Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Teacher Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 23, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-182). Also issued in print.

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Graduate School of the Environment, 2008. / Typescript. Bibliography: p. 370-395.

Thesis (M. Information Science)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore how knowledge gained during taught Masters in Human Resource Management (MSc HRM) programmes was transferred into working organisations, whether knowledge gained from academic study could be transferred if individuals were motivated to transfer and if organisations had a culture that was receptive to transfer. The term knowledge transfer was defined as sharing of information between one individual and another individual or group. This study looked at the perceived value of Human Resource (HR) knowledge within organisational contexts, with a focus on how knowledge flowed and what facilitated or blocked that flow. A ‘two-tailed’ case study approach was taken using a social construction methodology and was applied across three University Centres, utilising students studying on MSc HRM programmes and their respective work organisations, plus Operational Managers within the same geographical boundaries. Data was gathered using qualitative methods and analysed thematically. A key finding of this study was that knowledge gained from MSc HRM programmes is valued within organisational contexts. HR professionals effectively transferred knowledge into their organisational functions and amongst workplace communities and via wider networks, in a homogenous manner. However, the study also found that transfer of knowledge across work boundaries, via heterogeneous workplace communities, was less effective. Individual willingness to transfer knowledge was found, but issues linked to organisational culture such as politics, power and structure was found to influence the extent of knowledge transfer activities. It was evident that in order for knowledge transfer to be effective an organisational culture based on mutual support and understanding was required. If an organisation had a culture focused on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that reinforce knowledge transfer across team boundaries then heterogeneous workplace communities emerged. Organisations that deliberately focused on knowledge transfer evidenced a greater ability to transfer knowledge across organisational functions; this strategy was beneficial to organisational growth. This study concluded that building on workplace communities and managing a deliberate introduction of heterogeneous workplace communities enabled MSc HRM acquired-knowledge to be transferred cross organisationally. Although this study focused on the transfer of knowledge from MSc HRM programmes the concept behind using workplace communities to transfer and build knowledge could potentially be transferable to other disciplines. Two further areas of research were identified: firstly, action research within University Centres to ascertain the benefit of cross-discipline teaching, secondly, analysis of an organisation with a heterogeneous community design.

The overall aim of the presented work is the enhancement of the student experience through creating conditions where excellent learning can occur both individually and through working in communities of practice. There was a mixed method approach taken within the studies, with a bias towards a more qualitative slant. Each study had an action research focus through the use of small scale case studies of teaching and learning in practice. A criticism of qualitative research and particularly case studies, is in relation to generalisation of the findings. However, case studies in teaching and learning are context specific and explore the activity as it happens and therefore can contribute to the broader picture, through examples but they cannot provide incontrovertible best practice. The work presents two research objectives, the first being an exploration of the ways in which teaching and learning interventions can create conditions to support excellent learning. Within the studies presented in this thesis, the following are key headlines. PDP was found to be a positive addition to the curriculum in particular the activities of goal-setting and reflection. The intensive and bespoke transition programme delivered to the new students facilitated and enhanced student engagement. The module re-design which focused on authentic assessment, engagement, real-world learning and employability enhanced the student skill set. In addition to interventions to support students, the thesis also contains staff development activity. The two articles based on peer review found that, knowing and developing teacher immediacy plays a part in teacher development and can help create better connections with students. Although different each of the articles presents examples which others might find useful in enhancing practice. The second research objective considered how communities of practice for staff and students can support the conditions to enable excellent and purposeful teaching and learning. One of the articles focuses on an organisation set up to support teaching in higher education. It found that a support network can enhance knowledge and experiences and that a community of practice is one way of creating and maintaining groups of staff interested in teaching and learning. The articles on peer review show that this also has value at a more local level where teaching staff felt that by working together they had developed their individual approaches. This did not work for all staff and the study showed that this type of approach to staff development is very personal. Trust, honesty and commitment came out as important factors, which need to be fostered in a community of practice. For the students, working in peer learning groups (PLGs), connecting with each other very early on in their programme and sharing metaphors was found to have value. Learning in a university has been shown to be an isolating experience and working together has merits for both staff and students. This thesis has been based on small scale case studies and has evidenced developments at a local level, which I contend is the only way to change and develop practice. However, from a knowledge and generalisation perspective my research now needs to broaden, to determine cultural and subject differences, as this will make the evidence more compelling across the sector. Two specific areas from this study that would benefit from further research are, PLG groups in different subject contexts and staff working in communities of practice to support teaching and learning.

