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It is argued elsewhere that online learning environments constitute new conditions for carrying out collaborative learning activities. This article explores the roles of a series of online meetings in such an environment. The online meetings are arranged as part of a net-based course on object-oriented programming, and constitute a recurring shared experience for the participants throughout the semester. Through an activity theoretical analysis, we find that the meetings mediate the learners' actions towards the construction and maintenance of a community of practice. Our finding has implications for the standardization of digital learning resources. This is an issue that will challenge designers of research-oriented learning environments, should they attempt to move their systems into wider adoption. We suggest that an awareness of the internal systemic connections among the components of the course design we studied is of importance when considering redesign, with respect to the reuse and standardization of learning resources.

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In the fields of art and music, professionalization is an important prerequisite for success in an increasingly globalized and competitive market. In Norway, professionalization is a recurrent topic in policy papers, and several cultural policy schemes aim at increased professionalization. Professionalism is also a key concept when referring to musicians and artistic activity. Who are professionals and who are amateurs decides who are inside and who are outside when recognition and grants are to be awarded. At the same time, professionalization also comes with a considerable downside, which is largely undescribed and unrecognized. In this paper, we discuss the term professionalization both as a theoretical as well as a rhetorical concept. Based on two different studies of concert promoters, we describe and analyse the downsides, both in terms of increased expenses and reduced enthusiasm among volunteers.