THE CENTRAL ROLE OF ENGAGEMENT AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Individuals’ willingness to help the virtual community (VC) and individual members are is known as a key to the survival and success of a virtual community. Prior research on has proposed that engagement plays a central role in online communities. Although researchers implicitly concur on the significance of happiness and satisfaction with online social life in the context of VC, the notion of subjective well-being itself remains relatively little understood in the information systems literature. We propose that subjective well-being is critical to active participation in online social environments. We will construct and test a framework that demonstrates how it powerfully explains members’ helping behaviors in VCs. In particular, our model predicts that subjective well-being will promote willingness to help the VC, while engagement will promote subjective well-being and willingness to help individual members. In addition, three types of social (community) identity (cognitive, evaluative and affective), psychological climate and social support will have direct or indirect effects on engagement and subjective well-being. We will test the proposed research model through the use of data collected from users of a professional virtual community dedicated to sharing knowledge about information technology

Roles and student identities in online large course forums: implications for practice.

The use of large online discussion forums within online and distance learning continues to grow. Recent innovations in online learning the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) and concomitant growth in the use of online media for the delivery of courses in traditional campus based universities provides both opportunity and challenge for online tutors and learners alike. The recognition of the role that online tutor and student identity plays in the field of retention and progression of distance learners is also well documented in the field of distance learning. Focusing on a course forum linked to a single level 2 undergraduate module and open to over a thousand students, this ideographic case study, set in a large distance learning university, uses qualitative methodology to examine the extent to which participation in a large forum can be considered within community of practice frameworks (COP) and contributes to feelings of efficacy, student identity and motivation. The paper draws on current theory pertaining to online communities and examines this in relation to the extent to which the forum adds to feelings of academic and social integration. The study concludes that although the large forum environment facilitates a certain degree of academic integration and identity there is evidence that it also presents a number of barriers producing negative effects on student motivation and online identity

Postgraduate students' experiences with learning management systems at a selected nursing education institution in KwaZulu-Natal Province

Background. Learning management systems (LMS) are indispensable teaching and learning tools in nursing education, and in recent years, LMS have become a cornerstone to support online learning, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The South African (SA) e-education policy requires every teacher and learner in the education and training sector to be information and communication technology (ICT)-capable, and able to use ICTs confidently and creatively to help develop the skills and knowledge they need as lifelong learners to achieve their personal goals and be full participants in their global communities. Objective. To investigate postgraduate students’ experiences with learning management systems at a selected nursing education institution in KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA. Method. An exploratory, descriptive research design was used, and the whole population of 16 postgraduate nursing education students who were exposed to Moodle as a learning management system participated in the study. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, followed by focus group discussions, with thematic analysis used to analyse data. Results. This was the first time that most participants had been exposed to an online learning course, and the experience made them feel empowered as it provided enabled reflection and deep learning. Participants indicated that the range of interactions and level of engagement determined the eventual level of knowledge constructed. The online facilitator played a central role in guiding and supporting students, and ensuring that they achieved the learning outcomes. The online learning benefits included increased socialisation, convenience and flexibility, asynchronicity and accessibility of learning material. The challenges were the lack of real-time response, financial cost and technical issues. Conclusion. An intense ICT orientation for students is recommended to ensure that they are informed of the requirements before starting the online course. The online facilitators must be more visible in the online space, participate more often in discussions and stimulate constructive dialogue

Decentering and recentering the writing centre using online feedback: Towards a collaborative model of integrating academic literacies development

