Networked Learning Communities: A Perspective Arising From a Multidisciplinary Community of Practice on Student Eportfolios
Abstract
This article looks at the impact of a multidisciplinary community of practice (CoP) at the Hong Kong Baptist University aimed at encouraging the university-wide use of student eportfolios as part of course assessment. Twelve colleagues from different disciplines formed the CoP to initiate a culture of networked teaching and learning. Based on this experience, they proposed a model of “Networked Learning Communities” (NLC) that seeks to illustrate the buffering role of CoPs between the top-down and bottom-up
approaches to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the University. The article also illustrates how two or more CoPs can enter into a “symbiotic” relationship through the exchange of knowledge and resources, which manifests the second stage of the NLC model.
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