Canada has distinct contemporary faith communities that differ from western and European counterparts. Unfortunately statistics tracking denominational allegiances give little insight into the daily intricacies of collective religious practice. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards filling a gap within scholarly research on the lived culture and experiences of contemporary religious communities within Canada. This study examines the pattern of culture-sharing within a non-denominational faith community as lived and practiced in Ottawa. Through autoethnography, this study asks why members attend and how members view the use of popular culture video clips within church. Individual and collective religious identities are constructed through observations, interviews and material artifacts gleaned through participant observation from January 2011 to December 2011. The results show that within the church, a community of practice is built around shared parenthood and spiritual journey. Members place importance on children, on providing support of all kinds for one another, and on keeping religion relevant. Reasons for attending are echoes of the patterns of culture-sharing: members enjoy the feeling of community, the support, the friendships, the play dates. Participants view popular culture video clips played within church as one aspect of an overall importance placed upon relevance. Mutuality of engagement results in members experiencing their lives as meaningful, it validates their worth through belonging, and it creates personal histories of becoming within the context of a community of practice. Future research recommendations include further study of other contemporary faith communities within Canada, with investigation into the possibility that communities of practice may be what the churched and unchurched are seeking.

This thesis explores the teaching and learning of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) in a Syrian Arab university (Tishreen University). It investigates the inherent contradictions in the position of EMP in an Arab-medium university by drawing on the socio-political and economic factors shaping English language education policy in Syria. It also critiques “mainstream” ESP through examining the “purpose” in English for Medical Purposes. Rather than viewing learning as an end product, this study suggests that learning English is part of a dynamic process of learning to become a doctor in Syria and as part of constructing the 21st Century Syrian “doctor” identity. I draw on aspects of poststructuralism and complexity theory to take the analysis of English for Specific Purposes beyond issues of needs analysis, content, and materials development. ESP, from its outset, has been proposed for decades as a commodity that meets students’ linguistic and communicative needs. However important these concerns are for the development of the discipline, as I argue in this thesis, ESP seems to adopt a “mechanistic” approach by predetermining “needs” and “purposes” which fails to account for the complexity of human beings’ behaviours and responses in educational contexts. The deterministic conceptualisation of ESP places rigid boundaries between ESP and the reality of the medicine profession, therefore, fails to meet students’ needs which transcend boundaries of classroom in aspiration for recognition by the medical community worldwide. English for Medical Purposes, in this study, goes beyond “specific purposes” to account for the role of English as a foreign language in constructing doctor identity and in the process of becoming a doctor. Data in this qualitative research were collected through focus groups with students of medicine in Tishreen University, semi-structured interviews with medical tutors and management officials in the Faculty of Medicine and the Higher Institute of Languages, as well as ESP teachers. Policy documents were analysed, and field notes were taken in classroom and hospital observations. Based on the analysis of these sources, a deeper understanding of EMP at Tishreen University is reached through the lens of poststructuralism and complexity theory. Finally, this thesis ends by drawing an ESP/Applied Linguistics relationship among the implications the findings have for policy makers, teachers and medical students, alongside recommendations for future ESP research directions.

This thesis is a literature review that reports on the use of social media for language learning and teaching. I argue that the use of one’s first language as well as their second language (L2) on social media is a useful technique while learning L2 because code-switching can play a vital role in communication among users. I also argue that social media-based participation in Communities of Practice (CoPs) can provide learning opportunities for language learners. In the course of my argument, I examine a wide range of studies relating to social media, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics and applied linguistics, and I discuss the benefits and risks of the use of social media in language learning. After amalgamating the key points from the literature, I propose a curricular framework for language classrooms which serves as a scaffolding activity for the use of social media for participating in L2 CoPs through objective analysis of linguistic resources. / Graduate / 0290 / 0279

