Originally presented as the author's thesis: Universität Genf, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Pharmacy)) - Rhodes University, 2009.

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2010. / Title from title screen (viewed 7/7/2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-119).

Ο όρος Web 2.0 εστιάζει στο χρήστη, στη σχεδίαση λογισμικού, και στο περιεχόμενο, το οποίο είναι αποτέλεσμα συνεισφοράς χιλιάδων χρηστών. Έτσι δημιουργήθηκε η ανάγκη δημιουργίας τόπων συνάντησης ανθρώπων με ίδια ή παρόμοια ενδιαφέροντα, οι κοινότητες πρακτικής. Οι κοινότητες πρακτικής (Communities of practice (CoPs)) έχουν γίνει σημαντικοί τόποι για ανθρώπους που αναζητούν και μοιράζονται εμπειρία και ενδιαφέροντα. Είναι τόποι συνεισφοράς γνώσης στους οποίους προσφέρεται γνώση στα μέλη που τις αποτελούν. Οι κοινότητες πρακτικής αποτελούνται από ομάδες ανθρώπων που συμμετέχουν σε μια διαδικασία συλλογικής εκμάθησης – γνώσης, μοιράζονται ένα ενδιαφέρον, ένα πάθος για κάτι και αλληλεπιδρούν για να μάθουν καλύτερα για αυτό. Αυτή η μεταπτυχιακή εργασία αναφέρεται στο χώρο των κοινοτήτων πρακτικής και συγκεκριμένα σε εκείνη που αφορά τους προγραμματιστές. Χρήστης εκκίνησης είναι εκείνος ο χρήστης της κοινότητας ο οποίος θέτει ένα αρχικό ερώτημα ή προβληματισμό και σύμφωνα κανόνες που θέτει ο ίδιος, δημιουργείται, με αυτόματο τρόπο, μία ομάδα εργασίας αποτελούμενη από χρήστες οι οποίοι έχουν ως κοινό ενδιαφέρον την επίλυση του ερωτήματος αυτού. Στα πλαίσια των κοινοτήτων πρακτικής αναπτύσσεται μία διαλεκτική συνεργασία ανάμεσα στα μέλη της κοινότητας, που στόχο έχει την υποστήριξη των μελών ως προς συγκεκριμένα προβλήματα. Στις πιο πολλές περιπτώσεις δεν υπάρχουν λύσεις εκ των προτέρων , έτσι δεν μπορούμε απλά να τις συλλέξουμε. Χρειάζεται λοιπόν να μελετηθούν ποια είναι τα προβλήματα εκείνα τα οποία απομακρύνουν τους χρήστες από την εύρεσή τους και με ποιους τρόπους μπορούμε να αντιμετωπίσουμε το πρόβλημα. / The term Web 2.0 focus on: user, s/w development and content (which conclude from many users that share experience and interests). Due to the fact that many people gather on web sites looking for a solution to their problem, Communities of practice were developed (CoPs). CoPs have become important places for people who seek and share experience. This dissertation refers to CoPs and especially to the field that refers to computer programmers. Start user is the user that brings the initial question to the community. According to that, automatically, a group of people is created (according rules and metrics) in order to supply feedback to users of the community who deal with the specific subject (according to label tagging). In CoPs area, Argumentative Collaboration is developing between users, so that users can help each other. Need be, to study the problems that makes users difficult to find and how can we deal with this problem.

