Informal learning in an online community of practice

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which participants' experiences in an informal online environment constituted a community of practice. The study sought to understand the motivations and deterrents to participation, participants' conceptualizations of their online experience, and the role the moderator played in this online environment.; This interpretive study utilized a multi-method approach based upon practices and assumptions of qualitative inquiry. Participants included 43 coordinators of Alberta Community Adult Learning Councils and the manager of the Community Programs Branch of Alberta Learning, all of whom participated in a moderated online community for a one year period from May, 2000 to April, 2001. Data collection sources included a review of online postings, a survey of participants, and individual interviews. The data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.; The research findings indicate that participation in the online environment did constitute a community of practice that facilitated meaningful informal learning situated within a distributed work context. Newcomers were oriented into the skills and culture of the practice, and experienced practitioners gained new insights into their own professional identities and the meaning of their work. Telling of stories helped to develop not only identity as individual practitioners, but also served to continually reconstruct the identity of the collective community of coordinators. Even peripheral "lurking," where participants read but did not actively contribute to online discussions, was a legitimate form of learning and participation. Motivations to participate included the opportunity to learn new skills and work practices, a means of social and professional connection to colleagues, and an opportunity to decrease the isolation that was inherent in the job function and geographical location. Deterrents to participation included a lack of time, technical limitations of slow Internet connections and older computers, and individual perceptions of limited experiences or information to contribute. Participants conceptualized the online environment as an integrated space that represented a tool for work, a place for learning, and a social community. The findings suggest that an online moderator was helpful in sustaining the online community over an extended period of time and enhancing the learning function.