CO11: Using Moodle to Build and Run Communities of Practice

Using Moodle to Build and Run Communities of Practice : Using Moodle to Build and Run Communities of Practice Christel Broady, Ph.D. Nicholas Broady, MA

Slide 2 : Participants in This Session Will Learn about the theoretical foundations of CoP Learn how to use moodle to establish and run Cops Learn about the authors’ assertions about the outcomes of CoPs Learn about the authors’ ideas on how CoPs can be used in a variety of settings, disciplines, languages, and nations Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 3 : Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos Background: Learning and information management have undergone a huge transformation in the past few decades. Not long ago, a person with a professional degree was regarded as the owner of great knowledge and wisdom. Today, however, a professional person is only as well-trained as their continued upkeep of information. Therefore, professionals of the 21st Century have to be life-long learners. Much of such development and learning is not acquired in formal learning settings.

Slide 4 : Background continued: In this presentation, the authors will present the idea that knowledge acquisition need to happen in a bottom-up and not top-down fashion. The authors believe that professionals need to drive their need of knowledge by getting together with others in the same discipline to discuss the status quo and needed change. Such professional dialogue, in the opinion of the authors, holds great promise for professional development. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 5 : Background continued: The authors view the concept of communities of practice facilitated by moodle as one promising way for professionals to maintain their highest professional status over time despite rapid changes. They base their theoretical framework on the work of Lave and Wenger. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

This Session.. : This Session.. …will present examples of 2 CoPs: Extention Service ESL Teacher Training Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

