The Role of CoPs in Using IT to Facilitate Service Innovation in Higher Education - Term Paper Example

Discussion Overview This chapter will discuss the study findings based on the data collected through both quantitative and qualitative methods the findings will then be reviewed in relation to the objectives of the study. It is evident from the study findings that Communities of Practice form significant sources of knowledge for teachers and thus the proper use of technology is important in facilitating the participation of teachers in these CoPs. The corollary objectives of this study included: 1. To identify a literature gap concerning how CoPs are utilized to facilitate service innovation in higher education 2. To explore the role of CoPs in using IT to facilitate service innovation in higher education. 3. To identify the IT used to support CoPs in higher education. 4. To explore the effectiveness of using IT to facilitate service innovation in higher education. To identify a literature gap concerning how CoPs are utilized to facilitate service innovation in higher education Most studies have reviewed the participation of individuals from different professions in CoPs. However, not much study has been done on the preferences of individuals in participating in either online or face-to-face CoPs. This study realized that teachers have different preferences in terms of the avenues used for participation in CoPs. Different participants acknowledged their participation in face-to-face or online CoPs, with a majority of the participants identifying that they participated both face-to-face and online forums. Various factors affected the participation of the educators from KKU in CoPs, with time and convenience standing out as the most common influences. As such, some of the educators preferred participating in online CoPs as opposed to face-to-face CoPs as it provided them with an opportunity to access the online medium at their own convenience and within their own time without having to travel to certain areas of convergence in order to participate in discussions, as required for the face-to-face CoPs. This is evidenced by the high frequency of participation in online CoP interactions at 8 (29%) as opposed to the low frequency of face-to-face interactions in CoPs at 2 (7%). According to Gronn (2003), CoPs form informal platforms through which individuals can share knowledge and work in line with their similar contexts, and that they allow such individuals to work in a distant virtual world. The informal nature of CoPs explains the increased online participation among the teachers as most of them do not have much time to interact physically to discuss issues of similar interest as they have contrasting schedules. Online platforms include social sites such as Facebook and Bb, which allow the teachers to interact socially and in the process learn from each other and expand their knowledge base. This study has also been important in exploiting the major difficulties that individuals may face in participating in CoPs. Poor internet connections were reported as a major inconvenience among most of the teachers especially when they have limited time to access the CoP platforms to share or access knowledge (Sorensen & Takle, 2004). Since CoPs are kept alive and growing through increased activity and participation, reduced accessibility of the online CoPs through high cases of poor internet connectivity could lead to reduced activity and thus a reduced knowledge base for the member teachers to share. As such, the study has been important in identifying such gaps within studies that exploit participation in CoPs. Bradford et al. (2007) review the various features of Bb, a commonly used online CoP avenue among the teachers at KKU, which included discussion boards, virtual classrooms, live chats, and group pages that allow users to ask questions, share content, participate in discussions, and receive or provide immediate feedback. Thus, internet access is highly important in ensuring that such features of the online technologies employed by teachers and other professionals in CoPs are well utilized and facilitate increase participation. Most previous studies have failed to review the major hindrances to participation in online CoPs, including slow internet connection, and have instead adopted an assumption that different members of CoPs are provided with an equal opportunity to participate in online CoPs and meet immediate engagement needs such as participation in discussions concerning certain subjects. To explore the role of CoPs in using IT to facilitate service innovation in higher education In the literature review, Etienne (2010) identifies the pedagogical reason for using IT in CoPs as involving the accompaniment of the technology with a learning process that provides the involved individuals a greater opportunity to communicate and offer them better materials that enhance their teaching of traditional subjects. This is evident in the study findings as out of all the respondents in the study, 79% reported that participation in CoPs had led to a change in their teaching practices. It is paramount noting that CoPs involve different individuals who share their research and teaching approaches, some of which are more effective in meeting the teaching goals as compared to what teachers initially applied. As a result, most of the teachers would adopt the new methods in view of improving their teaching and student outcomes (Barton & Tusting 2005). One