Research shows that schools are largely a professional solo cultures (Blossing 2014), which impede teachers' professional development as learning takes place in social interaction and through living-practice dilemmas (Wenger 1998/2004). Changing cultures is difficult, not least in the world of education that on the whole has been a solo culture since the establishment of convent schools.The purpose of this study is to investigate whether teachers believe that through professional collaboration in the form of Teacher Learning Community (TLC) has contributed their knowledge and compentence in the field of embedding formative assessment. TLC is a sort of community of practice for improve teaching. The study works according to the hypothesis that “Teachers believe that professional collaboration in the form of Teacher Learning Community (TLC) has contributed to their knowledge and expertise in the field of embedding formative assessment”. The study was conducted at a large secondary school in central Sweden which organized its collegial learning according to TLC and exclusively worked to develop and modify instruction regarding embedding formative assessment during five years before the study. The theoretical approach applied is based on the tradition of "school improvement" with a human relational and group dynamic organizational based on social-constructivism) (Schein, 1994; Giddens, 1984; Wenger 1998/2004; Schmuck & Runkel, 1994; Blossing 2008; Scherp 1998). The study is quantitative and was conducted using a questionnaire, processed through a factor analysis, that is, a multivariate analysis. The analysis was conducted in four stages: stage 1: factor analysis to reduce factors exceeding the value of 1; step 2: categorization of all questions related to the component; step 3: measurement of the homogeneity of issues with Cronbach's Alpha; step 4: hypothesis testing in Person. The correlation was 0,686 (p<0,001). This is a so called census survey and the high response rate gave the study high validity. The study concluded that it is possible to change a school's historic solo culture to a collaborative team culture through systematic collegial cooperation in the form of TLC, and as a result to change the current teaching patterns.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world economy has over the last few decades rapidly moved from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy, creating a new business reality. Organisations have increasingly realised the importance of innovation as it has become the main sources of their competitive advantage. Innovation networks and communities of practice are two areas of inquiry of interest to organisational management, especially when innovation is an important organisational goal. These two areas are separated by different foci, assumptions and approaches. For this reason they are often seen as opposing approaches to enabling innovation. The thesis argues that whilst innovation networks and communities of practice are different structures, they have complementary roles to play in innovation. It is shown that innovation networks possess the structural attributes, according to three network concepts, necessary to facilitate and support exploration, as well as allow the large-scale diffusion of information and knowledge. In the same sense, communities of practice are shown to possess the structural attributes for exploitation, as well as implementation and small-scale diffusion, to take place which are also required for successful innovation. Subsequently, the argument is that combining the structural elements of innovation networks and communities of practice may allow organisations to move closer to the optimal innovation structure of a particular context, leading to improved innovation performance. Innovation networks and communities of practice exhibit different sensitivities to management which requires management to be more flexible and subtle when trying to facilitate their creation and development. Creating an optimal innovation structure, just as innovation networks and communities of practice individually, requires organisations to create an enabling context for them to thrive in. Consequently, management is required to exhibit a dual focus on network and community facilitation and support in order to improve innovation. The practical question then becomes to what extent management interventions in aid of the one structure are counter-productive for the other. The challenge is to direct networks in order to gain access to novel knowledge as well as diffuse it throughout the network, whilst at the same time enabling communities to develop in aid of proper exploitation, small-scale diffusion and implementation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wêreldekonomie het oor die laaste paar dekades vinnig van 'n industrieel geörienteerde na 'n kennis geörienteerde ekonomie verander en gevolglik 'n nuwe besigheidsomgewing vir organisasies geskep. Organisasies het toenemend die belangrikheid van innovasie besef soos innovasie die hoof bron van 'n organisasie se kompeterende voordeel geword het. Innovasienetwerke en praktykgemeenskappe is twee areas van ondersoek wat van belang is vir organisatoriese bestuur, veral wanneer innovasie 'n belangrike organisatoriese doelwit is. Die twee velde verskil op grond van hul uiteenlopende fokuspunte, aannames en