Since its inception in 1994, the University of the Western Cape’s Writing Centre has been on the margins, viewed as an add-on to central learning and teaching activities at the university (Archer and Richards 2011, Clarence 2011). In this article, we use the constructs of place, space, and power to explore the decentering of feedback on students’ writing from the face-to-face, physical location of the Centre to the formative assessment space in a module. We reflect on the Centre’s engagement with a formative online feedback intervention conducted by a lecturer within a Bachelor of Education Honours course. Writing centre tutors participated in providing formative feedback on nested, scaffolded tasks leading to a long essay, using the feedback function of the Turnitin platform. The space of engagement with students moved from the faceto-face, physical writing centre location to the online space. We found that the development of the academic writing and feedback literacies of writing tutors, students, and the lecturer were developed through sustained and responsive online and face-to-face communities of praxis. In this process, there was a partial decentering and recentering of the role of the Centre, enabled by technology and the integration of the development of academic literacies within the course curriculum

How do entrepreneurs learn and engage in an online community-of-practice? A case study approach

This paper investigates the ways in which entrepreneurs use communities of practice (CoPs) to express themselves, using narrative theory and rhetorical analysis, to gain insight into an electronic social network medium, namely, YoungEntrepreneur.com. In particular, the study focuses on CoPs themes, including why entrepreneurs engage in CoPs, what role the moderators and resident entrepreneurs can play in managing online CoPs, on communication rituals of the knowledge sharing through interactivity, and on ‘how to develop an intervention’ to maintain and stimulate entrepreneurs for engaging in an online community. Findings reveal that the topic title plays a major role in attracting people. Successful topics with successful conclusions (in terms of the original query that was answered) will not necessarily get high responses and vice versa. It is observed that the domain expert does not play a big role in keeping the discussion going. Finally, the study also discovered that entrepreneurs like to communicate in a story telling genre. A comprehensive set of engagement measurement tools are introduced to effectively measure the engagement in a virtual CoP, along with a classification to define and categorise discourse of messages in terms of content and context, which allow practitioners to understand the effectiveness of a social networking site

Opportunities for Foundation Leadership: Meeting Community Information Needs

Profiles three community foundations developing new insights into program areas, new partnerships with community organizations and institutions, enhanced roles in community dialogue, new collaborations and programs, and greater visibility and prominence

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Populations: The Role of English Local Government

The role of local government has recently come under debate, in the context of state retrenchment, public sector cuts and the marketisation of welfare. Recent discussions have centred on local authorities as leaders, on enterprise and on democracy, but there has been little discussion of local authorities in relation to equalities issues and minority groups. This article examines the role of local government in relation to one minority grouping, Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) people, drawing on empirical material gathered from 2007 to 2010 as part of a large Economic and Social Research Council research project. It describes the importance of equalities legislation and related implementation mechanisms in driving forward the LGB equalities agenda, explores aspects of welfare delivery to LGB people and addresses democratic processes. The article suggests that a collision of different forces is currently taking place: the legislation supports the protection of the LGB communities, but this support is undermined by the recession-related and ideologically driven public sector cuts. In addition, aggregate approaches to local democracy may override the interests of minority groups such as LGB people

Social media research: influencing the influencers

One of the central concepts in marketing theory is the idea that some individuals are more influential than others, and that these influencers play a central role in driving adoption of new products and services. From a customer service perspective, when these influencers are dissatisfied, they are able to drive disproportionally large numbers of customers, and potential customers, away. This report includes two pieces of research to help organisations engage with, and manage, online influencers. The first investigates the role of hyperinfluencers in online rate-and-review sites. Whilst existing research suggests that most individuals who post online are motivated by feelings of altruism or reciprocity this study found that the hyperinfluencers viewed reviewing products as a form of entertainment, creating ‘game’ elements out of the review process. The second piece of research examined the role of influence on social media sites, specifically Facebook, and questions whether it is possible to build effective brand communities on Facebook. The effectiveness of Facebook as a tool for building relationships with customers has been questioned, with some arguing that Facebook has only a limited value for marketers as a platform for promotions and offers. The research indicates that effective brand communities can be built on Facebook, but many brands are currently adopting social media community strategies that actually destroy brand value. For both pieces of research recommendations are provided for best practice in maximising the beneficial effect of online influencers, and minimising the potential for damaging brands online