Den här studiens syfte har varit att bidra med kunskap om journaliststudenters lärandeprocess under praktikperioden på Sveriges Television. För att förstå lärandeprocessen har Wengers lärandeperspektiv Communities of practice använtssom utgångspunkt för studiens 4 frågeställningar: hur skapar studenterna mening för att förstå nya intryck, på vilket sätt bidrar olika gemenskaper till studenternas utveckling, på vilket sätt formas studenternas identitet under praktikperioden ochhur sker studenternas inträde i de nya sociala praktikgemenskaperna. För att besvara studiens frågeställningar har 8 stycken journalistpraktikanter på SVT intervjuats. Resultatet visade att även de mest fundamentala ting som att veta hur man hälsar på varandra är något problematiskt för den som kommer in som ny. För att kunna utföra arbetet krävs en förståelse för journalistpraktikens begrepp och det kan vara problematiskt eftersom de både är journalistspecifika men även redaktionsspecifika. Även om miljön och kollegiet på SVT är mycket välkomnande finns det situationer när praktikanter vänder sig till andra praktikanter istället för att fråga mer erfarna kollegor om hjälp. Empirin visar att flera studenter har omformat sina identiteter genom att de har gått från att starkt identifiera sig som praktikanter till att istället mer identifiera sig som journalister. Resultatet visar även att många upplever att de har fått bättre självkänsla och ökad tilltro till den egna förmågan. De flesta upplever att de snabbt har kommit in i gemenskapen på SVT och mycket tidigt under praktikperioden fått utföra kvalificerade arbetsuppgifter. För några har processen varit mer långdragen och en del har önskat mer vägledning av handledarna under praktikperioden. / The aim of the study was to observe the process of learning among journalism students during their internship at Sveriges Television (SVT). To understand the learning process, Wengers theory of learning ”Communities of practice” was used to set the study’s four questions: How do the students create purpose and understanding of new impressions, in what way does different communities of practice contribute to the students development, in what way does the students identities develop during the internship andhow do students infiltrate new social communities of practice. In order to answer the study’s questions, eight journalism interns at SVT were interviewed. The results showed that even the fundamental practice of how one greets one another is something the intern has to learn. To be able to accomplish the work, the intern also needs an understanding of practical journalism concepts, which can be problematic as they are often both trade and editorial specific. Although both the environment and colleagues at SVT are very welcoming, there were situations where the interns elected to ask other interns for help rather than turning to more experienced colleagues. The empiricism showed that several students had remodelled their identities in such a way that they gone from strongly identifying themselves as interns to instead identifying themselves as journalists. The results showed that many felt that both their self confidence and belief in their own capability had improved. Most experienced that they quickly felt part of the work place at SVT, and that they during their internship executed qualified assignments. For others, the process had been more drawn out and some wished for more guidance by their tutors during the internship.

