Virtual Communities

Herding CATS: The Community of Academic Technology Staff

Monday, January 27, 2003
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SESS16

Louis Zweier, Director, CSU Center for Distributed Learning, California State University, Office of the Chancellor

In 1998, CSU's Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) created the Community of Academic Technology Staff (CATS) program, in recognition of the need for continuous, cost-effective professional development of the academic technology staff at the system's 23 campuses. In conversations with these staff and others, it became clear that the staff felt isolated. Since many were the only ones on their campuses doing their jobs, they had minimal opportunity to connect with peers. CATS was developed to provide ways for staff to share the knowledge, expertise, and tools they had developed to help make them more effective in their jobs. A number of programs have been developed for the CATS community, including an annual face-to-face conference and a grant program for multi-campus teams to develop tools and resources for use by CSU. An active listserv (and special interest lists) and monthly online presentations provide ongoing exchange. This session will present the formation and growth of CATS. We will share lessons learned and the tools and communication strategies we have used to sustain the community.

Postconference Resource

Learning Technologists: Virtual Community Practitioners

Monday, January 27, 2003
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. SESS08

Linda A. Jorn, Director, Digital Media Center, Office of Information Technology, University of Minnesota

JD Walker, Coordinator of Research and Evaluation Services, University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota consultants from the Digital Media Center in the Office of Information Technology, an instructional technology support center, will reflect on their own practice of participating in and designing virtual project team environments, virtual learning communities for faculty development programs and seminars, and a hybrid Web space/face-to-face Teach with Technology community of practice for campus faculty, instructional designers, and graduate students. Consultants will describe how reflecting on their day-to-day participation in virtual communities increases their expertise in helping faculty design virtual learning communities. Time will be allocated for attendees to discuss how they use virtual communities in their work environments and begin to develop a heuristic guide for designing successful virtual teams, learning communities, and communities of practice.

Specifically, consultants will discuss their experience as WebCT-support virtual team members (eight people located in different buildings), as designers of two new virtual communities (an online faculty seminar and a five-week hybrid seminar on learning communities), and as designers of a campus-wide hybrid forum for people interested in teaching with technology. Consultants will discuss why different spaces (such as a Web site, listserv, Internet Relay Chat, face-to-face meetings, celebration luncheons, phone) were used for different purposes; how cultural beliefs and attitudes, project history, and affinity to different technologies affected design decisions and language usage; what tensions occurred as community members struggled with group identity and self-identity; and how they determined if the community is effective. Consultants will weave in thoughts on how they build on these work experiences to improve their faculty consultation skills and design future virtual communities.

Postconference Resource

2003 Annual Meeting		Virtual Communities Herding CATS: The Community of Academic Technology Staff Monday, January 27, 2003 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SESS16 Louis Zweier, Director, CSU Center for Distributed Learning, California State University, Office of the Chancellor In 1998, CSU's Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) created the Community of Academic Technology Staff (CATS) program, in recognition of the need for continuous, cost-effective professional development of the academic technology staff at the system's 23 campuses. In conversations with these staff and others, it became clear that the staff felt isolated. Since many were the only ones on their campuses doing their jobs, they had minimal opportunity to connect with peers. CATS was developed to provide ways for staff to share the knowledge, expertise, and tools they had developed to help make them more effective in their jobs. A number of programs have been developed for the CATS community, including an annual face-to-face conference and a grant program for multi-campus teams to develop tools and resources for use by CSU. An active listserv (and special interest lists) and monthly online presentations provide ongoing exchange. This session will present the formation and growth of CATS. We will share lessons learned and the tools and communication strategies we have used to sustain the community. Postconference Resource Learning Technologists: Virtual Community Practitioners Monday, January 27, 2003 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. SESS08 Linda A. Jorn, Director, Digital Media Center, Office of Information Technology, University of Minnesota JD Walker, Coordinator of Research and Evaluation Services, University of Minnesota University of Minnesota consultants from the Digital Media Center in the Office of Information Technology, an instructional technology support center, will reflect on their own practice of participating in and designing virtual project team environments, virtual learning communities for faculty development programs and seminars, and a hybrid Web space/face-to-face Teach with Technology community of practice for campus faculty, instructional designers, and graduate students. Consultants will describe how reflecting on their day-to-day participation in virtual communities increases their expertise in helping faculty design virtual learning communities. Time will be allocated for attendees to discuss how they use virtual communities in their work environments and begin to develop a heuristic guide for designing successful virtual teams, learning communities, and communities of practice. Specifically, consultants will discuss their experience as WebCT-support virtual team members (eight people located in different buildings), as designers of two new virtual communities (an online faculty seminar and a five-week hybrid seminar on learning communities), and as designers of a campus-wide hybrid forum for people interested in teaching with technology. Consultants will discuss why different spaces (such as a Web site, listserv, Internet Relay Chat, face-to-face meetings, celebration luncheons, phone) were used for different purposes; how cultural beliefs and attitudes, project history, and affinity to different technologies affected design decisions and language usage; what tensions occurred as community members struggled with group identity and self-identity; and how they determined if the community is effective. Consultants will weave in thoughts on how they build on these work experiences to improve their faculty consultation skills and design future virtual communities. Postconference Resource Related article from NLII 2002-2003 Annual Review: "Communities That Practice What They Preach: NLII VCOP Pilots Tackle Conceptual Frameworks, Definition of Principles, and Practices" Sunday, January 26, 2003 8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. SESS01L Postconference Resource
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Virtual Communities

Herding CATS: The Community of Academic Technology Staff

Learning Technologists: Virtual Community Practitioners

Related article from NLII 2002-2003 Annual Review: "Communities That Practice What They Preach: NLII VCOP Pilots Tackle Conceptual Frameworks, Definition of Principles, and Practices"