of the areas of great concern at KKU is the e-learning sector in which some of the participants suggested that increased interaction among them in the CoPs has allowed for identification and confronting various challenges that they encounter in e-learning. The CoPs provide the teachers with an informal platform through which they can interact with other teachers and professions with shared interests. Since the teachers are from a community of individuals with shared objectives of improving both community and individual objectives and thus this online technologies allow teachers to achieve motivations that are necessary for pursuing and achieving such shared objectives (Bowdon, 2011). Online CoPs allow such individuals to access knowledge and experiences shared by other members of the communities (Cremers & Valkenburg 2008). The participants caable ton use social platforms provided by IT advancement, which allow them to forego the barriers provided by geographical and physical location, and discuss development based issues through social interactions. Technology based affordances are important parts of the IT technology which allow it to scaffold procedures, symbolize content, and shift the social framework of the user. Various aspects of a functioning CoP include conversations, content, information context, and connections (Imbernon, 2009). These affordances are evident in the study even as some of the participants mentioned that the technologies used in CoPs such as the Bb technology and the social sites allow them to share knowledge concerning the most effective technologies that they can employ to ensure that they provide the students with the appropriate course content in the most effective manner. The teachers share the latest topics and discussion questions related to the course they are teaching and thus promote such discussions among their students. For a CoP to be functional, certain aspects such as conversation are made possible through the affordances of IT. This is evidenced by the Bb technology and the social network features such as instant messaging, which allow for online discussion of various subjects among the teachers at KKU. Such features also allow the teachers to share instantly some of the contributions of their students thus allowing for the sharing of uncommon knowledge among the teachers and, later on, with their students. Technology affordances also facilitate sharing of knowledge among CoP members through other approaches such as video links that have led to the introduction of other teaching approaches including virtual classes (Bouchamma & Michaud 2011). For instance, a teacher could invite another teacher who has a better understanding of a given subject to teach his or her class on the subject through an online video link in order to allow for a better understanding of the topic among the students. Besides, a teacher could play audio, video or slideshow uploaded by another member of their CoP to the students to allow for clarity of the subject under discussion. To identify the IT used to support CoPs in higher education Various studies have identified different technologies that are applied in supporting CoPs including Google Plus, Schoology, Facebook, Skillsoft, Backboard, and Twitter among others. The Blackboard (Bb) has been identified as one of the commonly used among most higher education teachers. Bb was also recognized in the study as the commonly used technology in CoPs at KKU. Other technologies applied by the respondents included phone applications, social media, wiki, virtual classrooms, e-mail services, and phone calls. Up to 95 percent of the total respondents in the study reported employing the Bb technology in knowledge sharing. On the other hand, 22 percent of the participants reported that they employed conference calls like skype, or telephone calls, while 32 percent use social media sites such as Facebook to communicate with other members of their CoPs. All the participants had varying reasons as to why they have used the Bb technology in their CoPs, all of which revolved around the technologies information storage provisions, ease of use, flexibility, accessibility, innovation and development of new ideas. The Bb is an internet based technology and can be accessed through smartphones, tablets, and computers, among other devices that have access to the internet and other necessary add-ons. With a mean of 3.58 and a standard deviation of 1.178, the teachers at KKU reflected the importance of information technology in enhancing learning experience. The flexibility of the technology employee is important in promoting such experience among the teachers. Dede et al (2005) identifies various features of the Bb technology that make it flexible including automated enrollment of new individuals that involves easy processes, and a wizard for course creation, which provides for easy interaction and allows the CoP members to develop course structures that are user friendly. Flexibility is also provided for by the technology through the various methods that can be employed to facilitate and support learning including collaboration, group discussion, and increased discussion among the members, which allow for increased accessibility of information (Sorensen & Takle, 2004). The frequency at which a certain technology is used in CoPs also depends on the extent to which the given technology allows for the generation of new ideas. The participants in the study ranked development of new ideas as