PC+Directory

Professional Communities Directory

Contributer Guidelines

 * First come first serve.....!
 * Avoid joining a community already featured in the directory
 * Always add new entry after previous contributor's entry
 * Begin entry by listing the name of the professional community followed by relevant URLS and a description. Add your name. Save!
 * Revisit entry at any time.
 * Do not worry about formatting. The module tutors will format the final document.
 * Do not deliberately edit any entry other than your own. Notify the tutors immediately in WebCT's Problems Forum of unintentional deletes. These can normally be traced and resolved with the help of the History page.
 * Begin below the horizontal rule by selecting 'edit' from the top right.
 * Enjoy

Please have a look here for an example submission.

Thanks for the contributions so far folks! Remember to check the discussion area for this page (click the discussion tab at the top) as that's where I'll be posting feedback and questions on this task. I'd also welcome updates on how you're getting on with the communities in there as we go. Thanks! Colin.

Classroom 2.0 - Usman Arshad
[|http://www.classroom20.com]

Classroom 2.0 had originated from America and the target audience is those //“interested in Web 2.0 and Social Media in education.”// I joined this community to share and explore design and development ideas and techniques, what’s possible with the many existing and new educational technology tools. I also wanted to explore the new and unique educational technology trends that are practiced around the globe. Furthermore it is a very populated and active community and would be beneficial more quality responses would be posted to my or any other discussions and comments.

The website’s key tools are the discussions board which is sorted into categories.There are many different groups formed within the community; such as those interested in Twitter as a learning tool, beginners in this field, those who’s focus is K12 audience etc. [|Eluminate Live sessions] occur every day, such examples are; Sundays ‘ educational technology news and resources’, Tuesdays guests discuss certain topics, Thursdays topic chosen by members, Fridays discuss effective online teaching and learning practices with guest interviews.

Recently two discussions topics were created by me: [|Evaluating how well learning objectives are met?] and [|blogs to showcase work for employment in education field]. I had also participated in this existing discussion: [|Twitter for Professional development--how do you keep it all straight?]

The support is very good as there are many groups one can join within the community. One group we are encouraged to join is the [|Classroom 2.0 Beginner Group!], which currently has about 900 members alone. New and non experienced members would feel comfortable asking questions and getting help, which they are encouraged to do so. Members can receive feedback from other members regarding their developed VLE’s and other projects.

Photoshelter web tool with Blog
[] 'websites and tools for serious photographers' A pay-for-space product with free, downloadable research, webinar tutorials, photographers and site blogs. I've chosen Photoshelter as I will be using the site with future students and needed to come up to speed with how it operates. The difficulty was finding a 'community of practice' that crossed over professional photography and photographic education. As I've yet to find one Photoshelter is allowing me to view and engage with web-based educational structures, albeit more training than pedagogical. Alongside the high grade storage facility, embedded/linked ind. pro web-sites and agent facility, is a quite comprehensive attempt at bringing together emerging with established photographers. The webinars act as forums as well as professional tutorials with feedback from participants that may lead to face-to-face symposia, demonstrations, etc. To access the webinars live I'd have to buy into the site, but as they're re-worked and posted up as free video tutorials I'm able to view them after the fact. Interesting that they use vimeo as well - same as I use for video feedback to my third years... good to see I'm up to speed on something... mary ann kennedy

[] This is an online community to discuss and share practice in online education; it is international based at the University of Aldelaide Australia. It is a discussion forum to share and discuss various resources and projects within online education. Originally designed as a pilot in a closed community by invite only, I was invited through JISC group. It has now become open and will continue indefinitely. There are some interesting forums on there one that I particularly like is title readings and resources where contributers share open resources that they have found useful and interesting, I found out about JOLT Journal of Online Technology which is an open access journal, that has good articles. I like that it is international so you can keep up to date with what is happening in universities all over the world. I have been asked if I would contribute by doing a skype audio that introduces to the community what you do, there so far have been a few contributors that have done this and it's interesting to hear what they are up to with their teaching online. The other forum that has been good to view is the 'what does your classroom look like' there has been some great examples of the use of second life and wimba. The main thing that I like about this community is that you can choose when to view the forums and which ones you want to participate in and the contributers and moderators are all very welcoming. Clare Bryant
 * Interactive Online Learning in Higher Education**

**Best Practice Models for E-learning**
The Best Practice Models for E-learning project is an ongoing development at Staffordshire University since mid-2006. The models are shareable descriptions of e-learning practice, presented as short, clear summaries of good practice and research made available to all e-learning practitioners in an online community of practice. The project web site @http://learning.staffs.ac.uk/bestpracticemodels/ provides some examples with case studies and how-to guides. Its Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18271427408&v=wall exists to support the Best Practice Models for E-learning online community, by sharing experience and expertise in e-learning. A facebook account is required to join the group. ﻿The group currently has 584 members which is one motivation for me to join this community. The main reason is that I had attended a SEDA 2010 conference workshop by Helen Walmsley who is the project co-ordinator. The models were presented with the evaluation which I felt was useful and applicable for online curriculum design.

