The Six Key Elements of an Active and Thriving Community of Practice

• In Event: 52.084 - Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 52.084-12 - Online Learning Design and Assessment

Abstract

Communities of practice offer situated, social, and distributed learning experiences that support the professional growth of teachers. However, while some communities of practice are successful, others flounder. This manuscript reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined teachers’ experiences in the Discovery Educator Network, a blended community of practice that positively impacted teacher growth (Authors, 2016), in order to identify the elements that shaped teacher participation and learning. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with 26 members of the Discovery Educator Network. Data analysis resulted in the identification of six key elements that were critical to the success of the community of practice: leadership roles, personalized learning, guiding principles, organizational support, social learning, and purpose.

Authors

• Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Brian Horrocks, University of Massachusetts - Amherst