This research explores the relationship between social identity, artifact style, and communities of practice in the late prehispanic U.S. Southwest, focusing on how domestic, utilitarian objects and contexts both shape and reflect social identities. During the A.D. 1200s and 1300s, large-scale migration and aggregation occurred over much of the U.S. Southwest, bringing diverse individual and community identities into contact and, potentially, conflict. Within this social context, this research focused on clarifying the relationship between social identities and utilitarian objects and domestic contexts, and how this relationship can elucidate the social history of a community. These issues were explored through analysis of corrugated utilitarian pottery from the sites of the Homol’ovi Settlement Cluster (HSC), a community of seven villages in northeastern Arizona occupied from around 1260 through 1400. The social organization of corrugated pottery production in the HSC was approached from several angles. To identify the number and nature of the ceramic manufacturing communities present during the Pueblo IV occupation of the Homol’ovi area, sherds were submitted for instrumental neutron activation analysis and petrographic analysis. The results of the compositional analyses indicate that ceramic production groups in the Homol’ovi area were not primarily distinguished by access to specific raw material resources. What differentiation there is within the raw materials used by Homol’ovi potters appears to have been determined primarily by village, with the residents of a few villages preferring to use specific clay or temper sources. Both locally produced pottery and ceramics imported into the Homol’ovi area were incorporated into a typological and stylistic analysis. This analysis found evidence of two different production styles in the corrugated pottery assemblage. One appears stylistically similar to pottery produced in areas to the north around the Hopi Mesas; the other appears to be more akin to stylistic traditions practiced in the Puerco area and in the Chevelon drainage. This diversity suggests the presence of multiple immigrant communities co-residing within the HSC. This social diversity is not reflected in the decorated ceramic tradition of the HSC, which largely conforms to the ceramic traditions of the Hopi Mesas. Interrogating the disjuncture in the identities embodied through different categories of material culture, used in different social contexts, provides a framework through which to explore the complex social relationships that characterized Pueblo IV villages formed as individuals and communities negotiated the competing forces of integration and differentiation. This study demonstrates the value of approaching identity from multiple scales. If identity is understood as fundamentally multi-faceted and multi-scalar, even seemingly homogeneous cultural units are characterized by social diversity and the tension that accompanies such diversity. The patterns of production visible in utilitarian corrugated pottery provide a nuanced method of clarifying the complex identities of Ancestral Puebloan communities and assessing social connections and differences between groups.

Although multi-agency working isn’t a new concept, the previous Labour government encouraged professionals and services to work collaboratively and in partnership to address issues of social exclusion, poverty and deprivation in order to provide support and interventions to children, young people and their families. As a result, a range of initiatives and programmes under the banner of multi-agency working were developed in health, education and social services aimed at addressing these issues. One such initiative was the development of the multi-agency Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BEST). Previous research into multi-agency working has tended to focus on the structural development of the multi-agency service, including the barriers and benefits to multi-agency working. Less research has been undertaken on the perceptions, experiences and views of the individuals working within those multi-agency teams. Using a grounded theory approach this thesis explores the perceptions and experiences of individuals working in a multi-agency team, considering the impact multi-agency working has had on individual team members, their interactions with one another and selected school staff, co-located within a secondary school. In analysing the data (content analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews) the use of a qualitative research methodological approach has enabled the research to identify an emerging category of professional identity and three properties; roles and responsibilities, knowledge and skills and terminology. Running through the discussion of each of these three properties is the issue of co-location. The research will draw on examples taken from the data to illustrate and to inform throughout. Using Wenger’s (1998) ‘communities of practice’ as a theoretical framework, this research then considers the emerging theme of professional identity and how multi-agency teams and selected school staff negotiate the experience of self [identity]. Finally the research asks and answers the question ‘Is BEST a ‘community of practice’?

