Implementing Communities of
Practice
Thursday April 23, Noon to 1pm
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Communities of Practice
• “Successful communities of practice provide forms of
participation that encompass the past and open the future.
The quality of participation is not just defined in terms of
activities, but as a trajectory through time”—E. Wenger
(1996)
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Communities of Practice
• What are the burning issues facing faculty on
campus?
– Comments in the Montana E-Learning Network
– 2 minute brainstorm
– Talk and Type
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
Course Development Model
Robert Squires UMOnline
Extended Learning Institute
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
XLS Commons
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
MUS Community of Practice
• Adjunct Course
• Quality Assurance Rubric
• Discussion Facilitation Research
• Student Support Services
• Montana E-Learning Network
• Suggestions/ Ideas?
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline
References and Resources
Nagy, J. & Burch, T. (2009). Communities of practice in academe (COP-iA):
Understanding academic work practices to enable knowledge building capacities in corporate universities.
Oxford Review of Education,35:2, 227 — 247.
Nickols, F. (2000). Communities of Practice: Definition, Indicators & Identifying Characteristics.
Retrieved April 16, 2009, from Distance Consulting: http://home.att.net/~discon/KM/CoPCharacteristics.htm
Wenger, E. Communities of Practice: The Social Fabric of a Learning Organization. Retrieved April 25, 2009,
from Communities of Practice: http://www.ewenger.com/pub/index.htm
Wenger, E. (N.D.). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from Communities of
Practice: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
Wenger, E., White, N, & Smith, J.D. (2009). Digital Habitats Community Orientation Spidergram Activity.
Entry posted to Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technology for Communities blog, archived at
http://technologyforcommunities.com/2009/04/digital-habitats-community-orientation-spidergram-activity/
Mary Engstrom and Robert Squires ,
UMOnline