Identity and Motivation for Engagement Within a Professional Online Community of Practice

• In Event: Roundtable Session 86
  In Roundtable Session: School Engagement

Abstract

Sustaining members’ participation in the activities of online communities remains a problem for instructional designers. Wenger (1998) suggests developing an “identity of participation” is the basis for an individual’s motivation to participate in the practices of a community. This study uses self-determination theory in order to better understand the interplay of identity and motivation. This mixed-methods study focused on a distributed community of practice for instructors from many different universities. Findings indicate age was an identity factor that made a statistically significant difference to members’ motivation in this community. Those who identified themselves as experts within the community did not feel motivated to share their knowledge. Further, members felt their employer exerted undue control over their participation.

Authors

• Haley Kay Steele, The University of Texas - Austin

• Todd C. Reimer, Metropolitan State College of Denver