Dans ce travail de recherche, nous nous sommes intéressés à la conception et au développement d'un système iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif, appelé NICOLAT. Ce dernier vise à supporter une CoP dans laquelle l'apprentissage s'effectue via la résolution communautaire de problèmes en offrant des solutions qui permettent de limiter les facteurs qui peuvent aboutir à la démotivation des membres de la CoP.Pour expérimenter et valider les solutions que nous proposons à travers ce système, nous ciblons la CoP des enseignants usagers de la méthode pédagogique MAETIC, qui peuvent rencontrer, en classe, des problèmes dans l'usage de celle-ci.Ainsi, nos principales contributions se résument dans les points suivants : 1) La mise en place du noyau communautaire du système NICOLAT. Ce dernier est sous forme d'un réseau social supportant la résolution communautaire de problèmes, 2) La mise en place d'une couche de résolution de problèmes ayant pour objectif d'aider le membre à résoudre son problème par exploitation de l'historique des problèmes résolus dans le passé. Ceci pour minimiser le nombre de demandes d'aide répétitives. Le cycle du raisonnement RàPC (Raisonnement à Partir de Cas) a été utilisé pour guider ce processus, 3) La mise en place de deux couches d'adaptation permettant de supporter les interactions des membres dans les outils d'interaction qu'ils préfèrent ou avec lesquels ils sont familiarisés le plus. L'objectif visé par cette adaptation est, d'une part, de dépasser les problèmes de prise en main de nouveaux outils d'interaction. D'autre part, de permettre l'accès au système en cas de mobilité et minimiser ainsi le temps de réponse, 4) La mise en place d'une approche de sélection des membres qui peuvent contribuer positivement à résoudre un problème à qui faire aboutir la demande d'aide. L'objectif est de permettre à un membre cherchant à résoudre son problème de recevoir une réponse pertinente / In this research work, we focused on design and development of an adaptive and mobile community system, called NICOLAT (iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif). The latter aims to support a Community of Practice (CoP) in which learning is done through community problem solving by providing solutions that limit the factors that can lead to the demotivation of the CoP members.To experiment and validate the solutions we provide through this system, we target the CoP of teachers users of the MAETIC pedagogical method, who can meet, in classroom, problems in the use of it.Thus, our main contributions are summarized in the following points: 1) Establishment of community kernel of the NICOLAT system. The latter is as a social network supporting the community solving of problems, 2) Implementation of problems resolution layer that aims to help the member solve his problem through the exploitation of the history of problems solved in the past. This is to minimize the number of repetitive help requests. The cycle of the CBR (Case-Based Reasoning) was used to guide this process, 3) Establishment of an interactions adaptation layer to support the members' interactions in the interaction tools they prefer or with which they are most familiar. The purpose of this adaptation is, firstly, to exceed the problems of interaction tools manipulation. On the other hand, to enable access to the system in case of mobility and thereby minimize response time, 4) Establishment of a dynamic approach of selection of members who can contribute positively to solve a problem, to whom bring the help requests. The objective is to enable a member seeking to solve his problem to receive a relevant answer

While (big) data promises immense opportunity, initiatives focused on using data to pursue insight have mixed outcomes. The Management Support Systems (MSS) model summarises what we currently understand within Information Systems (IS) about the implementation and use of systems to improve organisations’ use of data. Adopting an ethnographic approach to observe how practitioners in two contrasting organisations actually generate insight from data, this research challenges the implicit information processing and implementation logics of the MMS model. The pragmatic messiness of pursuing insight is described in two monographs, which reveal the socially constructed nature of data in relation to phenomena, and the importance of data engagement to produce insight. Given that this PhD study also seeks to generate insight from data, it is compared and contrasted reflexively to the two cases observed. While the inquiry logic pursued in this study was made explicit, and was regularly reviewed and challenged, the two cases left this largely implicit. The use of tools is shown to facilitate and constrain inquiry, with related data acting as boundary objects between the different practitioner groups involved. An explanatory framework is presented and used to suggest various enhancements to the MSS model. First, the Problem Space is reframed to reflect the distinct, though interdependent logics involved in inquiry versus realising envisaged benefits from insights. Second, the MSS artefact itself is contextualised and Data Engagement rather than MSS or Tool Use is positioned as central. Third, Data are disentangled from the wider MSS artefact, as a critical, distinct construct. Fourth, an Alignment construct is introduced to address the boundary spanning nature of data initiatives. The thesis also highlights the value of using Wenger’s (1998) Communities of Practice (CoP) situated learning framework to study data initiatives, and the related value of mapping groups as a technique for further development. Some questions are provided for practitioners to gain a better understanding of data initiatives. Wider implications are also noted for the socio-material theorising of Data, and distinguishing between Data, Information and Knowledge concepts within the IS discipline.