benaderings. Gevolglik word hul as teenstrydige benaderings tot innovasie beskou. Die tesis beweer dat alhoewel innovasienet-werke en praktykgemeenskappe verskillende strukture is, hul komplementêre rolle in innovasie vervul. Dit word gestel dat innovasienetwerke oor die nodige strukturele eienskappe beskik, op grond van drie netwerkkonsepte, om die ondersoek vir nuwe kennis te fasiliteer en ondersteun asook om die grootskaalse verspreiding van inligting en kennis aan te moedig. Terselfdertyd word geargumenteer dat praktykgemeenskappe oor die nodige strukturele eienskappe beskik om ontginning van bestaan-de kennis te bevorder, asook om die implementering en kleinskaalse verspreiding van nuwe kennis aan te moedig wat ook benodig word om die proses van innovasie te voltooi. Gevolglik word daar geargumenteer dat die strukturele kombinering van innovasienetwerke en praktykgemeenskappe organisasies kan help om nader aan 'n optimale innovasiestruktuur in elke spesifieke konteks te beweeg, wat innovasieprestasie moontlik sal laat verbeter. Innovasienetwerke en praktykgemeen-skappe toon verskillende sensitiwiteite tot bestuursingrype wat bestuurders dwing om meer buigsaam/veelsydig en subtiel op te tree wanneer hul die ontwikkeling van dié strukture probeer fasiliteer. Die ontwikkeling van 'n optimale innovasiestruktuur benodig, nes innovasienetwerke en praktykgemeenskappe, 'n omgewing wat dit in staat sal stel om daarin te floreer. Gevolglik benodig bestuurders 'n gesamentlike fokus op beide networke en gemeenskapsfasilitering en ondersteuning om innovasie in hul organisasies te bevorder. Die praktiese vraag is dan tot watter mate bestuursingrype vir een tipe struktuur, teenproduktief is vir die ander een. Die uitdaging is om netwerke aan te moedig om toegang tot nuwe kennis te verkry asook om dit verder deur die netwerk te versprei, terwyl praktykgemeenskappe gesamentlik aangemoedig word om bestaande kennis te ontgin, te implimenteer en te versprei.

abstract: ABSTRACT There are currently 82,369 teachers nationwide who are National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). In Arizona the number of NBCTs is 678. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect cognitive coaching conversations and participation in a community of practice had on National Board candidates' self-efficacy and their understanding of the National Board Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). A mixed methods research approach was used to collect data including: surveys, interviews, researcher observations, and cognitive coaching transcripts. I conducted a case study of five National Board candidates at my school. Drawing on the social cognitive theory, this study was framed by the construct of self-efficacy. Through the use of open-ended questions, cognitive coaching conversations pushed candidates' thinking to a deeper level of understanding. The teachers involved in the National Board certification process represented a community of practice as the expectations and language of the NBPTS standards and portfolio directions also provided a common connection. Findings in this study reveal that cognitive coaching conversations and membership in a community of practice have a positive impact on teachers' self-efficacy during the National Board certification process. In addition, on-going cognitive coaching conversations and participation in a community of practice positively impact National Board candidates' understanding and articulation of the NBPTS standards. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

abstract: Rapidly increasing demand for technology support services, and often shrinking budgetary and staff resources, create enormous challenges for information technology (IT) departments in public sector higher education. To address these difficult circumstances, the researcher developed a network of IT professionals from schools in a local community college system and from a research university in the southwest into an interorganizational community of practice (CoP). This collaboration allowed members from participating institutions to share knowledge and ideas relating to shared technical problems. This study examines the extent to which the community developed, the factors that contributed to its development and the value of such an endeavor. The researcher used a mixed methods approach to gather data and insights relative to these research questions. Data were collected through online surveys, meeting notes and transcripts, post-meeting questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and web analytics. The results from this research indicate that the group did coalesce into a CoP. The researcher identified two crucial roles that aided this development: community coordinator and technology steward. Furthermore, the IT professionals who participated and the leaders from their organizations reported that developing the community was a worthwhile venture. They also reported that while the technical collaboration component was very valuable, the non-technical topics and interactions were also very beneficial. Indicators also suggest that the community made progress toward self-sustainability and is likely to continue. There is also discussion of a third leadership role that appears important for developing CoPs that span organizational boundaries, that of the community catalyst. Implications from this study suggest that other higher education IT organizations faced with similar circumstances may be able to follow the model presented here and also achieve positive results. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

