research codebook for non-formal virtual learning communties, v 2.0

8/14/2019 Research codebook for non-formal virtual learning communties, v 2.0

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Codebook NFSDL Program of ResearchJaymie Koroluk Richard Schwier Dirk Morrison Ben Daniel

Virtual Learning Communities Research Lab

September 21, 2009 version 2.0

Researchers may use this codebook under the provisions of a Creative Commons Attribution License Canada 3.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

This codebook is under continuing revision. Please refer to version numbers, and employ the most current version

available.

Catalysts: States, traits and actions that energize community or that are prerequisite to itsdevelopment.

Code: Operational Definition: Example: Notes:

Catalysts >

Alignment

Individuals shifting

positions or opinions to

move toward closer

agreement.

Catalysts >

AwarenessA Catalyst that includes knowledge of people, tasks environment - or some combination of these.

Catalysts >

Awareness >

Concept Awareness

awareness of how a

particular activity or piece

of knowledge fits into an

individuals existing

knowledge.


2/23

Catalysts >Awareness >

Social Awareness

Awareness that peoplehave about the social

connections within the

group. Expressing and

reflecting on the nature of

roles and relationships

among group members.


Catalysts >

Awareness >

Task Awareness

Awareness of how a

shared task will be

completed.

Catalysts >

Awareness >

Workspace

Awareness

Sensitivity to the context,

and what is appropriate or

inappropriate in a

particular work setting.

Catalysts >Engagement

Confronting or exploringideas, people, resources

and processes first

presented by someone

else in the group.

Catalysts >

Interaction

Interplay or activity with

others without deep


3/23

engagement.


4/23

Elements: Features that arise or that are manifest in communities.


Elements >Autonomy

Individuals have thecapacity and authority to

conduct discourse and

share information freely,

or withdraw from

discourse or choose not

to share information

without penalty.

Elements >

Historicity

Communities develop

their own history andculture. Items coded as

history would include

specific references to the

history of the community

or the history of the

emphasis of that

community.

Elements >

Identity

The boundaries of the

community - its identity or

recognized focus. Itemscoded "identity" would

refer to the boundaries of

the community -- who is

in and who might be

excluded.


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Code: Operational Definition Example: Notes:

Elements >

Intensity

Active engagement, open

discourse, and a sense of

importance or urgency indiscussion, critique and

argumentation.

Elements >

Learning Process

An Element that includes formal or informal, yet purposeful, learning processes/activities by members of the

community.

Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental

Learning processes or activities related to the public, central purposes or intentions of the community.

Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >

Agreement

Explicitly agreeing with a

point or position taken by

another member of the

group. May also be an

indication of "Alignment."

Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >

Disagreement

One participant

challenging the comments

of another with or without

supporting evidence.

I disagree (and my

stomach is actually in

knots ... because I HATE

doing so virtually). ;o) As

a group we discussed the

concepts of "perceived

trajectories"


6/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >Observations

Analyzing or expressing

opinions about a specific

situation or item ofdiscourse.

If a community views a

person as being an

insider, but the personsees him/herself moving

on an outward trajectory

that could be quite

devastating for the group.

The unexpected change in

the dynamics of the

community could

potentially undermine the

cohesiveness of the

group. It could result in

other membersquestioning their own

membership. It could

cause members to

question the commitment

of others."

Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >

Peer-support

Providing or requesting for

help.

, I may need your

assistance with the

authorware program :-)


7/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >Reflection

Considering experiences,

postings in previous

discussions, or situatingcurrent discussions in

previous events.

This reminds me of a

time when I was trying to

find out how not to be ataken by a customer on e-

bay. I needed some

questions answered

quickly (prior to sending

my money). So I went on

some help forum. I am

too lazy to read the FAQ

or the many posted

questions asked by other

newbies. So I post my

question. It was neveranswered. I wondered if

that was because of my

question..."

Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >

Shared

Experience

Describing past

experiences, stories, etc.

that are similar to others in

the group.

