Abstract
Knowledge sharing is fundamental to learning among students. Learning and innovation occur when students are collaborating and able to share knowledge. Therefore students must be encouraged and be willing to share knowledge with one another. Although there are many benefits to knowledge sharing among students, in practice it is not easy to achieve. Communities of practice (COP) are an ideal platform for students to collaborate and share knowledge as they learn. However, creating and implementing an effective COP is not trivial. This paper describes our experience of using COP to promote knowledge sharing among undergraduate students working in a multicultural setting, analyses COP using activity theory, and outlines a design proposal for a COP using social objects.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Sun, P.Y., Scott, J.L.: An investigation of barriers of knowledge transfer. Journal of Knowledge Management 9(2), 75–90 (2005)
Riege, A.: Three-dozen knowledge-sharing barriers managers must consider. Journal of Knowledge Management 9(3), 8–35 (2005)
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J.: Culture and Organization. McGraw-Hill, New York (2005)
Eid, M., Nuhu, N.A.: The impact of learning culture and information technology use on knowledge sharing on Saudi students. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 9, 48–57 (2011)
Shaheen, M., Ting, J.Y.: ‘Information and Knowledge Sharing by Undergraduate Students in Singapore’. In: Khosrow-Pour, M. (ed.) Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management, vols. 1 and 2. Idea Group Publishing, Hershey (2006)
Wenger, E.: Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1988, 2008)
Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W.M.: Cultivating Communities of Practice. Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge (2002)
Kuutti, K.: Context and Consciousness: Activity Theory and Human-Computer. MIT Press, Cambridge (1995)
Engeström, Y.: Expansive Learning at work. Journal of Education and Work 14(1), 133–156 (2001)
Kuutti, K., Molin-Juustila, T.: Information system support for “loose” coordination in a network organization: An activity-theory perspective. In: Hasan, H., Gould, E., Hyland, P. (eds.) Information Systems and Activity Theory: Tools in Context, pp. 73–92. University of Wollongong Press, Wollongong (1998)
Vygotsky, L.S.: Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1978)
Engeström, Y.: Learning by Expanding: an activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Orienta-Konsultit Oy, Helsinki (1987)
Keyes, J.: Identifying the Barriers to Knowledge sharing in Knowledge Intensive Organizations (2008), http://www.newarttech.com/KnowledgeSharing.pdf
Kaptelinin, V., Nardi, B.A.: Acting with Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design. MIT Press, Cambridge (2006)
Kaptelinin, V., Nardi, B.A., Macaulay, C.: Methods & Tools: The activity checklist: a tool for representing the “space” of context. Magazine Interactions 6(4), 27–39 (1999)
Boer, N.I., van Baalen, P.J., Kumar, K.: An Activity Approach for Studying the Situatedness of Knowledge Sharing. In: Proceeding of the 35th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Department of Information and Decision Management (2002), Retrieved from IEEE Xplore Digital Library, www.ieeexplore.ieee.org
Jonassen, D.H., Rohrer-Murphy, L.: Activity Theory as a Framework for Designing Constructivist Learning Environments. Educational Technology Research and Development 47(1), 61–79 (1999)
Bardram, J.E.: I love the system: I just don’t use it. In: Proceeding of the International ACM SIGGROUP Conference on Supporting Group Work: The Integration Challenge, New York, pp. 251–260 (1997)
Engeström, Y.: Innovative learning in work teams: Analyzing cycles of knowledge creation in practice. In: Engeström, Y., Miettinen, R., Punamaiki, R.L. (eds.) Perspectives on Activity Theory, pp. 377–404. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1999)
Lave, J., Wenger, E.: Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. University of Cambridge Press, Cambridge (1991)
Engeström, J.: Why some social network services work and others don’t – Or: the case for object centered sociality (2005), http://www.zengestrom.com (retrieved)
Weller, M.:: Social objects in education (2008), Retreived from ‘The Ed Techie’, http://www.nogoodreason.typepad.co.uk
Demsey, L.: Some thoughts about egos, objects and social networks (2008), http://www.orweblog.oclc.org (retrieved)
McLeod, H.: Social Objects for beginners (2007), http://www.gapingvoid.com (retrieved)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Sie, A.B., Aho, AM., Uden, L. (2014). Community of Practice for Knowledge Sharing in Higher Education: Analysing Community of Practice through the Lens of Activity Theory. In: Uden, L., Sinclair, J., Tao, YH., Liberona, D. (eds) Learning Technology for Education in Cloud. MOOC and Big Data. LTEC 2014. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 446. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10671-7_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10671-7_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-10670-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-10671-7
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)