Assessing the Effect of Communities of Practice in Higher Education: The Case at Hong Kong Baptist University
Abstract
Although proven to be effective in the United States, there is still an apparent lack of evidence that participation in communities of practice (CoPs) will have a positive impact on teaching and, ultimately, student learning in the Asian context. This article aims to present a master assessment plan to gauge the effectiveness of CoPs established at a Hong Kong university. Preliminary findings from faculty members’ self-reported changes indicated that the majority benefited from their participation in CoPs in ways ranging from changes in teaching attitudes to adoption of various teaching, learning, and assessment methods, among others. Comparisons were
made with findings at US institutions to gauge any effects that enhance student learning.
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