2022-12-02 –, Stage 3 (Lovelace), WiFo
The contribution elaborates on the conception and implementation of a virtual community of practice for students and alumni of the MA E-LINGO at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany. The community was recently established on the learning platform of the course as part of a DAAD-funded project. It aims to respond to needs and leverage potentials of the diverse group of learners in the MA by providing opportunities for peer learning.
In our session, we will elaborate on the “why”, “how” and “what” of our virtual community of practice which was recently established in the context of the MA E-LINGO as part of a DAAD-funded project focused on digitalization in international higher-education contexts (IP Digital). Our session will be structured as follows:
The ”why”: First, we will present our context and the theoretical and empirical basis of establishing a virtual community of practice for students and alumni of the MA course. The MA E-LINGO is an international part-time blended-learning teacher education course offered at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany. Students of the MA typically have very diverse backgrounds concerning their nationality, age, as well as prior academic and professional experience, leading to heterogenous conditions among the learners. Drawing on teacher education research (e.g. Birsak de Jersey 2021), as well as research on peer learning, the pursued goals of the established virtual community of practice are twofold: First, it offers a support system to the students who are in-service pre-school and primary school English language teachers. Secondly, it exploits the potential of the students´ diverse backgrounds to foster peer learning and enable the exchange of resources, ideas, and experiences among learners along a novice-expert continuum.
The “how”: Next, we will explain steps and challenges when conceptualizing and implementing the virtual community of practice on the open-source learning platform ILIAS. Based on prior research and experiences, features of the platform, e.g. blog formats, were implemented to address the requirements of the learners. Following the OER-philosophy, resources are shared under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license. A monthly newsletter, as well as online meetings support the regular interaction of the community and provide a nurturing ground for the strengthening of social ties. The “what”: Finally, we will give a “tour” of the platform and provide an outlook on future goals, challenges and research.
Anna-Lena Brown is a digital learning expert at the University of Education Freiburg / Germany. After receiving a teaching degree from the University of Mannheim, she gathered experience in the field of online and technology-enhanced learning while working as a software trainer and instructional designer. She is currently pursuing an MA in "E-Learning and Media Education" from the University of Education in Heidelberg.
Annika Kolb is a professsor for English language teaching pedagogy at the University of Education in Freiburg. She holds a PhD from the university of Hamburg and has taught English in Germany and Spain.