I have this same

experience of the "guru"

leaving a group. I work in

the clinic at the RPC. A

nurse who worked there

for 25 years left suddenly(stress related from our

staff dynamics). I enjoyed

working with her. We

clicked; she was smart,

calm and patient.


8/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Incidental >Shared

Understanding

Building

agreement/consensus

between two or moreparticipants about

meaning of discourse.

I also agree with the turn

toward constructivist

epistemology ineducation, but not only

with the school boards,

but with the textbook

companies. If anyone

uses 'Flashback Canada',

I find that information is

provided for students, but

that they must construct

their own ideas on what

happens next. They are

actively trying to guesswhat might happen under

a list of circumstances..."

Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional

Learning activities related

to central purpose for

being in the community.


9/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Argumentation

Critically examining

knowledge with respect to

contrary evidence.

I do believe that this

project could be

completed within thestated parameters. I think

that the faculty members

who will eventually deliver

this course will have to be

open to change (teaching

online, teaching with a

constructivist approach,

etc.) as well as be willing

to relinquish some of their

course planning control to

a business. While thispartnership does provide

opportunities, such a

union raises the

specter..."


10/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Clarification

Providing concrete

examples or fresh

explanations to clarify andrestate an idea.

The reference was to

how online communities

treat newbie memberswho ask questions that

may be common

knowledge to the rest of

the group. Sometimes

these questions are

politely answered,

sometimes they are

ignored and sometimes

you get RTFM.

Elements >Learning Process >

Intentional >

Elaboration

Extending the meaning ofa particular posting,

illustrating with examples.

Asking me if I would bewilling to elaborate . . . . .

. I would love to elaborate.

I probably should have

replied privately to your

post. This anthropological

offshoot may take up

more space on the

discussion board than

others may want to see!


11/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Evaluation

Judging, assessing, or

criticizing specific

postings, and ideas.

My sense is that you are

an insider in the English

VLC you taught, by virtueof your assignment to

teach the course and your

position as the old-timer.

You are also inbound in

the distance learning

community, since you are

thinking carefully about

distance learning

environments, engaging

with practitioners in the

field and undertaking aMEd in the Ed Tech..."


12/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Explicit

Information

Providing new ideas or

information without

explicit expectation ofreciprocity.

Anthropologists do

acknowledge different

talents and differentresponses to

environmental stimuli;

however, enculturation,

culture specific meaning

and understanding, is

necessary for an individual

to think, behave, and

develop emotionally in

order to function in his/her

particular culture. The

term has differentimplications for different

theorists within the

discipline (sounds like

construction of knowledge

to me!

Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >

Feedback

Responding to

postings/postings that

provide new information,

as well as solicitingfeedback.

You make an interesting

assumption about the

team members. You said,

"Ill assume, allparticipants are involved

because each believes

this is necessary or at

least, a good thing."


13/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Suggestion

Offering alternatives,

insights new solutions etc.

I've suggested some

discussion points below,

or you can write acomment based on your

reading about motivation.

Please stick with the

theme of professional

practice and focus on the

instructor's role and

responsibility to motivate

learners.

Elements >

Learning Process >Intentional >

Summation

Summarizing postings,

ideas, or interactions.

"So, thats my take on

what we wrote about inthe first of the three part

series on learning

communities, which will

take us to new and

exciting place I am sure. I

hope Ive been able to

capture what was said,

and if not, you can always

wiki-edit the summary"


14/23


Elements >

Learning Process >

Intentional >Uncertainty

Explicitly expressing

doubt.

I am not sure if it was

because of our bond with

a traditionally objectivistapproach to learning and

our difficulty

understanding the

openness and tools of

constructivism. Or,

perhaps it was because of

a lack of information in

this Digital Solution case

study that left open so

many different possible

answers on postedquestions.

Elements >

Mutuality

Interdependence and

reciprocity. Participants

construct purposes,

intentions and the types of

interaction.