Purpose: This research considers the design and operation of a non-modular professional doctorate to meet the needs of professionals working in the built environment who wish to obtain a doctoral qualification. It seeks to identify the essential components and support mechanisms to provide an alternative to other forms of doctorate which draws on their strengths while addressing some of their shortcomings. It answers questions regarding the suitability of a programme which can successfully operate within a reasonable timeframe. Research Design: The research is set in a real-life phenomenological paradigm concerning the experience and development of candidates registered for a professional doctorate. The conceptual framework governed both the design of the research and the design of a two-stage curriculum. Regular intervention and evaluation using action research methodology was used to improve practice. The research produced findings through multiple sources of evidence. Data were collected from course documentation, online discussion forums, focus groups, individual reflections and interviews. Findings: The work found that a community of practice consisting of candidates and staff, specifically focused on learning and the continuous development of candidates, provides a suitable vehicle for professional doctorate work. Candidates benefit from engaging in carefully constructed summative and formative assessment with prompt feedback. The assessment informed regular workshops containing an active learning format supplemented through additional support from a virtual learning environment. Crucially, all three components are required to support each other by drawing on their individual strengths. Conclusion: This action research project made a modest but significant contribution to curriculum development at doctoral level. The research developed a model which enabled academic practice to help candidates improve their professional practice. Self-motivated candidates with appropriate supervisory support can complete a professional doctorate within a realistic timeframe when there is carefully constructed synergy between their doctorate, its supporting mechanisms and their own professional practice.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The US Navy is embracing the principles of Knowledge Management (KM). One of the key components of KM is the Community of Practice. Communities of Practice are groups that form to share what they know, and to learn from one another regarding some aspect of their work. Organizations are strengthened through an improved network of contacts and enhanced productivity from their personnel. Personnel benefit through peer-group recognition and continuous learning. This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of how the Naval Intelligence Community, through the implementation of Communities of Practice, can reduce duplication of effort, increase collaboration between its personnel, and better support the resources in its people. In this thesis, we have provided a blueprint for building a successful unclassified Community of Practice for Naval Intelligence. This blueprint is designed to support replication on classified networks. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

[pt] Nossa sociedade concebe o processo de aprendizagem, em linhas gerais, através de dois modos: a perspectiva cognitiva considera que o aprendizado se dá na mente dos indivíduos, isoladamente, como na leitura e assimilação de certos livros; a perspectiva social da aprendizagem considera que o processo do conhecimento resulta de práticas sociais, por meio de uma ativa participação dos indivíduos – é nesta perspectiva em que está situado o conceito de Comunidades de Prática (LAVE; WENGER, 1991). A partir do interesse em pesquisar o processo de aprendizagem em Comunidades de Prática, o ambiente organizacional em que se situa a Empresa Júnior pareceu um espaço adequado para esta pesquisa. Baseada na experiência francesa, as Empresas Juniores são geridas exclusivamente por alunos de graduação, que, atuando na elaboração e execução de projetos para pequenas e médias empresas, têm a oportunidade de desenvolver-se tanto pessoal quanto profissionalmente, de forma independente, mas ainda sob a orientação de professores. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, com base em estudo de caso, na qual os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas com treze membros da Empresa Júnior PUC-Rio, nos meses de novembro a dezembro de 2013. A análise do conteúdo das entrevistas resultou em cinco categorias de análise: Acesso Legitimado às Práticas; Ambiência Organizacional; Engajamento Mútuo; Empreendimento Comum e Repertório Compartilhado. Como conclusão, este trabalho sugere, com base na percepção dos membros entrevistados, que a EJ PUC-Rio seja uma Comunidade de Prática, tendo em vista que todos os indicadores de formação propostos por Wenger (1998) foram identificados na pesquisa. / [en] Our society conceives the learning process, in general, through two distinct modes: the cognitive perspective considers that learning is done in the mind of the individuals; the social perspective of learning considers that the process of knowledge results from social practices, through an active participation of individuals – it is in this perspective that is situated the concept of Communities of Practice (LAVE; WENGER, 1991). From the interest in researching the process of learning in Communities of Practice, the organizational environment in which the Junior Enterprise is situated seemed an adequate space for this research. Based on French experience, Junior Enterprise are managed exclusively by graduate students, who, working on the elaboration and execution of projects for small and medium companies, ha the opportunity to develop themselves in a personal as well as in a professional level, in an independent way, but still under teacher’s orientation. To reach the proposed goal, it was done a qualitative research, based in a case study, in which data was collected through interviews with thirteen members of the Junior Enterprise PUC-Rio, in the months of November and December 2013. The content’s analysis of the interviews resulted in five categories of analysis: Legitimated Access to Practices; Organizational Ambience; Mutual Engagement; Joint Enterprise and Shared Repertoire. As a conclusion, this work suggests, based on the perception of the interviewed members, that the JC PUC-Rio is a Community of Practice, as all indicators of formation proposed by Wenger (1998) were identified in the research.

