Develop better online communities and improve facilitation through Distributed Action Research (DAR).

Topic proposal

The term DAR has been coined to describe the application of Action Research methodology to the facilitation of distributed Communities of Practice. DAR harnesses the traditions and power of reflective, cyclical, systematic yet flexible positive action and qualitative research methods, and adapts to evolve alongside the rapidly changing landscape of internet communications.

In this topic we may discuss:

• Theoretical background
• Adapting our thinking, methods and practice
• Implications for the practitioner/researcher
• Online ethics and conversation analysis
• Case: introducing a wiki to a CoP
• Building a pattern repository
• Online research tools for qualitative data analysis
• Fostering a culture of shared findings