15/23


Elements >

Participation

Social participation in the

community, especially

participation that sustainsthe community. While

almost every

posting/contribution may

indicate social

participation, this code

should be reserved for

those contributions by

members that are aimed

at nurturing/sustaining or

propelling the community

itself. Ironically, thewithdrawal of some

members from

participation in the

community may provide

an important negative

indicator.


16/23


Elements >

Plurality

"Intermediate

associations" such as

families, churches, andother peripheral groups -

other communities that

individuals use to enrich

the new community. In the

case of virtual

environments, this may

include

physical/geographical

communities.

Elements >

Reflection

Situating previous

experiences, postings incurrent discussions, or

grounding current

discussions in previous

events.

Elements >

Social Protocols

Rules of engagement,

acceptable and

unacceptable ways of

behaving in a community.

Elements >

Technology/

Technical

The role played by technology to facilitate or inhibit the growth of community.


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Elements >

Technology/

Technical >Negative

Use this code when there

is explicit mention of how

technology inhibits orinterferes with interactions

or growth of the

community.

Elements >

Technology/

Technical >

Positive

Use this code when there

is explicit mention of how

technology promotes or

enhances interactions or

growth of the community.

Elements >

Trajectory

The sense that the

community is moving in a

direction, typically toward

the future, or growth or

toward resolution of a

goal.


18/23

Elements >

Trust

The level of certainty or confidence that one community members uses to assess the action of another member

of the community. This code can also be used if a participant explicitly mentions trust, or exhibits a willingness totake risks (or not take risks) in the group.


Elements >

Trust >

Negative

This code can be used if a

participant explicitly

mentions trust, ascribes

negative motives to the

actions of others, or

exhibits an unwillingness

or hesitation to take risks,

demonstrates or mentionsdiscomfort, or questions

confidence in others in the

group.


19/23


Elements >

Trust >

Positive

The level of certainty or

confidence that one

community member usesto assess the action of

another member of the

community. This code can

be used if a participant

explicitly mentions trust,

ascribes positive motives

to the actions of others, or

exhibits a willingness to

take risks, demonstrates

or mentions growing

comfort, or affirmsconfidence in others in the

group.


20/23

Emphases: An identification or strong implication of the purpose for being in the community. Note:

Emphases are a code applied to an ENTIRE community.


Emphases >

Ceremony

Primary purpose of

participation is on shared

ritual. Conducting

ceremonies, from spiritual

to athletic to local awards

or recognition, for

example.

Emphases >

Ideas

Primary purpose of

participation is to engageideas with others -- a

focus on content rather

than on relationships or

other emphases.

Emphases >

Place

Purpose of participation is

to be part of a common

habitat or locale perhaps

institutional identification

or virtual location

Twitter, FB, SL


21/23

Code: Operational Definition Example: Notes:Emphases >

Reflection

Primary purpose of

participation is to reflect

on previous events orreminisce about the past

with others about

something important to

the participant.

Emphases >

Relationship

Primary purpose of

participation is to build

relationships with other(s).


22/23

Free Nodes: Ideas and themes that have emerged from initial analysis and coding, perceived to be

significant but not currently a part of the Virtual Learning Communities model.


Free node >

Conjecture

Speculation about an idea

or situation.

Free node >

Opinion

Expressing a point of view

about an idea, issue,

content, or the

contribution of another

member of the

community.

Free node >

Probe

Asking for additional

information or clarification

of an idea, position or

opinion.

Free node >

Questioning self

Rethinking a position, or

wondering whether a

particular idea or

approach is optimal.

Free node >

Question to group

Asking a question that is

undirected or directed to

the group.


23/23


Free node >

Question to individual

Question directed to

another individual in the

group.

Free node >

Hospitality

Explicitly treating group

members in a warm,

friendly, inviting or

generous way.

Free node >

Inhospitality

Being difficult, contrary,

argumentative or mean-

spirited in a comment,

typically without

consideration of thelearning. Often interpreted

as an attack by someone

in the community on

another member or

members.

Free node >

Story or example

Offering a story or an

explicit example drawn

from ones experience.

research codebook for non-formal virtual learning communties, v 2.0

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