The global population is ageing, and with it has been a growth of mature aged participation in sport. Following this trend, swimming amongst the adult population in South Africa, whether it is for recreation or competitive purposes, has increased. This research reports on the coaching strategies used by one coach who is training Masters swimmers in Johannesburg. It examines whether or not andragogical principles and teaching methods could be applied to an informal swimming coaching context. Qualitative methods were used for data collection, including an interview with the coach, focus group discussions with the swimmers, pool deck observations and video recordings of the training sessions. Results indicated that adult education principles could be applied to an informal swimming coaching context through flexible and accommodating coaching practices, ensuring effective communication between the swimmer and the coach and utilising the community of practice between the swimmers and coaches to ensure effective adult learning.

This research project investigated how students and mentors in the 2008 Melon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship experienced the benefits and difficulties of the mentoring relationship. With the help of the mentor students appeared to excel both academically and personally. A qualitative research paradigm was used and unstructured interviews were conducted with five mentors and five students in the first cohort of the MMUF at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Mentoring reports completed by mentors were analysed and validated the content of the interviews. Both mentors and mentees confirmed that mentoring was indeed a powerful tool for academic and personal development. They maintained that there was no way that one could develop academically and not develop personally. Mentoring relationships that did not succeed were attributed to no effort on the part of either the student or the mentor. The mentors and mentees agreed that the benefits were mutual; they all learned from each other. Student development was observable and students reported that they were beginning to feel part of a community of scholars.

Although the literature reveals that primary school teachers in general are reluctant to teach science, little research has been conducted into the histories and identities of such primary school teachers, particularly in South Africa. South African society at present is in the process of great socio-political change; therefore the study has particular relevance to science education in the country. This study uses a socio-historical-cultural framework to investigate the science learning and teaching identities of a small group of pre service primary school teachers. The study is situated in science methods courses at a South African university where students from a wide variety of social and cultural clusters are registered. I argue that primary school student teachers belong to a community of practice and that primary science student teachers form part of that community. Therefore, I use Wenger’s (1998) model of practice in a community. The model relies on i.a. the concepts of participation and non-participation within the community. With reference to these concepts, the changing and contested nature of student teacher identities within the primary science teaching community of practice forms the focus of this study. A mixed methods approach to obtaining and analysing data was employed where case studies provided much of the information obtained. Study findings suggest that a number of factors contribute to science teacher identities. These include primary and secondary school experiences with particular reference to critical incidents; the ‘race’ and gender of the students in question; students’ cultural and family backgrounds as well as the personal relationships with which the students engage. For historical reasons, ‘race’ is of particular significance in South Africa, therefore at this critical conjuncture, this aspect of students’ identities was examined. The study also refers to the dialectical interplay between agency and structure. Findings suggest that although students are bound to some extent by power structures, agency or subjectivity comes into play to various degrees in terms both of participating in the community and not participating therein. I suggest that methods courses, such as those which provided the empirical field for this study, could also provide sites for transformation of science identities in terms of content knowledge, self efficacy or confidence and pedagogy. Student teachers and their mentors are in ideal positions to act as agents of change in a transforming society. Their roles as positive significant narrators enable them to provide alternative trajectories which were once unimaginable. Such transformation resonates with Wenger’s (ibid) notions of identity as being and becoming.

Uppsatsen handlar om hur det går att förstå olika målgrupper på Instagram och hur influencers genom detta enklare kan anpassa sitt innehåll till det som sin målgrupp av följare vill se. Målgruppen som används i uppsatsen är tjejer i åldern 15-20 år från Sverige och genom en enkätundersökningen skapades en bättre förståelse i hur de använder sig av Instagram. Genom en analys av de konton personerna i enkätundersökningen följde på Instagram kunde en sammanställning på vad för typ av personer de följer är. Efter detta skapades ett verktyg för att kunna testa vilket visuellt innehåll målgruppen vill se och studien avslutades sedan med intervjuer både på målgruppen och några av de influencers som de följer.