The Webheads And Distributed Communities Of Practice

The Webheads and Distributed Communities of Practice Vance Stevens Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE Presentation made as panelist on a colloquium held March 27, 2009 at the annual TESOL Convention in Denver Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

Global and local visions: Evolving communities of practice Panelists: Vance Stevens, Suresh Canagarajah, Yuko Goto-Butler, Toni Hull, Perin Jusara, Golge Seferoglu, Takako Nishino, and Jane Hoelker March 27, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Annual TESOL Convention in Denver Colloquium abstract : Whether learning or teaching English in the EFL context, the model of Communities of Practice moves individuals and groups forward in their development. Examples of shared practices implemented in elementary, secondary and tertiary institutions as well as in programs of teacher professional development conducted on worldwide communication networks are discussed. Presented at the colloquium, entitled: Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

The Webheads and Distributed Communities of Practice: Abstract
In these times of globalization and worldwide communication networks, distributed communities of practice (e.g. any CoP that cannot rely on face-to-face meetings and interactions as its primary vehicle for connecting members) are becoming more common.
This presentation discusses CoPs implemented for educational technology specialists, many particularly concerned with language learning, in ongoing teacher professional development,
foremost through Webheads in Action http://webheads.info
and in various other communities and offshoots from these, such as TESOL-sponsored EVO (Electronic Village Online).
The concept of distributed CoPs has been addressed by Etienne Wenger. How Wenger’s concept of CoPs has evolved after his encounter with the Webheads online will also be discussed.
Vance Stevens TESOL 2009 Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

Characteristics of CoPs
They promote knowledge of a domain
They revolve around a practice
Community aspects
They form spontaneously, voluntarily
They have particularly defined community spaces in which they interact
Most frequently understood to be defined by Etienne Wenger; e.g. Vance Stevens TESOL 2009 Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

Configurations for sharing and dissemination of knowledge
Groups
Communities
Communities of practice
Connectivist perspectives
Personal learning networks
Distributed learning networks
Rhyzomic learning

Configurations
Groups

Configurations
Groups
Communities

Configurations
Groups
Communities
Domain
Practice
Community

Configurations
Groups
Communities
Networks can include overlapping communities

Configurations
Groups
Communities
Networks and sample Connections

Webheads in Action
WiA formed as result of 2002 EVO sesson
Educators who engage in
Helping each other pursue lifelong, just-in-time, informal learning
Through experimentation in use of social-media and computer mediated communications tools
Webheads in Action Online Convergence WiAOC 2005, 2007, 2009 http://wiaoc.org

Webheads: is it a Group? Community? Network?
Started out as a Yahoo Group
Developed sense of community
Conceived itself as a community of practice
EVOnline workshop: Reflection through experience and experiment with a communities of practice online: http://vancestevens.com/papers/tesol/baltimore2003/copractice.html#workshop
Colloquium: "Case study of a community of practice": http://vancestevens.com/papers/tesol/baltimore2003/copractice.html#colloquium

Webheads as a CoP
Chris Johnson
joined Webheads in order to study the community as a possible example of a distributed CoP
Etienne Wenger on his doctoral committee
found that Webheads fit most of the criteria outlined by Wenger, except possibly on not having a defined space for interaction
Conclusion: Webheads was almost a CoP (came close) ‏
Johnson , Christopher. (2003). Annotated Bibliography: Web version. Communties of practice bibliography created for Webheads in Action EVOnline sessions, at http://sites.inka.de/manzanita/dissertation/biblio_COP.htm
Johnson , Christopher. (2003). CoP Theory Overview. Retrieved February 12, 2004 from: http://sites.inka.de/manzanita/cop/

Wenger on Webheads as CoP
Cristina Costa said she felt that she was a member of a CoP when she realized her practice had begun to change
I asked Etienne whether his concept of CoPs had evolved after his encounter with the Webheads online
Referred to Cristina’s comment as one indication that Webheads was a CoP
He said that the fact that Webheads met in so many spaces while clearly being a CoP was a revelation to him, that he realized he could redefine his previous thinking on constraints on SPACE occupied by distributed CoPs
Etienne Wenger in keynote “interview” with Suzanne Nyrop at 2007 WiAOC (Webheads in Action Online Convergence) http://wiaoc.org (WiAOC 2009 is May 22-24 this year). Vance Stevens TESOL 2009 Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

Knowledge dissimenation through communities and networks
Downes on distributed learning networks
Knowing ( where’s Waldo?) Once you know, you can’t not know
Knowledge exists throughout nodes in a network
Wenger notes (2002:6) ‏
Increasing complexity of knowledge requires greater … collaboration; whereas …
Half life of knowledge is getting shorter
Cormier - rhizomatic learning to deal with increasingly rapid obsolescence of knowledge
Siemens – connectivism stresses importance of pipes over content

Jack Richards plenary Denver TESOL 2009 (March 27) ‏
About what teachers need to KNOW in order to practice effectively
Research indicates that teachers tend to revert to traditional methods rather than activate what they are exposed to in training curricula
Derick Wenmouth (also from NZ) mentioned similar research findings at K-12 Online 2008
Vance Stevens TESOL 2009

Implications for PD: Communities or Networks?
PD can mean personal or professional development
Perhaps a matter of scale, number of participants
Evolution of Webheads is instructive
Community members interact within the domain
Networks imply widespread, perhaps opportunistic, contacts, looser characterization of domains and practices
Which is more productive? Given spontaneous and voluntary nature, probably a moot question.

References
Wenger , E. (1998) Communities of practice Learning as a social system. Retrieved April 22, 2005, from: http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/lss.shtml
Wenger , E. (2002). Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder. Cultivating communities of practice. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 284 pages.
Wenger , E. (2004a). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved April 22, 2005 from: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm .
Wenger , E. (2004b). Cultivating communities of practice: A quick start-up guide. Retrieved April 22, 2005, from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/start-up_guide_PDF.pdf
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The Webheads And Distributed Communities Of Practice

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