Linkr For Communities of Practice
Communities of Practice arise from a shared desire to collaborate in an organized manner. Democratic and informal by design, a cornerstone of an effective community of practice is a space and format allowing participants to partake in respectful and productive work and constructive knowledge sharing.
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Over the last few years, as physical and conceptual barriers have been broken down, international, multi-institutional, educational communities of practice have become increasingly important and are impacting players in all areas of academia and beyond.
Read on to find out how!
What is a “Community of Practice”?
A Community of Practice (CoP) is an informal or semi-formal group of people engaged in working together to make progress in a particular area, or learn together about a specific theme. Not quite an organization, nor a team or club, a CoP shares a focus, interests or goals and wishes to operate as a collective.
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Many CoPs are managed or supported by Institutions or organizations focused on expanding their horizons. Thus educational CoPs will often involve participants from multiple institutions or academic stakeholders engaging with players from outside their institutional walls.
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Examples of Communities of Practice:
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Disciplinary:
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English Teachers of Quebec
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Canadian English Teachers interested in Latin American Literature
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Thematic:
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Law and Education in New York
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Writing for Science 2022
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“New Faculty of our Consortium, 2022”
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Event or Goal-specific:
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“Attendees of the August 2022 PD workshop”
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“Finding our Association’s next Blended Mobility partner institution- let’s brainstorm”
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Why Multi-institutional, Educational CoPs are Gaining Relevance and Influence
They make it easier to share ideas and resources across institutions
They increase perspectives on important local and global issues
They enable events like colloquia or professional development trainings to have increased and longer-term impact
They allow educators and institutions to make a positive impact on the world outside of institutional wall
They increase interactivity within and across institutions before, during and/or after student exchange
“The ACSLV is a 50-year-old CoP connecting four institutions that serve the same space in upstate NY. We need a CoP to create a warm and inviting space for faculty and institutional stakeholders as well as local community members from our area. With groups representing different affinities within our distributed membership, we feel that a stand-alone CoP has helped our association and its membership move forward through the pandemic and into the next phase of virtual and in-person life in a productive manner.”
Peter J. Anderson
Executive Director, Associated Colleges of the Saint-Lawrence Valley
For a CoP to Thrive, it Needs a Purpose-built Platform
In many cases an educational CoP will invite members from various institutions or organizations to broaden impact and embrace diversity. However, challenges arise when a single-lead entity oversees such a CoP.
Challenges of Managing a CoP:
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In-house tech often doesn’t allow participation from members outside institutional walls
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Institutional legacy software is rarely built to provide users with real autonomy
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Relying on a single org’s software can restrict CoP independence and hinder member activity due to a sense of micromanagement and “eavesdropping”
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Institutional tools come with complex workflows which make managing a CoP demanding
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Software designed for complex institutional workflows tends to fall short on user experience and does not encourage creativity
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Simplicity of use is not a hallmark of institutional software yet simplicity of communication is key to effective CoP administration and engagement
5 Ways Linkr Makes it Easy to Galvanize and Grow a Multi-institutional CoP
ONE – Linkr doesn't limit participation to an institution, organization or number of members in a CoP.
Not only does Linkr make it easy for participants to get involved, usership is lifelong so participants can stay in touch, pick up communications again down the road, and develop meaningful, long-term relationships and mentorships.
TWO – Linkr gives CoP administrators and participants complete autonomy in a neutral space.
Linkr functions as a virtual home base for your participants. Multiple institutions or stakeholders can share administration of a space, or a single institution can have a space to manage a Community of Practice that engages members from other institutions or community partners. It’s flexible and easy to use!
THREE – Link is easy to onboard, use, and manage from Day One.
Linkr requires little to no setup. It’s a web-based platform, like the ones you know, only it's customizable, keeps your work organized, and community focused.
FOUR – The Linkr User Experience is simple, warm, and engaging for all involved.
Linkr is set up to measure impact and engagement, providing valuable insights into your community.
FIVE – Linkr is secure
Compliant where it counts, Linkr passes every test for protection of personal privacy and information. (To learn more: Linkr Privacy and GDPR compliance)
Linkr is the Best platform to Help you Create, Manage, and Grow your Community of Practice
Offering a virtual home base, publishing tools, and an engaging set of features for collaboration and learning, Linkr is the most timely and turnkey multi-institution community of practice solution. Cost-effective, brandable, and powerful, Linkr will propel your community to the next level in a matter of days.
