Building virtual communities: learning and change in cyberspace

Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Figures......Page 11
Contributors......Page 13
Series Foreword......Page 17
Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 19
References......Page 22
Foreword......Page 23
References......Page 31
Introduction......Page 37
Community As Symbol and Activity......Page 39
Physical and Virtual Communities......Page 41
Community As Multilayered Communicative Space......Page 48
Acknowledgments......Page 50
References......Page 51
Part One Types of Community......Page 55
What Happened to MediaMOO?......Page 57
Defining Success......Page 58
Splintering Off of Subgroups: A Victim of Success......Page 59
A Historical/Technical Moment......Page 63
Changing Population Models......Page 65
On Leadership......Page 66
Looking Forward......Page 67
References......Page 68
2 Female Voices in Virtual Reality......Page 70
Gender: A Social Construct with Behavioral Implications......Page 72
Study Participants and Methods......Page 73
The Learning Environment: Self-Expression and Relationship Building in a Collaborative Instructional Setting......Page 74
The MOO: A Place for Self-Expression and Social Exchange......Page 75
Collaborative Nature of the Instructional Setting......Page 76
Increased Technical Interest......Page 78
Decreased Technical Anxiety, Increased Technical Confidence......Page 80
Increased Technological Competence......Page 82
Understanding Girls’ Responses......Page 83
Expressing Feelings and Perspectives......Page 85
Developing Relational Skills, Building New Relationships......Page 86
Deriving Enjoyment and Confidence from the Presence of Familiar Others......Page 87
Observing a Technically Proficient Female Role Model......Page 88
Conclusion......Page 90
References......Page 92
3 Community Building with and for Teachers at The Math Forum......Page 96
Forum Teachers......Page 100
Case Descriptions of Three Teachers......Page 101
Sonia Leach......Page 102
Bob Nelson......Page 105
Alecia Smith......Page 108
The Larger Sample of Interviewed Teachers......Page 111
Imagination......Page 113
The Math Forum As a Context for Imagination......Page 114
The Math Forum As Virtual Community......Page 118
Identity......Page 120
Knowledge Building and Change......Page 123
References......Page 128
4 Learning in the Virtual Community Depends upon Changes in Local Communities......Page 132
National School Network: Collaboration and Learning Among Changing Networked School Communities......Page 133
Change in the Member Institutions Affects Learning in the NSN Virtual Community......Page 136
Technical Infrastructure and User Base Grew Rapidly in NSN Schools......Page 137
Agendas and Values Changed......Page 138
Interdependence of NSN Virtual Community and School/Community Projects......Page 139
Collaborative Exchange Models Tested by the NSN......Page 140
NSN Case Studies of School–Community Projects......Page 141
Online Real-Time “Events” in Partnership with Members......Page 142
NSN Support for Telementoring......Page 145
NSN Support of Virtual Communities for Teacher Professional Development......Page 146
NSN’s Monthly Electronic Newsletter......Page 148
NSN Technical and Curriculum Assistance at Member Schools......Page 149
Summary: Interdependence of Learning in the NSN Virtual Community and Change in NSN Members’ Local Communities......Page 150
Institutional Context: DoDEA and Aviano Air Base......Page 151
School–Community Context: Aviano Air Base, 1995–1998......Page 152
TAP Strategy and Resources for Learning and Change......Page 153
Attempts To Create Virtual Community for Professional Development......Page 155
Where School Policies, Operations, Training, and Infrastructure Interact: The Case of the Writing Conference Partners Project......Page 157
Implications for Future Virtual Communities and Educational Change......Page 159
References......Page 160
Part Two Structures and Community......Page 163
5 Evolution of an Online Education Community of Practice......Page 165
Taking Communities of Practice Concepts Online......Page 167
Tapped In® Online Environment and Education CoP Model......Page 168
Evolution of Group Discourse Norms and Skills......Page 173
Discourse Analysis of Online TPD Meetings......Page 174
Evolution of TI Community Services......Page 179
Community Help Desk......Page 180
After-School Discussions......Page 182
Newsletters and Mailing Lists......Page 184
University Classes and Teacher Workshops......Page 186
