Continued Engagements

Since SCoPE launched in fall, 2005 we have continued to engage in a number of activities to further our understanding of effective strategies for implementing a community. In addition to the "SCoPE Next Steps" scheduled discussion the following activities during the first year helped to inform our work.

Vancouver rendezvous

In October 2005 SCoPE and CPSquare (CPSquare, n.d.) worked together to organize a gathering of community enthusiasts   to coincide with the eLearn conference  in Vancouver. We created a “Vancouver Rendezvous: Before and After” forum in the Community Enthusiasts Special Interest Group in SCoPE to address the logistics of the event and to formulate a plan that would make the afternoon interesting and engaging for everyone. Participants were invited to bring a case, preferably as a one-page handout, and a particular issue or developmental questions (SCoPE handout, Appendix III). Others who were not involved in a community project or who were more interested in just listening were also warmly invited. The case could be loosely framed to include community purpose, what we are doing, what we would like to do, what we have done. John Smith, the rendezvous meeting facilitator, proposed the following format:

Format:

• Quick introductions by everyone: 5 minutes
• Case presentation 10 minutes
• Following each case presentation participants are restricted to clarifying questions only. No suggestions or feedback are permitted at this point
• The case presenter then poses a question to the group. The question is either predetermined, or formulated as a result of the clarifying question
• The group then provides suggestions related to the question

Twenty people participated in the event, ranging from individuals who declared they had just learned about CoPs to others who had considerable experience working with and facilitating online communities of practice.

The discussion following the SCoPE presentation focused on ways to sustain an open and free community. The main suggestions generated through the discussion were:

• Find ways to engage senior level administrators to participate in community activities.
• Ensure there is a core group of SFU members involved while continuing to present SCoPE as an international community.
• Collect stories that will defend and advance the community.
• Find ways to measure the influence of the community on individuals and groups (i.e. at other institutions).
• Remind  everyone of the values of community.

Following the rendezvous, participants shared notes , posted photos on flickr.com, and continued to exchange ideas in the Community Enthusiasts special interest group in SCoPE.

Summer 2006 Brainstorming session

On July 26, LIDC staff members were once again invited to join in a focus group discussion about SCoPE. This afternoon session was structured as a full group brainstorming session, followed by a strategy planning session by a pre-identified sub-group. 13 people participated: 8 at the Burnaby campus, 4 by speaker phone from the Surrey campus, and one member submitted ideas in advance. Participants had the option of expressing their ideas orally or through the SCoPE text chat which was projected on the screen in the main meeting room. All LIDC staff members were encouraged to submit their ideas through email after the session was over. The rules of brainstorming were not followed rigidly; both questions and discussion were permitted.

The suggestions generated through the session were later framed into categories.

Audience

This was mostly an affirmation that we understood who are audience is. However, the need to engage SFU members was once again raised.

Activities

Suggestions for activities included: 1) discipline-based CoPs (using the SIG format), 2) offer SCoPE as a venue for groups currently using listserv technologies that could benefit from resource sharing and other features to support collaboration, 3) coordinate an “experts network” for peer support, 4) try out different formats such as synchronous and asynchronous combinations, and 5) increase research activities.

Promotion and liaisons

Items in this category were reminders that we are focused on teaching and learning in general and not on elearning, Also, participants expressed a need to think about new ways to distribute information about SCoPE, such as blogs, brochures, new faculty packages, and promotional packages for conferences.

Sharing and managing resources

This was identified as an important development piece. A resource management solution would be a big contribution to the field of community of practice development and research, and to the moodle.org open source community. Also, an in-house project within LIDC to compile teaching and learning resources could be organized through SCoPE.

Sustaining SCoPE financially

Items in this category tied in very closely with promotion and liaison. The first step is to become established, then various options can be explored. The challenge with institutional support is that projects considered essential services are given priority.

Following the brainstorming session the sub-group debriefed and formulated an action plan. It was clear that membership was growing steadily, there was evidence through members’ praise, willingness to volunteer, and interest in advancing SCoPE that the community was maturing. The action plan focused primarily on sustaining SCoPE financially, and identifying research opportunities that were worth pursuing. Aside from funding issues, it was felt that SCoPE development was on track. 

Focus group sessions with members of the Learning and Instructional Development Centre have been very productive. These engagements are important for sustaining interest and keeping everyone up-to-date within the institution. As a web-based community with an active international participation, it is easy for local connections to weaken.

Online Facilitation Workshop

In January, 2006 I enrolled in the Online Facilitation Workshop offered through Full Circle Associates (Full Circle Associates). My introductory message to the community posted on January 30, 2006 summarizes my reasons for and excitement about taking the workshop:

I feel so fortunate to be here! I've been planning to take this workshop, and working toward making it happen. I had one snag left to work out -- a time conflict with a conference; I would be travelling and flat out busy during one of the workshop weeks. Then...fate. The conference was cancelled! So here I am! Yay! And bonus — I see familiar faces. I decided I should choose a photo with a little Canadian content. You see people wandering the Rocky Mountains in these tilley hats. Not exactly fashion - forward, but functional. Very Canadian.

I work from home in a little bit of paradise in British Columbia -- a tiny community called Lac le Jeune. I work at odd hours so I can get outside during the daylight hours. These days it's mostly to x-country ski and to kick sled with my 3-legged Sheltie. 

I work from home in a little bit of paradise in British Columbia -- a tiny community called Lac le Jeune. I work at odd hours so I can get outside during the daylight hours. These days it's mostly to x-country ski and to kick sled with my 3-legged Sheltie. 

My favourite work is coordinating a relatively new online educator community called SCoPE http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca. The main activity in SCoPE is scheduled and moderated seminar discussions. I hope this workshop will help me in my role as community coordinator, and also to help me to prepare upcoming seminar facilitators.

What brings a smile to my face? Okay, something you should know about me. I am an absurdly happy person, so I'm always smiling and laughing. It might be the mountain air, excellent friends, no broken bones, and Purdy's english toffee. What makes me cranky? Too much chair time all at once.

There were 33 participants from a variety of backgrounds and countries and through this workshop some lasting relationships developed, some which carry on in SCoPE and other venues . It was a very active workshop organized around themes for discussions, practice groups, personal (but open to other participants) learning logs, and a cybrary of resources. For one activity I chose a design exercise to review collaborative book project that was just starting up at the BCcampus eLearning Marketplace and Expo Online Community (BCcampus eLearning Marketplace and Expo Online Community). SCoPE offered a public space for publishing information about the project  to invite interest from prospective writers. We also offered SCoPE as an optional venue for forming chapter groups, discussing progress, and sharing drafts. For this activity I used the Online Community Builder’s Purpose Checklist (White, n.d.). The questions in this checklist prompt for exact details on how you plan to organize your community project and how to engage members. Some of the issues with the collaborative book project identified at the time were choice of tools for specific tasks, and lack of transparency in the planning process. Much of the communication was occurring through private email, and live Elluminate sessions. For these modes of communication to be effective in a collaborative project involving a large number of people, there should be summaries available for the benefit of members who are engaged more on the periphery. Also, a project space where milestones and progress can be held in common view is essential. This was a valuable exercise for understanding the complexity of collaborative projects in an online community of practice.