Communities of practice or communicative rationality? A study of autonomous peer assisted learning (original) (raw)
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Developing communities of practice within and outside higher education institutions
British Journal of Educational Technology, 2008
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are largely built on the assumption that learning is an individual process best encouraged by explicit teaching that is, on the whole, separated from social engagement with those outside the university community. This perspective has been theoretically challenged by those who argue for a social constructivist learning theory and a more collaborative approach to learning. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) afford lecturers and students an opportunity for extending the boundaries of a learning experience, not merely beyond the lone individual, but beyond the limits of discipline boundaries within a specific university community and beyond the institution into the local community. This paper illustrates how a collaborative effort between lecturers and students from the Computer Science and Education Departments at Rhodes University, teachers from the local community, the provincial Department of Education and a non-governmental organisation developed into an unfolding virtual and physical community of practice which enabled ICT take-up in a number of schools in the Grahamstown District, South Africa. This discussion of what has become known as the e-Yethu project provides an example of how ICTs, underpinned by the insights of social constructivism, the notion of ‘community of practice’ and in particular Hoadley and Kilner's C4P Framework for Communities of Practice, can serve to help HEIs understand ways in which ICTs can provide opportunities for developing collaborative learning within HEIs, and between the HEI and the local community.
Forming communities of practice in higher education: a comparative analysis
2013
A Communities of Practice (CoPs) is formed when two or more individuals come together voluntarily and informally to share expertise or ideas and are passionate about a common venture. However, the specific guidance to form CoPs in higher educational institutions (HEIs) doesn't exist. This longitudinal comparative action research study will investigate, explore, and describe ways and the feasibility to develop learning communities at higher education institutions in South Africa and Europe. This paper aims to investigate the students' willingness to share their range of resources, preferred forms of communications and readiness to accept tacit (knowing how) knowledge sharing in order to enrich their study methods and decision making skills. Furthermore, the aim is to explore the students' vision of CoP joint activities and discussions in building relationships, trust and an innovative knowledge base in their field of expertise. The researchers conducted an online e-survey of 20 close-ended questions using a five-point Likert-type scale amongst part-time and full-time postgraduate and undergraduate students in three faculties at higher education institutions. The estimated size of the sample for the survey is approximately 500.
Research into first-year students entering higher education shows that student integration into the academic community is a primary condition for student success. Peer support helps students settle into university life. This research explores the value of peer assisted learning (PAL) as a tool in an out-of-classroom context to increase the social and academic integration of first-year university students. Focus group interviews (n=16) were conducted with first-year students (n=93). Using appreciative inquiry, as an innovative qualitative, participative research method, participants suggested that during the first semester of the academic year, peer mentoring and peer modelling especially are important tools. Informally organised peer tutoring stimulates students to participate and is shown to be helpful. This paper aims to prompt further discussion on the implications for Byl et al. Peer assisted learning as a tool for facilitating social and academic integration Journal of Learning...
Forming Communities of practice in Higher Education: a theoretical perspective
2013
Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. The current problem is that there is no specific guidance to form communities of practice (CoP) in higher educational institutions to guide learners' practical and theoretical knowledge and learning experiences. This comparative action research study will investigate, explore and describe ways of developing learning communities at institutions of higher education in South Africa and Europe, as well as determine the feasibility of doing so. In this research project entitled 'Women in research' the team of researchers who are predominantly women will focus on how learner learning can be stimulated through learning in communities of practice. Communities of practice recognise the diverse needs of the increasing numbers of learners entering university with different academic and cultural backgrounds and with varying social expectations and experiences. This study consists of six phases: developing a theoretical framework for communities of practice; exploring preliminary learners' attitudes toward communities of practice; forming pilot communities of practice; evaluating pilot communities of practice groups; implementing action research to pilot communities of practice; and applying the communities of practice model to other groups. The aim of this paper is to highlight phase one of the study, that of developing a theoretical framework for communities of practice. This paper also aims to derive criteria for judging the communities of practice in terms of the facilitation of innovative knowledge sharing in the higher educational environment. This paper takes the form of a literature study to determine theoretical constructs and those that are most suitable to shape a framework to support communities of practice. A significant finding of this study is fifteen criteria for evaluating communities of practice.
2015
The Student Learning Assistant (SLA) scheme was introduced in 2010 at Middlesex University Mauritius Branch Campus (MUMBC). The scheme is similar to traditional peer learning strategies, such as Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) and Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), which are widely operated in higher education environments to motivate student engagement with their learning. Different departments at MUMBC employ the SLA scheme as a student-to-student support mechanism. General feedback from students receiving SLA support reveals benefits of the scheme in terms of students’ active engagement with course materials and deeper understanding of their subject area. However, within these departments, lecturers’ perceptions of the scheme are surprisingly varied. Since the 1970s, a comprehensive range of research has been undertaken on the expansion of peer learning and the welcome benefits it affords to students. Yet, the focus on student experience has been at the expense of overlooking lect...
2005
Reflecting on the experiences of a small remote campus in a change management process, this paper foregrounds the importance of the collegial development of part time casual tutors. The discussion documents the way reflective practice is developed where these staff are facilitated in becoming a community of learners. Reflective practice refers to the interrogation of current practices through discussion, reflection and the potential process of improvement as a result. Development of part time casual tutors in the learning community on the campus and in the wider community is critical on a small campus where subject delivery is controlled from a remote home campus. Community engagement provides the means by which the learning community on campus becomes part of the wider potential learning in the community. This is especially so with the development of knowledge intensive industries where universities can act as 'knowdes' in the knowledge web of the community. Where the tutor...