second among the benefits they expect to get from technologies applied in CoPs, with a mean of 3.47. This coincides with the view of Bradford et al. (2007), who acknowledges the features of the Bb technology which allow for the generation of new ideas among the CoP members. This Bb technology allows the teachers at KKU to access ideas and information relevant to their practice areas through synchronizing discussions (Bradford et al., 2007). Different groups of teachers, who share goals are brought together by the system, which provides them with a platform to take part in a collaborative process of coming up with new ideas, brainstorming on ideas of interest, and uncovering new issues that could facilitate improvement of their practice. Increased interaction between individuals seeking knowledge and those possessing it leads to improved knowledge sharing outcomes through improving motivation, innovation and attitude and establishing a sense of community (Bradford et al., 2007). The study provides enough evidence that synchronous technology can be employed by higher education teachers to collaborate with others across different institutions, throughout the nation, and globally without limits. Martin (2008) argues that the blackboard system allows groups or individuals with common goals to unite and be providewithd a platform via which they can engage in generation of new ideas, brainstorming, and uncovering new issues in line with improving technology. Chang (2008) also maintains that the Bb technology allows users to generate new ideas and thus to facilitate professional and peer development within the CoPs. The school’s Blackboard also accommodates multiple styles of learning including instant messaging, a two-way voice via the internet, and an interactive whiteboard that allows users to display content related to a given subject of importance to the CoP. Such features create an engaging and vibrant environment in which users can fully benefit from the sessions despite their learning style preferences To explore the effectiveness of using IT to facilitate service innovation in higher education According to Hodgkinson et al. (2008), the various form of IT used in CoPs, including the Bb technology, enables storage of documents and information, thus empowering the CoPs to generate new ideas and maintain intellectual learning and hence fill the gaps identified in previous studies. This is evidenced by the study as participant 12 acknowledged that knowledge sharing through the CoPs allows for the transfer of the best practices among the members and thus improves thinking and development of new ideas that support service innovation at the University. The Bb allows the teachers to access stored knowledge from previous participants, which is used to develop new ideas. Increased interaction among the participants of the CoPs enables proper transfer and adoption of best practices, therefore, promoting the development of service innovation. Another important contribution of IT in facilitating service innovation in higher education involves solving complex problems through CoPs (Cashman, Linehan & Rosser, 2007). Through the CoPs, individuals with shared problems can interact and thus share their experiences, an aspect that allows some of the participants to adopt problem-solving techniques employed by the other members in similar problems. Such is evidenced in the study through participant six, who expressed that such CoPs allow for finding of quick solutions to problems. Participant 11 also maintained that CoPs help in coming up with new solutions to problems. Such solutions to problems help in the development of service innovation in higher education. Besides, Leonard & Sensiper (1998) believe that there is a significant link between creative thinking and knowledge, an aspect that is vital in facilitating service innovation. Du Plessis (2007) also maintains that CoPs provide an avenue through which various individuals can establish and share knowledge and ideas, thus facilitating creative thinking. The study observed the contribution of the CoPs at KKU towards the development of creative thinking among the teachers through the discussion programmes, which allow for sharing of their differing experiences. As such, members are presented with various challenges that help enhance their innovation levels, and thus facilitating innovation. This is viewed through participant 13, who believes that the CoPs at KKU enable innovation of new ideas and communication of such ideas on a timely basis. Participant 20 also identified that through the presentation of complex problems among the CoP members, all the participants are given an opportunity to develop new ideas and solutions. Such CoPs also allow for innovation and creativity among the members, as they are provided with an avenue through which they can engage in productive discussions, ask questions, provide honest feedback, and challenge the assumptions and contributions of each other (Saint-Onge & Wallace, 2012). The outcomes of participation in CoPs as described by the teachers are difficult to ignore as they prove beneficial in the development of experience and expertise. It is important to develop a clear understanding of CoPs and the role of IT in knowledge sharing from the perspective of the users, which in this case are teachers, as this informs the process of development of informal interactions with the view of enhancing the knowledge base for teachers and improving their experience. Read More