Meg Soosay

**Evaluation of Learners' Experiences of e-learning Special Interest Group ** ELESIG is an international community of researchers and practitioners from higher and further education who are involved in investigations of learners' experiences and uses of technology in learning. [] The community has an international student experienc ﻿ e of online participation in learning group (a lengthy title). I was interested in this for my individual project. This group has shared resources and one member of the group has developed an annotated bibliography of research in this area. [] ELESIG has also created three spaces of interest to its members on Cloudworks: These are [|**ELESIG - Resources**], **ELESIG - Readings** and [|Contrasts and contradictions in learner experience research]. These areas allow members to share to share and discuss research, ideas and resources. This community provides access to many useful resources but many of the members are active researchers in this area and I do feel a novice. It will be useful for accessing resources but in terms of support I’m not so sure it will fulfil my needs. Fiona MacKinnon

**Discussion and support list for PDP UK Network members** [PDP-AND-E-PORTFOLIOUK@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] This is my community and its a closed community. I have been a member for about 18 months. The participants are research students, staff in academic development departments, student support advisers lecturers in a wide variety of social science disciplines. Not many engineers or other built environment academics. Perhaps thats not surprising! Recently most of the posts have been e-portfolio related. You will not be able to access this as it is not a free and open website. I attach a document downloaded from the community site that has guidance for elearning portfolios that I will be using in my individual project for CCDBOE. Robert Mason

The Higher Education Academy Education Centre ESCalate [] This is where I started. As part of the Higher Education Academy this site aims to support and facilitate the development of students and teachers of education. It offers a link between teachers sharing experience and learning about the education process. I then found myself at the HEA's Health Sciences and Practice page. Colours changed from purple to red. [] Yet more interesting resources available here. I have also, somehow, joined a special interest group in the HEA's Health Sciences and Practice section related to practice learning and support in health care studies. This is of particular interest for my field of work. There appears to be a great deal of useful information available in terms of news and views, research, group meetings and conferences inboth areas. I feel it will take a while to find my way around. I appear to have done several loops and have probable signed up to a number of things twice. Discussion potential yet to be determined. So far then, good in parts.

Elizabeth Lee-Woolf

__Elearningeuropa.info__
__[|http://www.elearningeuropa.info]__

Elearning europa is a European Commission (EC) initiative portal that promotes educational technologies and forms part of the EC lifelong learning program directed in part at adult learners. It is a platform where they encourage communities to share experiences, obtain information, tell others about their projects and discuss ideas. The reason for joining was the articles related specifically to second language acquisition and the members are from all over Europe so there is the option to view in languages other than English. It was started in 2003 (have a look at the site [] and type in the url to see the site history). Some of the key features are the publications, events as well as a comprehensive directory of institutions, experts, events among other things.It supplies resources and collaboration areas for teachers, trainers, institutions working in education and on the other side for learners. Some recent topics have related very well to this CDDBOL module such as "Is e-learning really inclusive?" and "long tail learning and curriculum". There are quite a number of new avenues to explore which I would not have stumbled upon, such as alternative pedagogies (mode neutral is an example) the topics, although covering a broad range of disciplines, often have relevance for me in my job.

Phil Sambati

[]
This is an online community group that has been set up by a group of keen researchers in Cancer and Palliative Care, within Surrey University Nursing Department. The main aim of the group is to invite like minded professionals to the group to share their experience of clinical research across Europe. The community have now extended the remit of the group from discussion board activity to developing video material and advertising online lectures that the professionals may have an interest in. This has been an excellent platform to advertise my Individual Project activity. I was invited to join this group as I had contacted the creator to talk over Elluminate Live about her research as she is my very own nurse tutor from 20 years past! Since joining I have also extended invitations to my close collegues conducting research in this clinical area. This has given me experience of using technology from a clinicians perspective with the realisation that there is great emphasis on discussing rather than specific tools, and documentation to extend knowledge. The group is struggling to attract members, which makes me think that their design and focus is on what they want to achieve and not from the member perspective! Interestingly I feel that there is great potential for legitamate peripheral participation as new members rarely post. The group have recently conducted a survey on how the members would like to use the site; 86% stated that they thought it would be useful to share research practice with most interest in discussion boards, and email contact; only 44% were interested in webinar's and 31% in blogs. Eightyone percent suggested that they would use the online resources including video clips and podcasts. The production of their video content has certainly given me teaching material that I can utilise in my face to face and also my online teaching. Discussion boards are less relevant to me as I am not conducting academic research, but I am supervising masters students and have encouraged them to participate. Karen Campbell

[]

This 'professional community' seems to have been used by a wide variety of people from different types of backgrounds. There were submissions from computer game designers and a story about how some much older people were adapting to new technology dating from the 1930s and 1940s. The site had several stories about users in American museums where they had used it as a learning tool. Although this is because the general public might want to log on, but it may have been also useful for groups who were doing projects connected with the museums. My problem with these submissions is that most of them were described by their users with video links. Since I was working either in a shared office or in the Kilby centre, or in the Library, I certainly didn't want to disturb my neighbours by switching on these videos! I realised much later that of course it might have been possible to bring along some headphones. Then I came to a site which was different - it came from the Australian outback - showing the range and adaptability of online education - and the users here were talking about the 'value of silence'. So this submission didn't have a video link. Many of the discussions were not relevant to my teaching environment. Some were from industry, although some of these, such as publishing, may have had an educational relevance, and from the computer games designers. However, I did find one which discussed the problems of evaluation in education. This is one of the most difficult aspects of online education for me, since teach Maureen Parnell