Bridging Distances: Creating Faculty Connections Using Virtual Communities of Practice
Abstract
With up to 75 miles separating four campuses, University of North Georgia (UNG) appreciates the challenges that come with developing a community of practice among faculty. But the university also understands the importance of having a way for faculty to share information, ideas, and experiences. In that vein, UNG has adopted innovative ways to connect, specifically using virtual community of practices (VCoP) to promote SoTL and high-impact classroom practices (HICP). VCoP allows faculty from different campuses to cultivate fledgling bonds through multimodal methods, an approach that would work for larger, single-campus institutions as well.
After providing an overview of the VCoP theoretical frame and relating it to specific strategies for bridging campus cultures, the panel will facilitate a discussion of the methods and technologies employed by UNG to engage faculty in SoTL and HICP on multiple campuses. Focusing on the use of VCoP to exchange ideas, share resources, and promote research opportunities, the panel will share personal experiences developing and using VCoP, including examination of how VCoP enhanced the resulting HICP and improved student engagement. Participants will then identify a particular goal at their institution and determine the steps needed to implement a VCoP system to reach that goal.
Location
Rooms 113 & 115
Recommended Citation
Francis, Ann Marie; Carney, Mary; Sukapdjo, Amye; and Ng, Laura, "Bridging Distances: Creating Faculty Connections Using Virtual Communities of Practice" (2015). SoTL Commons Conference. 45.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2015/45
Bridging Distances: Creating Faculty Connections Using Virtual Communities of Practice
Rooms 113 & 115
With up to 75 miles separating four campuses, University of North Georgia (UNG) appreciates the challenges that come with developing a community of practice among faculty. But the university also understands the importance of having a way for faculty to share information, ideas, and experiences. In that vein, UNG has adopted innovative ways to connect, specifically using virtual community of practices (VCoP) to promote SoTL and high-impact classroom practices (HICP). VCoP allows faculty from different campuses to cultivate fledgling bonds through multimodal methods, an approach that would work for larger, single-campus institutions as well.
After providing an overview of the VCoP theoretical frame and relating it to specific strategies for bridging campus cultures, the panel will facilitate a discussion of the methods and technologies employed by UNG to engage faculty in SoTL and HICP on multiple campuses. Focusing on the use of VCoP to exchange ideas, share resources, and promote research opportunities, the panel will share personal experiences developing and using VCoP, including examination of how VCoP enhanced the resulting HICP and improved student engagement. Participants will then identify a particular goal at their institution and determine the steps needed to implement a VCoP system to reach that goal.
