Investigating value creation in a community of practice with social network analysis in a hybrid online graduate education program

Abstract

This study reports an analysis of 10 years in the life of the Internet-based Master in Educational Technology program (iMET) at Sacramento State University. iMET is a hybrid educational technology master's program delivered 20% face to face and 80% online. The program has achieved a high degree of success, with a course completion rate of 93% and a graduation rate of 84%. iMET is based on Lave and Wenger's seminal community of practice (CoP) model, which is identified by faculty and students as key to the program's success. This study applied a value creation framework (VCF) created by Wenger, Trayner, and de Laat for assessing value creation in a CoP. The article presents detailed information concerning the framework and how it was applied. It then outlines how a social network analysis led to findings that value was created in the iMET CoP and how the value created led to a sustained CoP currently entering its 13th year.

Measuring Participation in Distance Education Online Discussion Forums Using Social Network Analysis

“…The former identified patterns of relationships among participants in a learning network and quantified interaction patterns, whereas the latter examined and mapped interactions among participants in two sections of a specific course. Cowan and Menchaca () used SNA to assess communities of practice. Zawacki‐Richter and Von Prummer () performed an analysis of the impact of gender and collaboration patterns among researchers in research methods, topics, and productivity.…”

An Approach for Assessing Large Online Communities in Informal Learning Environments

“…Although value creation and social presence frameworks suggest the indicators that enable to assess the SL elements within OLC, their authors do not offer details on how to use them in practice. Thus, we have used the empirical evidence pointed out in the educational research [Antonacci et al 2017;Cowan and Menchaca 2014;Ferreira et al 2020;Joksimovic et al 2015] to propose the measures used to operationalize the assessment of SL elements in Table I and Table II.…”

HowMoroccan‐Dutch parents learn in communities of practice:Evaluating a bottom‐up parenting programme

“…Drawing upon sociocultural learning theory (Cole, ; Rogoff, ; Vygotsky, 1978), Wenger and associates understand learning not as an institutionalized, curriculum‐oriented activity detached from everyday social activity, but as inherently present in social interactions between people (Wenger, ). As people exchange knowledge, skills, and support concerning a certain practice, such as professional teacher development (e.g., Cowan & Menchaca, ) or social work (e.g., Smith, ), they continuously define and negotiate the meaning of that practice, to what frame of reference it belongs, and consequently who they are participating in that practice. As a result, members of a CoP share specific competences differentiating them from nonmembers, and they develop a meaningful (collective) identity (Wenger, ).…”

“…Drawing upon Wenger's (, , ) “communities of practice,” this paper explores an alternative perspective on parenting programme evaluation. This perspective is used to analyse collective learning processes and has so far been applied mostly to the learning of teachers (Cowan & Menchaca, ) and social workers in the workplace (Smith, ). In this paper, we apply it to the learning of Moroccan‐Dutch mothers and fathers as they participate in an intercultural bottom‐up parenting programme in the Netherlands.…”