Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning

by Edited by Sasha Barab , Rob Kling , James H. Gray

• ISBN13: 9780521817554
• ISBN10: 0521817552
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-29
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

While many of us are concerned with the loss of communal spaces and ties that broaden one's sense of self beyond the 'me' or 'I' and into the 'we' and 'us', less clear are the educational advantages of a community approach in terms of learning curricular content. The chapters in this volume explore the theoretical, design, learning, and methodological questions with respect to designing for and researching web-based communities to support learning. The authors, coming from diverse academic backgrounds (computer science, information science, instructional systems technology, educational psychology, sociology, and anthropology), are frank in examining what we do and do not know about the processes and practices of designing communities to support learning. Taken as a collection, these manuscripts point to the challenges and complex tensions that emerge when designing for web-supported community, especially when the focal practice of the community is learning.

Author Biography

Sasha A. Barab, Indiana University Amy Bruckman, Georgia Institute of Technology Blaise Cronin, Indiana University Christina Courtright, Indiana University Sharon J. Derry, University of Wisconsin-Madison Judith Fusco, SRI International James H. Gray, SRI International Noriko Hara, Indiana University Christian Heath, King's College Susan C. Herring, Indiana University Jim Hewitt, University of Toronto Kirk Job-Sluder, Indiana University Rob Kling, Indiana University Emmanuel F. Koku, University of Toronto Julia Lee, University of Wisconsin-Madison James G. MaKinster, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Roy Pea, Stanford University Linda Polin, Pepperdine University K. Ann Renninger, Swarthmore College Margaret Riel, University of California-Irvine

Table of Contents

Part I. Coming To Terms With Community: 1. Introduction: designing for virtual communities in the service of learning Sasha Barab, Rob Kling and James Gray

2. Models of community learning and online learning in communities Margaret Riel and Linda Polin

Part II. Designing for Web-supported Community: 3. Designing system dualities: building online community Sasha Barab, James MaKinster and Rebecca Scheckler

4. Characterizing collective behavior online: the social organization of hangouts, clubs, associations, teams and communities Rob Kling and Christina Courtright

5. Online teacher communities: technology snake-oil or powerful catalysts for professional development? Mark Schlager and Judi Fucso

6. Community of practice a metaphor for online design? Thomas Schwen

Part III. Characterizing Community/Member Participation: 7. Autonomy, interaction and knowledge-building as bases for learning at the math forum Ann Renninger

8. An exploration of community in a knowledge forum classroom: an activity system analysis Jim Hewitt

9. Co-evolution of technological design and pedagogy in an online learning community Amy Bruckman

10. From ambitious vision to partially satisfying reality: an evolving socio-technical design supporting community and collaborative learning in teaching education Sharon Derry, Julia Lee, Jong-Baeg Kim and Jennifer Seymour

Part IV. Researching Online Community: 11. Using social network analysis to study online learning communities Emmanuel Koku and Barry Wellman

12. Computer-mediated discourse analysis: an approach to researching online communities Susan Herring

13. Shared 'we' and shared 'they' indicators of group identity in online teacher professional development Kirk Sluder and Sasha Barab

14. Sociocultural analysis of online professional development: a case study of personal, interpersonal, and community aspects James Gray and Deborah Tatar.