Online communities of practice: A case study of the CI network from a communicative perspective.

摘要

This study embarks on the theory of structuration as a meta-theoretical framework to position communication at the center of the stage in understanding online communities of practice on three aspects: (1) digital communication, enabled and constrained by digital technologies, is both the medium and outcome of daily, interactive activities engaged in by participants of online communities of practice; (2) communities of practice, as an organizing structure with unique structural elements, defines and, at the same time, is defined by digital communication practices; and, (3) learning is social and knowledge is co-constructed through ongoing and situated dialogues. This research project is an exploratory case study using multiple methods to learn the communicative processes and evaluate the strength of the research site---The Communication Initiative. An electronic survey, follow-up interviews with survey respondents, in-depth interviews with core team members, and narrative analysis of web site comments are the instruments used. The results and findings of this research add insights in understanding the duality of structure and enabling and constraining capacities of digital communication in the context of online communities of practice.