Both researchers and jazz professionals believe the expansion of jazz performance programs in universities over the last several decades warrants a need for critical research into the processes and experiences by which jazz students develop into professionals. Although the number of colleges offering degrees in jazz performance has risen dramatically during this time, instructional approaches remain relatively standardized throughout the schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of five working professional New York City jazz musicians in an attempt to better understand how they learned to improvise and develop their individual voices. These musicians included Joe Lovano, Otis Brown III, Francisco Mela, James Weidman, and Matthew Wilson. In this study I used Wenger's (2008) theory of Communities of Practice as the theoretical framework for an exploration of the meaning, practice, community, and identity of these five professional jazz musicians. Data collected for this case study entailed interviews, observations, and collection of artifacts. The interview data provided by the participants were transcribed and coded for the purpose of identifying emerging themes. The themes were then woven into a narrative based on the participants' responses to a series of open-ended questions. The themes that emerged included auto-biographical recollections of the participants' earliest musical experiences. The musicians spoke openly about their childhoods and various aspects of the context of their learning experiences on the way to becoming jazz professionals. The discussion included the musicians' views on communicating through improvisation, mentoring, and the value of relationships created through involvement in a jazz community on the development of a unique improvisational voice. Two major themes emerged in data analysis. First, Joe Lovano and Us Five experienced university jazz educations but in interviews and observation, the musicians seemed not dependent on, or even utilizing that part of their past. Instead, the musicians strongly emphasized community and community building, professional on-stage experience, and longitudinal exposure and life study that many college jazz majors may never experience. Second, the musicians eschewed certain viewpoints within the music profession, within university music programs, and within the public sector that musicians can simply blend technical prowess with diligent study of a prescribed curriculum to become a professional jazz musician. Here the interviewees uniformly suggested that a unique, individual voice was necessary for acceptance within the field. Finally, I present an example based upon the data from this study of how Wenger's (2008) community of practice could be used to develop a new understanding of the process of jazz improvisation and the development of a unique improvisational voice in an institutional setting.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES; 2016), contingent faculty comprise nearly half of the higher education teaching workforce. I was a contingent faculty member working in a music teacher preparation program at a small college in the Northeast U.S. Using Wenger’s communities of practice (1998) and Lave and Wenger’s legitimate peripheral participation (1991) as a theoretical lens, I conducted a self-study to understand: (a) how our group of two full-time and two part-time contingent faculty negotiated our work, and (b) how my contingent faculty identity was shaped through participating in the group. I analyzed transcriptions of group meetings, email messages sent among the group members, and brief interviews to establish that our community of practice (CoP) was positioned relative to broader enterprises, such as accrediting bodies and the state department of education that regulated teacher licensure. We negotiated our practices in response to their standards and regulations, and we often felt that our practices were constrained. I learned that the members of our CoP had rich histories of membership in other CoPs, and knowledge and identity from those CoPs were constantly reconciled with new understandings and identity. I learned that multimembership can be a hindrance for some, yet it can also be a benefit that helps propel the work of a CoP forward. My identity was shaped through dialogue with other members of the community. I learned that it is common for contingent faculty to feel as I did: autonomous and competent in my teaching practices, yet detached from the department (Kezar & Sam, 2010; Levin & Hernandez, 2014; Shaker, 2008). Learning some of the history of the joint enterprise helped me feel more connected and empowered, and as my dialogue with the full-time tenure-track faculty continued, I was given additional responsibility for developing and subsequently teaching two new courses. Very little research has been conducted from the perspective of contingent faculty in higher education. This self-study was therefore a timely addition to the literature, and it should be replicated, extended to other teacher education faculty, and also to collaborative self-studies between full-time and contingent faculty.