Why Online Education Communities Fail......Page 187
Toward Systemic Online Education CoPs......Page 190
References......Page 192
6 Building Social Networks Via Computer Networks......Page 195
Computer-Mediated Communication and Learning Communities......Page 196
Social Network Perspective......Page 200
Relations and Ties......Page 201
Networks......Page 203
Relations and Ties in Learning Networks......Page 204
Information Exchange Relations......Page 206
Social Support Relations......Page 208
Task Support Relations......Page 210
Networks of Learners......Page 212
Central Players......Page 213
Cliques......Page 214
Properties of the Whole Network......Page 215
Ego-Centric Views......Page 217
Mediated Support......Page 219
References......Page 220
7 Mask and Identity......Page 227
The Romance with Identity......Page 228
The Experience of Identity......Page 230
Critical Identity......Page 232
Fluctuating Identity......Page 234
Identity Proliferated......Page 237
Radicalizing Change......Page 241
Interpreting Identity......Page 244
Practical Implications......Page 246
References......Page 247
8 WISE Learning Communities......Page 251
Background and Rationale......Page 252
The WISE Perspective......Page 254
The Role of Resources......Page 256
The NetCourse......Page 258
Professional Development Communities......Page 259
Authoring Communities......Page 261
Study of Engineering Authoring Community......Page 262
How Do Resources Support Communities?......Page 263
Design Strategies for Student Communities......Page 265
Scientific Inquiry Communities......Page 266
Peer Review Communities......Page 270
Achieving Learning Goals......Page 272
Support the Actual Practices and Daily Tasks of the Participants......Page 275
Collect Experiences and Represent Them in an Accessible and Equitable Manner......Page 276
Next Steps......Page 277
Next Steps......Page 278
Next Steps......Page 279
References......Page 280
Part Three Possibilities for Community......Page 283
9 Reflexive Modernization and the Emergence of Wired Self-Help......Page 285
Reflexive Modernization......Page 288
Reflexive Modernization and the British Welfare State......Page 292
Information and Communication Technologies and the British Welfare State......Page 294
The MMR Debate......Page 295
The GM Debate......Page 298
Concluding Discussion......Page 300
References......Page 302
Review......Page 305
The Zero-g Project – An Extended Case Study......Page 308
Proposal Stage......Page 309
Refinement Stage......Page 312
Organization Stage......Page 313
Pursuit Stage......Page 315
Floater Ball......Page 316
Analysis of the Pursuit of Challenges......Page 317
Problem Solving and Expression......Page 318
Network Messages during the Pursuit Stage......Page 320
Activity Lifecycle......Page 323
Wrap-up Stage......Page 325
Discussion......Page 326
References......Page 327
11 Learning in Cyberspace......Page 329
Community......Page 331
Curriculum of Community......Page 332
Four Examples of Online Community – KS, Project Achieve, MOOkti, Serbia.web......Page 334
KS-listserve......Page 335
Serbia.web*......Page 339
MOOkti......Page 342
Project Achieve......Page 345
Commentary on Examples......Page 347
Curriculum of Initiation and Governance......Page 350
Curriculum of Community Membership......Page 351
Curriculum of Membership......Page 352
Back to the Beginning......Page 353
References......Page 355
12 Finding the Ties That Bind......Page 357
Models of Collaboration......Page 359
How Can Technology Help a Learning Community?......Page 362
The CILT Community......Page 365
Initial Failures......Page 367
Examining Existing Practices......Page 368
Identifying Potential Improvements......Page 371
Finding Ways Technology Can Help......Page 375
Designing and Building the Tool......Page 376
Cultivating a Community of Use......Page 378
Examining Tool Use......Page 380
Pieces of the Puzzle......Page 381
Defining Learning Communities......Page 382
Finding Ways Technology Can Help......Page 383
Cultivating a Community of Use......Page 384
Understanding Technology’s Consequences......Page 385
Summary......Page 386
References......Page 387
Afterword......Page 391
1. Diverse “Community” Strategies for the Social Design of Dispersed, AITed Learning......Page 394
2. The Effectiveness of Community-Oriented Educational Technology Development......Page 396
3. The Theoretical Value of “Virtual Community” for Deplaced KNing......Page 398
4. Is Community Changing?......Page 401
References......Page 403
Afterword......Page 404
References......Page 411
Index......Page 413