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Moors, A. (2013). What is learning? On the nature and merits of a functional definition of learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. doi:10.3758/s13423-013-0386-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2009). How the crowd can teach. In S. Hatzipanagos & S. Warburton (Eds.), Handbook of research on social software and developing community. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodyear, P. (2004). Advances in research on networked learning. Dordrecht: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodyear, P. (2005). Educational design and networked learning: Patterns, pattern languages and design practice. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 21(1), 82–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gosper, M., Malfroy, J., & McKenzie, J. (2013). Students’ experiences and expectations of technologies: An Australian study designed to inform planning and development decisions. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(2), 268–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, M. S.-J., & Lodge, J. M. (2015). Academic workload: The silent barrier to the implementation of technology-enhanced learning strategies in higher education. Distance Education, 36(2), 210–230. doi:10.1080/01587919.2015.1055056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, M. (2015). The (mis)use of community of practice: Delusion, confusion and instrumentalism in educational technology research. In S. Bulfin, N. F. Johnson, & C. Bigum (Eds.), Critical perspectives on technology and education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, D., Palmer, S., & Challis, D. (2011). Changing perspectives: Teaching and learning centres’ strategic contributions to academic development in Australian higher education. International Journal for Academic Development, 16(1), 5–17. doi:10.1080/1360144X.2011.546211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D., & Clark, D. (2014). Breaking BAD to bridge the reality/rhetoric chasm. In B. Hegarty, J. McDonald & S.-K. Loke (Eds.), Rhetoric and reality: Critical perspectives on educational technology. Proceedings ascilite Dunedin 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, S., Lefoe, G., Harvey, M., & Ryland, K. (2012). Distributed leadership: A collaborative framework for academics, executives and professionals in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(1), 67–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kassens-Noor, E. (2012). Twitter as a teaching practice to enhance active and informal learning in higher education: The case of sustainable tweets. Active Learning in Higher Education, 13(1), 9–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking university teaching: A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies (2nd ed.). London: Routledge Falmer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Laurillard, D. (2013). Teaching as a design science: Building pedagogical patterns for learning and technology. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, J. M. (2010). Communicating with first year students; so many channels but is anyone listening? A practice report. Journal of the First Year in Higher Education. doi:10.5204/intjfyhe.v1i1.23

    Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, J. M., & Bosanquet, A. (2014). Evaluating quality learning in higher education: Re-examining the evidence. Quality in Higher Education, 20(1), 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, J. M., & Lewis, M. J. (2012). Pigeon pecks and mouse clicks: Putting the learning back into learning analytics. In M. Brown, M. Hartnett & T. Stewart (Eds.), Future challenges, sustainable futures. Proceedings ascilite Wellington 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, J. M., & Lewis, M. J. (2015). Professional education, knowledge, inquiry and expertise in MOOCs. In L. McKay & J. Lenarcic (Eds.), Macro-level learning through massive open online courses (MOOCs): Strategies and predictions for the future. IGI Global: Hershey, PA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matzat, U. (2013). Do blended virtual learning communities enhance teachers’ professional development more than purely virtual ones? A large scale empirical comparison. Computers & Education, 60(1), 40–51. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.08.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, J., Star, C., Burch, T., Cox, M., Nagy, J. & Margetts, F., & Collins, E. (2012). Identifying, building and sustaining leadership capacity for communities of practice in higher education. Project Report. Sydney: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-identifying-building-and-sustaining-leadership-capacity-communities-practice-higher-educati

  • Mirriahi, N., & Alonzo, D. (2015). Shedding light on students’ technology preferences: Implications for academic development. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 12(1), 6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. The Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1054–1107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Njenga, J. K., & Fourie, L. C. H. (2010). The myths about e-learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 199–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selwyn, N. (2015). Technology and education—Why it’s crucial to be critical. In S. Bulfin, N. Johnson, & C. Bigum (Eds.), Critical perspectives on technology and education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelton, C. (2014). “Virtually mandatory”: A survey of how discipline and institutional commitment shape university lecturers’ perceptions of technology. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45, 748–759. doi:10.1111/bjet.12051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sloep, P. (2014). Networked professional learning. In A. Littlejohn & A. Margaryan (Eds.), Technology-enhanced professional learning: Processes, practices and tools. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P. G. (1998). Institutional change in uncertain times: Lone ranging is not enough. Studies in Higher Education, 23(3), 269–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tight, M. (2015). Theory application in higher education research: The case of communities of practice. European Journal of Higher Education. doi:10.1080/21568235.2014.997266

    Google Scholar 

  • Veletsianos, G. (2011). Higher education scholars’ participation and practices on Twitter. Journal of Computer Assisted learning, 28(4), 336–349. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00449.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veletsianos, G., & Navarrete, C. (2012). Online social networks as formal learning environments: Learner experiences and activities. The International Review of Research in Open And Distance Learning, 13(1), 144–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venema, S., & Lodge, J. M. (2013). Capturing dynamic presentation: Using technology to enhance the chalk and the talk. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. doi:10.1234/ajet.v29i1.62

    Google Scholar 

  • Watters, A. (2014). Men explain technology to me: On gender, Ed-tech, and the refusal to be silent. Hack Education. http://hackeducation.com/2014/11/18/gender-and-ed-tech/. Accessed Feburary 15, 2015.

  • Weller, M. (2011). The digital scholar: How technology is changing academic practice. London: Bloomsbury.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E., White, N., & Smith, J. (2009). Digital habitats: Stewarding technology for communities. Portland, OR: CPSquare.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitchurch, C. (2008). Shifting identities and blurring boundaries: The emergence of third space professionals in UK higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 62(4), 377–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitchurch, C. (2012). Reconstructing identities in higher education: The rise of ‘third space’ professionals. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, and ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

    Jason M. Lodge & Linda Corrin

Authors
  1. Jason M. Lodge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linda Corrin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason M. Lodge .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

    Jacquie McDonald

  2. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

    Aileen Cater-Steel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lodge, J.M., Corrin, L. (2017). The Connected Community of Practice in Educational Technology: A Model for Future Networked Professional Development?. In: McDonald, J., Cater-Steel, A. (eds) Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2866-3_25

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2866-3_25

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-2865-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-2866-3

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation