Web-based Learning Solutions for Communities of Practice

A Process-Oriented and Technology-Based Model of Virtual Communities of Practices
• an ad hoc developed software layer, integrated
in the overall architecture, ensuring
the delivery of learning curricula according
to the Problem Based Learning (PBL)
methodology.
• a cross-disciplinary competence taxonomy
integrated to the KM taxonomy and organized
around the Business Management,
Technology Management and Internet Business
Management domains;
• an integrated Knowledge Base made up of
multimedia learning objects (compliant to
the SCORM standard), external knowledge
resources (i.e. web links) and knowledge
objects extracted from the knowledge management
repository;
• a recommendation system that suggests
PBL curricula according to the knowledge
workers’ competence profile, interests and
skill gaps;
• a search engine that supports both taxonomybased
and problem-oriented searches.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
VCoPs enable an efficient and effective process of
Knowledge creation through the sharing of knowledge
with a wide range of members and enhance a
learner centered approach to management education
which is widely recognized in the literature as
essential for action learning. The “Virtual eBMS”
community model supports the interconnectivity
allowing access of different cultural environment,
provide linkages to reference materials, resource
people on a global scale, provide feedback from
staff, learners, alumni, experts and industry
partners, improving responsiveness by monitoring
and incorporating lessons learned from the
experiences of colleagues, student evaluations,
and corporate or other constituent input.
In seven years of experimentation of the
“Virtual eBMS” community, almost 100 young
talented people have been selected between 350
applicants in 7 Master editions, since 1999. 29%
of Master students participated to the community,
coming from Morocco (80%), Albania (6%), Libya
(1%), Palestine (5%), Jordan (7%) and Spain (1%).
More than 450 mentors, and speakers mostly coming
from Europe, North-America, and Japan, and
testimonials have been involved in learning activities,
advanced seminars and Summer Schools
and remained in contact through the community.
Daily, about 40 researcher and 60 students share
knowledge within the community. All these
people (Human capital) contributed to aliment
and sustain the “Virtual eBMS” community.
The people belonging to the “Virtual eBMS”
community have also contributed to develop the
eBMS structural capital – what is usually defined
as software, processes, patents, organization’s
brand and values, information system, databases,
research projects – as a result of a complex activity
in carrying out several projects awarded on
competitive base. These act at the same time as
enabling factors (since structural capital is generated
for matching projects’ requirements) and as
catalysts of the learning-in-action environment
of the School. The projects’ development, then,
reinforces the dynamics of interactive learning
which constitute the core mission of the eBMS.
The social capital of eBMS is based on trust and
commitment of the strong partnership worldwide
contributing to aliment the eBMS education and
research activities.
We would like to conclude this paper by describing
the primary benefits the people receive
participating in the “Virtual eBMS” community.
In a series of questions, we asked members of
the Community to explain the main benefits;
almost everyone responded in terms of value
created by the community. Table 4 presents the
results of the responses (Nature of value added)
with the attributes that create value. We think
that these results can be generalized to the other
“Virtual Community” within Higher Education
Environment.
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