Joce+&+Sara's+ideas+for+a+dept+Ning

__**Departmental Needs Analysis Session**__ //__**What will be the purpose of your department's eLearning Community of Practice?**__//
 * 1. Purpose/Outcome**

What is the desired purpose and outcome for the group? What is the INTENT behind the purpose?

- //Bring energies and ideas together for greater and faster momentum - Provide a space for conversation between all departmental staff and 'constituent groups' such as Advisory Board - Store, edit and save shared documents and resources - policies, proposals, best practice - Engender enthusiasm for social media tools & practices; a place to experiment and learn - Vehicle for implementing the e-Learning 'paradigm' - which will involve something of a shift in thinking, achieved by actually having a space in which to practise and learn by doing// - //collaboration, democratic/shared/distributed leadership - involvement, engagement, bringing diverse inputs together - giving members a stake in a shared representation of who we are//
 * What are the benefits of participation? Use the test question “what is in it for me?” from the perspective of the participants


 * Who is determining the goals? How are these outcomes negotiated?

// - Determined by conversation //, //led by 'champions' (eLCCs)//

//Often, yes - as required - see below re CMC - we should use the medium that is most appropriate for the purposes of the COP (which is greater than just the Ning) for given objectives and tasks. Purposes and tasks of the COP will vary. But online gives us significant advantages that we should capitalise on eg the ability of those members who are geographically dispersed to still have an input// // All of the above //
 * 2. Online, offline or blended?**
 * Should this community happen online?
 * What is the value of your community having an online presence? As a repository for knowledge? For communication and conversations? For you to experience using online tools? Other purposes?
 * How might an online presence (Ning or other social networks, wikis, blogs, otherwise) link to the Living Curriculum?


 * What other forums might be better suited to some of your community's activities?

//- A lot of benefit can be had by having an actual (F2F) forum as well as the online, in our case - This will help with some members who are more/most comfortable with interpersonal settings?? - Also need to practise what we preach - in communication studies, CMC is well-known to have some significant disadvantages, and we don't 'need' to always rely on e-communication just because it's there //

// Department of Communicaiton Studies academic and allied staff, Advisory Board, other invited industry members as required/relevant; potentially others such as our degree Monitor, other external academics //
 * 3. Target Membership**
 * Who do you want to draw in or need to participate in your group?

Size of group // No minimum?? Even if it's only the two eLCCs and a few lurkers to start with? It will grow... // // Yes for sure...see membership thoughts above. // //Private - by invitation at this early stage// // E-mail although we need to be aware of e-mail issues (some feel overloaded and don't read them...); by showing and doing, in meetings. I think the latter is the best way. Once peopel have logged in and seen any aspect of usefulness, surely they will return...? //
 * Is there a minimum number of people you need for a successful initiative? Maximum?
 * Can your community expand if there is greater interest? Where will these people come from?
 * Do you want your community to be public or private?
 * How might you communicate with your participants to encourage participation?

Motivation and Interest // This may be a barrier. Will think on it as we go along! // //Part of their job; ideally will substitute for some other more time-consuming ways of collaborating////, or at least complement rather than adding to other components of the job.//
 * How motivated are people to participate? What is “in it for them?”
 * Is this part of their job, or in addition to their job?


 * 4. Type of Participant Interactions**

To achieve your purpose, you generally design a set of activities. What kinds of member interactions do you want to foster? In other words, what activities must the group do to achieve its goals? //Both// //Less important, as initially anyway most people know one another// //Seems a good possibility// //Very likely - one of my priorities// //Sometimes, not always// //Yes// //Probably. Once the COP is happy with an 'output' we can decide on its subsequent use and where to keep it// //Mostly asynchronous but I can see potential for synchronous as peopel become more comfortable with the medium//
 * Short term or ongoing discussions?
 * Find people and create connections (social networking)?
 * Learning from each other via question & answer?
 * Are activities focused around information such as documents or other static content?
 * Are they task focused?
 * Are they socially focused? Are you trying to build relationships and/or community?
 * Will they generate content/knowledge that needs to be captured?
 * Do the interactions need to be synchronous (same time) and/or asynchronous (different time) interactions?


 * 5. Technological Issues**


 * What kind of Internet access do most participants have?
 * What is the expected level of comfort and skill of the participants in use of browsers? Use of web 2.0 tools such as social networks, blogs and wikis?
 * Does the target audience use cellphones, smartphones and wireless mobile devices? More than computer based devices?
 * Are there any technical limitations such as firewalls or prohibitions about downloading and installing applications?
 * What technical support can you offer your participants? Who will support YOU technically?


 * 6. Time Frame**


 * Are there specific timelines or a project to be accomplished?
 * How much time will you need to allocate to accomplish your goals?
 * Will your community use an ongoing online interaction space for conversation? If so, how will you keep up interest? (Generally 1 day face-to-face equals at least a week online)


 * 7. Guidelines, Rules and Governance**

What kind of agreements, rules or governance do you want/need for your activities and interactions?


 * Will there be strong and defined rules, or more general and/or casual guidelines? Remember to balance control and emergence
 * Will there be problem resolution processes? How will you share that process?

Who makes decisions in the community about any online interaction space?


 * The online interaction leader(s), or wider organization?
 * The members?
 * Both?
 * How?


 * 8. Monitoring and Evaluation**

How will you know if your group is meeting its goals?


 * What evaluation methodologies or approaches would you like to consider and how might they work online?
 * What qualitative measures? (Member satisfaction, feeling of belonging, sense of usefulness in their work, etc.)
 * What quantitative measures (# members, # posts, time elapsed for questions to be answered, tasks accomplished, etc.)

Adapted from Nancy White (2008) //[|Online Community Purpose Checklist]//

[| Edit this page (if you have permission)] | [| Google Docs -- Web word processing, presentations and spreadsheets.]