Applications of Virtual Communities of Practice Group Members: Beenish Aslam Ibad Ur Rehman Muhammad Samad Hassan Umair Javed
Jan 20, 2016
Applications of Virtual Communities of Practice
Group Members: Beenish AslamIbad Ur RehmanMuhammad Samad HassanUmair Javed
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Recap- COP and Virtual COP
Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. (Etienne Wenger, 1998)
A virtual Community of Practice is a network of individuals who share a domain of interest about which they communicate online.
(Leary & Fontainha, 2007)
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Introduction The latest generation of Web-based tools, namely wikis,
blogs/photoblogs and podcasts/vodcasts, offer powerful information sharing and collaboration features.
They have the added advantage of taking the technical skill out of these features.
These web based tools carry the potential of complementing, improving and adding new collaborative dimensions to
Web-based Medical/health education Continuing Professional Development Research Services
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WEB 2.0
The phrase "Web 2.0" can refer to one or more of the following:
A social phenomenon embracing an approach to generating and distributing Web content itself, characterized by open communication, decentralization of authority, freedom to share and re-use, and "the market as a conversation”
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Eugene, OR: ISTE.
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Wiki
A wiki (from Hawaiian wiki, swift) is a collaborative Web site whose content can be edited by anyone who has access to it.
Content management system
Perhaps the best example of a wiki in action today is Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia
Wikis can significantly transform the Internet information age; they have grown very popular in recent times.
http://www.answers.com/topic/wiki
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Wiki Components
Pages community members can add to or edit
Discussion area for each page
List of all of the changes made to a particular page
List of all changes made to all pages.
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Medical Wiki ExamplesMedical Wiki Examples
http://ganfyd.org/
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Medical Wiki ExamplesMedical Wiki Examples
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Wikis: Easy EditingWikis: Easy Editing
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Wikis: Article DiscussionsWikis: Article Discussions
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Use of Wikis in Collaboration
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Blogs
A blog is a Web site that contains dated entries in reverse chronological order (most recent first) about a particular topic.
They can be written by one person or a group of contributors.
Entries contain commentary and links to other Web sites, and images as well as a search facility may also be included.
http://www.answers.com/topic/bloghttp://www.answers.com/topic/blog
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Health/Medical Blog ExamplesHealth/Medical Blog Examples
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Each post to the blog is also a standalone Web page with a unique URL. This facilitates linking to and organising content within the same blog and from external sites.
Blog FeaturesBlog Features
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Blog Features: Easy PostingBlog Features: Easy Posting
Posting a clinical photo from your digital camera directly to your blog after optimisation and adding your comments can also be made at the touch of a button using a free Google product called Picasa.
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Wikis vs. Blogs
No one owns content No specific organization
(hyperlinks) Anyone can edit other
people’s work Perpetual work in
progress Good for collaborative
group work
A person owns their post Organized in reverse
chron. order Only author can edit their
own work (others can comment)
Posts are permanent Good for disseminating
info/starting a dialogue
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Advantages of Wikis and Blogs Two main advantages:
Ease of use Availability of many Open Source/free/low-cost software
and hosting options. Examples of the latter include
MediaWiki Google Blogger
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Disadvantages of Wikis and Blogs Wikis and blogs are sometimes prone to serious quality
issues as they are easy to access and can be edited easily.
In an Open Collaborative Web environment, anyone can
Easily post copyrighted material Post otherwise unsuitable or misleading content Edit existing content in a way that reduces its quality/accuracy Delete a good wiki entry
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Darwikinism).
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Monitoring and Moderation of Open Wikis and Blogs
Monitoring and moderating posts, deleting/ reverting edits as necessary; protecting key/stable content; controlling who can post; blocking problematic users IP addresses.
Wiki and blog software packages have built-in Administrator’s functionalities to support these tasks.
Can be very time-consuming and human resource intensive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Counter_Vandalism_Unithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Counter_Vandalism_Unit
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Forums Have been around
for a long time
Via e-mail or online
Hard to get going
Large user capacity
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Podcast
A Podcast is a media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
Video Podcasts - vodcasts
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Eugene, OR: ISTE.
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CoP Softwares
Group-Office
ProjectwareGroup Ware
eGroupWareeGroupWare
TikiWikiTikiWiki
PhpGroupWare
CodeBeamer
Collaborative Virtual
Environment
Collaborative Virtual
Environment
OpenGooOpenGoo
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Group Ware-eGroupWareE-GroupWare is a free open source groupware software intended for
businesses from small to enterprises. Its primary functions allow users to manage contacts, appointments, projects and to-do lists.
It is used either via its native web-interface, making access platform-independent, or by using different supported groupware clients
Calendar (including support for scheduling of groups, resources and contacts)
Infolog, an application for tasks and notes Resources management (inventory) and booking tool integrated into
eGroupWare calendar Time-tracker application integrated with project manager Wiki
Source:Wikipedia(2009)
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Group Ware-TikiWiki
TikiWiki can be used as a structured wiki, a bug tracking system, a collaboration platform, a knowledge base, ablogging system or an Internet forum
Source:Wikipedia(2009)
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Group Ware-Group-Office
It contains a calendar system, an email client, an inventory system, and a number of other features.
Source:Wikipedia(2009)
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Project Ware-Croquet Project
Applications created with the Croquet Software Developer's Kit (SDK) can be used to support highly scalable collaborative data visualization, virtual learning and problem solving environments, 3D wikis, online gaming environments, and privately maintained/interconnected multiuser virtual environments.
Source:Wikipedia(2009)
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Social Networking Sites
A Web site that provides a virtual community for people interested in a particular subject or just to "hang out" together.
Members communicate by voice, chat, instant message, videoconference and blogs, and the service typically provides a way for members to contact friends of other members.
The "social networking site" is the 21st century term for "virtual community.”
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Application of Virtual COP at NAAE
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Reinventing the Classroom…
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Limitation of CoP Applications
Many of the applications do not provide flexibility in Language Selection. French person may find it hard to use the software written in EnglishSoftware [ Groupware, projectware ] are expensiveSome Software are difficult to operate.Some people do not like the concept of CoP and so it will be hard to persuade them to use ApplicationsCultural Difference may prohibit people to collaborate through the application.
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Additional Success Factors
Motivated & tech-savvy subgroup within your local academic community.
Appropriate IT-infrastructure (broad-based high-speed Internet, IP-based videoconferencing program at the desktop, ongoing support structure, etc.)
A strong benefit from VCoP resources should be provided.
A culture within the academic community that can assume long-term ownership of a launched VCoP initiative.
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