An Investigation of the Development of a Reflective Virtual Learning Community in an Ill-Structured Domain of Instructional Design

Abstract

This article examines the development of novice instructional designers in a reflective learning community. The study was situated in a blended learning course, which utilized a web-based learning management system as a communication platform. Drawing from communities of practice as a theoretical framework, we examined (1) how individual and group characteristics influenced knowledge construction, (2) how members developed their epistemic frames of instructional design, and (3) the dynamics of group interactions during the knowledge constructions in the learning community. The findings highlighted issues related to the development of an online learning community, such as considering prior members’ knowledge and experience towards learning in a technology-mediated environment, enculturating minority groups in the learning community, providing structure to promote the formation and development of a learning community, and cultivating shared leadership behaviors.

https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2011.03.035