What is eXtension? : What is eXtension? All universities engage in research and teaching, but the nation's more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities, have a third critical mission—extension. "Extension" means "reaching out," and—along with teaching and research—land-grant institutions "extend" their resources, solving public needs with college or university resources through non-formal, non-credit programs. These programs are largely administered through thousands of county and regional extension offices, which bring land-grant expertise to the most local of levels. The extension system also supports the eXtension Web site. One of the goals of eXtension is to develop a coordinated, Internet-based information system where customers will have round-the-clock access to trustworthy, balanced views of specialized information and education on a wide range of topics. For customers, the value will be personalized, validated information addressing their specific questions, issues, and life events in an aggregated, non-duplicative approach. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Nick’s Role at eXtension : Nick’s Role at eXtension Currently he is the director of Content appraisal Lead contact for 8 CoPs Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 9 : According to the business industry, “a community of practice (CoP) is a network of people who share a common interest in a specific area of knowledge or competence and are willing to work and learn together over a period of time to develop and share that knowledge.” (source: eXtension website) Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 10 : Theoretical Foundations CoP: The term was first used in 1991 by theorists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger who discussed the notion of legitimate peripheral participation. Lave and Wenger are credited with coining the term "community of practice" and defining them as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis." They also believs that learning is a social activity and that people learn best in groups. http://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html http://cpsquare.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 11 : In practice, CoPs can greatly vary in their characteristics. Some may be small and localized, while others will be geographically dispersed "virtual communities" that communicate primarily at a distance through online collaborative tools, videoconferencing, e-mail, and other technologies. For the purposes of this presentation, we will primarily focus upon CoPs that function in a virtual manner across institutional boundaries and state lines. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 12 : CoPs “differ from the usual notion of a team or work groups in a number of fundamental ways: Voluntary membership - Whereas teams and workgroups are formed by management, membership of a community of practice is voluntary Specific focus - Teams and workgroups are formed to focus on a specific objective or activity, while communities of practice are not necessarily; they may have some stated goals, but they are more general and fluid Existence defined by group members - Teams and workgroups are disbanded or reorganized once they have achieved their goals, while communities of practice last as long as their members want them to last.” Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 13 : The notion of CoPs involves a culture shift from individual assignments to working together over time for the common good of the appropriate Community of Interest being served. For higher education, the shift for content providers and creators is from educational products and programs created by individuals to educational products and programs created, revised, and maintained over time by a community of content providers. It is a move from a “me” to a “we” environment. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 14 : For Cooperative Extension, with the multitude of content created and available throughout the system, it is crucial that we use CoPs, “the killer knowledge management application*,” to best serve our clientele. (*term by Melissie Clemmons Rumizen/eXtension website ) Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 15 : The National Electronic Library for Health One is one additional example of an organization using CoP's. According to their web site, CoPs: Provide a valuable vehicle for developing, sharing, and managing specialist knowledge Avoid "reinventing the wheel" Cut across departmental boundaries and formal reporting lines Can be more flexible than traditional organizational units Generate new knowledge in response to problems and opportunities Provide early warning of potential opportunities and threats Can be a vehicle for cultural change (creating a knowledge sharing culture) Are largely self-organizing Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 16 : CoPs provide benefits for individual members, including: Having access to expert help to expand horizons, gain knowledge, and seek help in addressing work challenges Members often feel more conscious of, and confident in, their own personal knowledge Provides a nonthreatening forum to explore and test ideas or validate courses of action Can foster a greater sense of professional commitment and enhance members’ professional reputation. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 17 : For eXtension, a Community of Practice (CoP) is defined as virtual network of subject matter content providers consisting of faculty, professional and para-professional staff, county educators, industry experts, clientele, and government agency representation who share knowledge or competence in a specific content area and are willing to work and learn together over a period of time to further develop and share that knowledge in forms of educational products and programs. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 18 : Specific functions of a CoP include: Helping meet the knowledge needs of their respective Communities of Interest (CoI) or clientele. Stewardship of the available knowledge for their specific content area, including revisions, updates, and maintenance. Best practice development of educational products and programs. Innovation in content area knowledge and delivery. Ongoing engagement with their corresponding Community of Interest. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 19 : The cumulative aggregation of expertise in a CoP will result in more efficient use of faculty and staff time and more efficient use of resources and technology and will reduce redundant activity and duplication of effort. The formation of CoP will result in higher quality learning material and access to national resources and will increase the skill sets of CoP members. Ultimately, highly functional CoPs will provide quality customer service with daily interaction with CoI. Members of the CoP will apply their lessons learned through the CoP to their home institution, resulting in more effective institutional practices. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 20 : Guiding Principles for Content Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 21 : Believe in “Openly Shared” Educational Product Development Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 22 : Content Authors Will Retain Development Recognition for Promotion and Tenure Purposes Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 23 : Individual members who develop content as a CoP member must be willing to leave said content with the community if they are no longer part of the CoP. However, past and present members of the CoP can use products created by the CoP in their own home institution’s programming effort Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 24 : Educational products developed will belong to the system (the CoP, eXtension and ultimately the Cooperative Extension System) and not any one institution or entity. Products are part of the CoP and will change over time as the needs of the CoI evolve and change as new information is developed Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 25 : Believe others in your field with appropriate qualifications (i.e., training and experience) can make contributions/decisions about content that are sound and for the greater good Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 26 : Believe in unselfish joint ownership and peer-reviewed development of content Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 27 : Believe change is continuous in most content areas Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 28 : Believe some content is unique to local, state, or multi-state audiences while some may apply to a national audience Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Slide 29 : Believe we can no longer afford duplication of effort in the system and we must prepare to engage users in new ways Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

How Moodle Fits In : How Moodle Fits In Moodle is a content management system that has a number of tools included that allow for collaboration and communication. It is one of the tools eXtension uses with their CoPs to create a collaborative environment.  On a small scale it is more than adequate to stand on its own as a tool to house a community of practice. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Collaborative Tools within Moodle : Collaborative Tools within Moodle Wiki Forum Glossary Chat Questionnaire Journal Lesson Survey Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

wiki : wiki A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative works. Examples include community websites, corporate intranets, knowledge management systems, and note services. The software can also be used for personal note taking. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

