Online Discussion Forum
September 9th - 11th

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone. Thank you for this opportunity to be a guest of your LearnScope project this week. The stated aims of your project are

1. further the development of an online community of practice using a Janison Toolbox platform to enable participants to stay abreast of trends, initiatives and key learning developments locally, nationally and internationally
   
2. develop online facilitation skills to
   
   • prepare teaching staff for integrating the delivery of a number of online multicultural learning resources going live in 2003
     
   • provide a leadership role in encouraging the successful uptake of e-learning by

I would like to focus our discussion initially on the development of an online community of practice, and how you might develop the leadership roles in encouraging participation in elearning by 'learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.'

I have has some experience on both these fields of online endeavour, and like to think I know a thing or two about these topics, but I'd like to begin by asking each person in your LearnScope team to complete the following statements in the discussion space at :

• The essential element of an online Community of Practice is......
• The key to encouraging participation in elearning by learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is........

Once contributions from others start appearing I encourage you to respond to others' ideas, and ask for clarification if necessary.

RESOURCES

You may decide to complete the above exercise before reading any further resources on these topics. If so, well and good. If you would like to check some resources before you post a response to the above statements read on. But don't forget to post your thoughts in the discussion space soon!

Communities of Practice

The 2003 Flexible Learning Leaders have just completed a discussion on CoP's with Leonie Wheele, Senior Lecturer and Manager, RMIT Learning Networks in Victoria, and I am going to take the liberty of piggybacking on that discussion. The text of that discussion is available HERE. It provides several clues about how to sustain online learning communities, and refers to some specific examples of existing CoPs. (My own contribution on the Webheads community is HERE.)

Cross Cultural Communication

I think Jane Anderson may already have provided you all with this link, but a presentation by the Webheads (an international group from across the globe encompassing many cultures) on Cross Cultural Communication is an excellent starting point for a discussion on encouraging participation in elearning by 'learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.' I would like to particularly direct your attention to a perspective that is slightly different to the usual. See the short contribution of Vance Stevens to the discussion at http://users.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/ccc/pres.htm

How can English speaking instructors improve effectiveness with NESB learners online, and encourage participation? Go HERE for some answers.....

To join the discussion go to http://toolbox.sit.nsw.edu.au and log in.

Log of CHAT Session on Wednesday, September 10th at 10.30 am CST, 11.00 am AEST, 1.00 am GMT