In this book about communities of practice in the international, higher education sector, the authors articulate the theoretical foundations of communities of practice (CoPs), research into their application in higher education, leadership roles and how CoPs sustain and support professional learning. Research demonstrates that communities of practice build professional and personal links both within and across faculty, student services and administrative and support units. This book describes how community of practice members may be physically co-located and how social media can be used to connect members across geographically diverse locations. It positions higher education communities of practice within the broader community of practice and social learning literature, and articulates the importance of community of practice leadership roles, and the growing focus on the use of social media for community of practice implementation. The multiple perspectives provide higher education leaders, academic and professional staff with the means to establish, or reflect on existing CoPs, by sharing insights and critical reflections on their implementation strategies, practical guidelines and ideas on how community of practice’s theoretical underpinnings can be tailored to the higher education context.

By building on existing elements at your library and filling in the gaps with community-driven additions, your library can be a space that cultivates creativity in both its users and staff.

United We Act brings together an investigation into the topic of connected communities by the Creative Media group and the Social Sciences Perspective of the Social Inclusion through the Digital Economy (SiDE) research project based at Culture Lab, Newcastle.This publication gathers together the main aspects of the study consisting of the final report 'Situating Communities through Creative Technologies and Practice' and the expressions of interest of the participants for the September 2011 international interdisciplinary symposium.The report explores the relation between creative uses of digital technologies and the notion of connected communities; and the symposium expanded on this by opening up the dialogue on the topic to international experts from various disciplines, grass-roots community workers, and the general public. In addition we provide an extended bibliography as a research tool on the topic and suggestions for future research.

"This book provides a source for definitions, antecedents, and consequences of social informatics and the cultural aspect of technology. It addresses cultural/societal issues in social informatics technology and society, the Digital Divide, government and technology law, information security and privacy, cyber ethics, technology ethics, and the future of social informatics and technology"--Provided by publisher.

This book is about the computer clubhouse, both the idea and the place that inspires youth to think about themselves as competent, creative, and critical learners. So much of the social life of young people has moved online and participation in the digital public has become an essential part of youth identities. The clubhouse makes an important contribution not just in local urban communities but also as a model for after-school learning environments globally. The book includes a scalable model for providing at-risk youth an array of media design and computing experiences. It also includes examples of media created in the clubhouse, ranging from digital stories, video games, interface designs, and digital art projects.

A novel approach to STEAM learning that engages students from historically marginalized communities in culturally relevant and inclusive maker education. The growing maker movement in education has become an integral part of both STEM and STEAM learning, tapping into the natural DIY inclinations of creative people as well as the educational power of inventing or making things. And yet African American, Latino/a American, and Indigenous people are underrepresented in maker culture and education. In this book, Nettrice Gaskins proposes a novel approach to STEAM learning that engages students from historically marginalized communities in culturally relevant and inclusive maker education. Techno-vernacular creativity (TVC) connects technical literacy, equity, and culture, encompassing creative innovations produced by ethnic groups that are often overlooked. TVC uses three main modes of activity: reappropriation, remixing, and improvisation. Gaskins looks at each of the three modes in turn, guiding readers from research into practice. Drawing on real-world examples, she shows how TVC creates dynamic learning environments where underrepresented ethnic students feel that they belong. Students who remix computationally, for instance, have larger toolkits of computational skills with which to connect cultural practices to STEAM subjects; reappropriation offers a way to navigate cultural repertoires; improvisation is firmly rooted in cultural and creative practices. Finally, Gaskins explores an equity-oriented approach that makes a distinction between conventional or dominant pedagogical approaches and culturally relevant or responsive making methods and practices. She describes TVC habits of mind and suggests methods of instructions and projects.

Creativity, Technology, and Learning provides a comprehensive introduction to theories and research on creativity in education and, in particular, to the role of digital-learning technologies in enabling creativity across classroom learning environments. Topical coverage includes play, constructionism, multimodal learning and project-/problem-based learning. Creativity is uniquely positioned throughout the book as an integral component of the educational process and also as a foundational aspect of self-actualization, thriving communities, and humane societies. Through in-depth, empirically based discussions of the philosophical, curricular and pedagogical elements of creativity, Sullivan demonstrates how creativity can be fostered across the curriculum through the use of digital-learning technologies in design, personal expression and problem-solving activities.