eXtension's use of Wiki's : eXtension's use of Wiki's It is one of the major ways CoPs collaborate.  Currently the wiki's used are from Media Wiki because they are more comprehensive, but the draw back is they are often times a bit complicated to learn how to use.  Moodles wiki's are created using a WYSIWYG editor.  It is very easy. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Forum : Forum The forum module is an activity where students and teachers can exchange ideas by posting comments. There are 4 basic forum types. Forum posts can be graded by the teacher or other students.  This is a place for trouble shooting and hashing out ideas Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Glossary : Glossary The Glossary activity allows participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary.  Having a glossary within a community of practice is very important.  From my experience members of a CoP should have a shared understanding of what important terms mean. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Chat : Chat The Chat activity module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion via the web. This is a useful way to get a different understanding of each other and the topic being discussed – the mode of using a chat room is quite different from the asynchronous forums. The Chat module contains a number of features for managing and reviewing chat discussions. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Questionnaire : Questionnaire The Moodle Questionnaire module is a survey-like type of activity. It allows teachers to create a wide range of questions to get student feedback e.g. on a course or activities. The goals of the Questionnaire module are quite different from those of the Moodle Lesson or Quiz modules. With Questionnaire you do not test or assess the student, you gather data. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Journal : Journal This module allows a teacher to ask students to reflect on a particular topic. The students can edit and refine their answer over time. See the Journal module documentation for more details. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Lesson : Lesson The lesson module presents a series of HTML pages to the student, who is usually asked to make some sort of choice underneath the content area. The choice will send them to a specific page in the Lesson. In a Lesson page's simplest form, the student can select a continue button at the bottom of the page, which will send them to the next page in the Lesson. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Survey : Survey The Survey activity module provides standard, verified survey instruments that have proven useful in evaluating what students are doing and thinking in your classes. Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Shifting Gears : Shifting Gears Another Area of Application by Christel Broady Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Other Areas of CreatingCoP : Other Areas of CreatingCoP Education and Teacher Professional Development Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Current Paradigm : Current Paradigm Top-Down Approach: The specialist come to the teachers with prepared content and knowledge They hand out papers They lecture They impress They often create boredom Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

What the Top-Down Approach will Not Achieve : What the Top-Down Approach will Not Achieve -Connect with teacher reality -Connect with teacher needs based on special situation in individual school, district, community -Content is not initiated by teachers -Experience is not requested by teachers -Connect with teacher life Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Why does PD Happen This Way? : Why does PD Happen This Way? -Professional Development is BIG $$$ -Administrators owe favors and favors are exchanged -Administrators believe in magic bullets which immediately fix problems -The USA have a culture of instant reward and an expectations that training will show immediate change Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

The Wasteland : The Wasteland Efforts are duplicated and wheels are reinvented One school does not capitalize on successful innovations at other schools because all operate in isolated spheres Teachers are not driving professional development even though they know what they need to be better teachers Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

The Solution: CoP : The Solution: CoP Proposal Put specialists and end-users (teachers) together via the internet/moodle Let teachers drive the topics of development Let specialists offer research innovations for teachers to consider Let teachers become specialists with each other Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Content/Knowledge is Power : Content/Knowledge is Power Move away from specialists and book companies “owning” ideas and innovations Move away from expensive textbooks and materials Move to shared knowledge created on platforms such as Wiki Share and build onto each other’s brainpower Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Create Comprehensive Resources : Create Comprehensive Resources Resources and knowledge should serve a wide variety of contexts but serve educators in ONE goal: To train children to the maximum of their potential Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Sustainibility : Sustainibility Create networks that make teachers specialists who think of themselves as problem solvers and researchers Create teaching positions that allot time and resources so that teachers can participate in CoPs Create a reward system that acknowledges teachers who become CoP leaders Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Rethink the Role of Specialists : Rethink the Role of Specialists Everybody who participates in the creation of professional knowledge base is a specialist Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Participate in a Global Worldwith 21 Century Skills : Participate in a Global Worldwith 21 Century Skills More and more issues in education become like those other countries face And yet is apparent that education still has not reached a global dimension mirroring the business world CoP in education can create a global world in education Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Let’s Train Teachers to Take Charge of Education Worldwide : Let’s Train Teachers to Take Charge of Education Worldwide Give teachers the tools to own educational knowledge together with peers all over the world! Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Moodle : Moodle Moodle is a free platform that allows for teacher use worldwide in all areas discussed before It can also be used as a social networking CoP tool Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

For More Information on Education:See Christel Broady’s presentation : For More Information on Education:See Christel Broady’s presentation Integrating Technology for Active Life-long Learning Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos

Thanks for Your Time and Attention : Thanks for Your Time and Attention Questions? Contact Nick @ nbroady0001@gmail.com Contact Christel @ Christel_broady@georgetowncollege.edu Broady copyright January 2011 * reproductions of parts or entire material only with written permission of authos