Online Communities of Practice (OCoP)

Team 4: Sanad Shah, Emanuelson, Cunha, Askar

1. Usability with respect to assessing approaches to existing or projected teaching/design

situations.
This is an interesting question. Is this a theory? Or is this, as the name implies, a framework for
practice? This is certainly not a theory with the same strict focus that Behaviorism, Cognitivism
and Constructivism have. We are not sure that we can use this approach in our existing teaching
settings, because this approach is totally different from other theories and approaches. There are
no set goals, curriculum, tasks and assessment, which we need for any teaching or design settings
or situations.
2. Your recommendation(s) and opinion to your colleagues (recommend, not recommend, ease
of difficulty in understanding the approach, etc).
We think this has limited application although that is definitely changing. And as with some of
the other theories we have assessed, this does not seem to be a standalone theory, which is one
reason we are struggling with the idea that this is a suggestion for practice or how to proceed.
We recommend this approach for practice purposes, because it's a good source for sharing skills
and knowledge.
3. Your opinion as to which theory, or theories, is dominant.
This approach is influenced by Constructivism and to a lesser extent Cognitivism, because
according to Constructivist theory people learn through observations and scientific studies.
People construct their understanding and knowledge through experiences and sharing and
sharing and collaboration are the main elements of CoP.
 5P Analysis Rubric
Online Communities of Practice (OCoP)
Team 4: Sanad Shah, Emanuelson, Cunha, Askar
Element of Motivation
Presentation
1 The theory considers whether
material is relevant to needs and
goals of the learner
2 The theory includes
consideration as to whether
material and/or presentation/
stimulus is novel, is something
new and interesting to the
learner
3 The theory concerns itself with
the presentation approach being
intrinsically pleasant/
interesting/stimulating/ thought
provoking
4 The theory informs with respect
to areas such as wording,
Accounted
For?
Y = Yes
N= No Comments
N/A = Not
Applicable
? = Cannot
Determine
Y In collaborative theory the OCoP
members have a common interest,
apprenticeship. The theory totally
supports that the content is relevant
to learners needs and goals.
Y OCoP members share some
commonalities as far as interest in
a topic or problem. OCoP members
bring the material/ presentation to
the group. Presentation might not
be novel but content most likely is,
because the members of OCoP
have different and unique topics,
which they bring to the forum and
discuss.
Y Members join the OCoP
voluntarily and their participation
reflects their interest in building
knowledge within a community
setting. Also, each member of the
OCoP joins this community
voluntarily, which means that they
are intrinsically motivated to join
the group.
Y Knowledge has advanced as
communication technologies have
 visuals, audio, language being
manageable and useable to the
receiving group or individual
Practice
5 The theory supports
opportunities being provided to
develop proficiency in
application of the skill,
knowledge, ability or concept
6 The theory supports practice
activities, to include repetition
and spiraling, designed to
develop automaticity in
responses and execution if
appropriate
7 The theory requires that practice
is relevant to needs and goals of
the learner
improved. While the theory does
not specify this, the technologies
will inform this theory. The OCoP
is online community where the
members interact with each other
through internet, and they know the
use of technology and use of audio,
visuals aids to discuss or explain
new topics or content.
Y In the OCoP approach, members
share or develop several core
commonalities. Members typically
share: a common language or set of
problems; common training or
experience; a common way of
working or doing things. OCoP
community members choose the
topics that can address any type of
issue or problem that builds on
knowledge of community
members, improve proficiency in
their fields.
This theory is all about practicing
? through the community. This
theory centers around the
community developing a
framework for practice. The
community can be task based or
knowledge based, or even practice
based. The development of
repetition and automaticity really
depends why the OCoP was
formed to start. Because in OCoP
or CoP there are no set curriculum
or assessments, or any set or
designed activities for practice.
Y Members of the OCoP, join the
community for certain goals
(apprenticeship or knowledge
acquisition), and members won’t
join unless the OCoP is relevant to

8 The theory covers self-
assessment or assessment by
other means that evidences that
the Learner can see that
skill/competency acquisition is
taking place
9 The theory requires practice
activities that are within or
slightly above the learner’s
competency level
1 The theory requires that practice
0 be designed to lead to correct
response.
Production and Posting
1 The theory encourages
1 application of the skill,
knowledge/ability or concept
being learned
1 The theory encourages
2 publication of whatever is
produced by the learner to
group for peer view and
learning
Participation/Collaboration
their needs. Similarly the OCoP
will not retain members who are
not committed to the goals of the
OCoP.
N In an OCoP approach there is no
proper assessment or evaluation
process. The OCoP is not focused
on knowledge attainment as
determined by an outside authority.
However, self-assessment could be
utilized to determine if the group’s
learning goals are met.
N In an OCoP approach, learning is
taking place in an informal setting
or environment, so there are no set
activities or tasks to perform, and
are not central to the functioning of
the OCoP. For tasks or activities
that are performed, if beyond a
OCoP members abilities, the other
OCoP members would most likely
assist.
? The focus of an OCoP is not
necessarily towards a correct
response, although it could be.
Some OCOPs can be task-based
and for these the final correct
response might be more important.
It all centers around why the OCoP
was formed: task based, practice
based, or knowledge based.
Y OCoP is entirely about application,
through sharing of practices and
knowledge by the OCoP members.
Y The OCoP approach encourages
the learners to share their work and
ideas with each other.
1 Theory supports synchronous or
3 asynchronous review of posted
products
1 Theory promotes a Community
4 of Practice/Wisdom/Knowledge
1 Theory supports some form of
5 accountability with respect to
who is contributing and how
they are contributing to
knowledge sharing
1 Theory accounts for variation in
6 task readiness and ability to
contribute to group effort to
meet goals
1 In terms of theory, does the
7 theory provide for
collaboration?
Y OCoP originally launched as a
group that shared commonalities.
Meetings can be face to face or
online and can be both
synchronous and/or asynchronous.
Y The collaborative learning theory
promotes OCoP, as this theory
totally supports and promotes
community of practice, because it
is built on the concept of sharing
knowledge and skills with other
members of the community.
Y The members of the OCoP
communicate with each other
where members know little about
each other. For well-functioning
OCoP’s there is a certain amount
of accountability for members to
adhere to ground rules such as
minimum participation, fair
treatment, etc. And in that way
there is some accountability with
regards to communication.
Y The CoP is a voluntary
collaboration between members, to
share knowledge and experience.
Y The theory is built on collaboration
within the OCoP.