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Pa ma Co-Lab: o ganiza ional challenge o esea ch and
lea ning.
In oduc ion
In he p esen knowledge socie y, i has become inc easingly impo an o examine how lea ning
akes place and which educa ional me hods can be used. The e is cu en ly widesp ead use o
ne wo k and echnologies, such as dialogue and social en i onmen s o collabo a ion,
con on a ion and exchange o opinion. Thus i would seem mo e p o i able o conside
echnologies alongside knowledge and he cul u e o lea ning (Valla & Monaco, 2012);
(Hu chison, 2006). Indeed, in o mal lea ning amongs pee s in he academic en i onmen as
compa ed o o mal aining in he wo kplace, has been ound o be an impo an ye complex
aspec wo hy o in es iga ion (Boud & Middle on, 2003); (Boud, 1999).
Koenig & Ne e oski (2008, p. 243) examine he de elopmen o knowledge managemen , and
iden i y, in he second s age, communi ies o p ac ice (CoPs) as a way “ o acili a e he sha ing” o
knowledge. In his pape he e m ‘knowledge’ is used o e e o a dualis ic and luid social p ocess
leading owa ds lea ning. Emphasis is placed on he o ganiza ional con ex o sha ing and lea ning.
Clea ly echnology is a means wi h which o sha e knowledge and suppo lea ning, bu his is no
wha knowledge managemen is abou (Hild e h & Kimble, 2002). Collabo a o ies ha e o igina ed
in di e en o ms wi h a iew o answe ing o he demands o a scien i ic exchange o knowledge
(Bos e al., 2007); (Luns o d & B uce, 2001); (Wul , 1989). The ques ion he e o e a ises, in he
si ua ion examined he e, as o whe he a g oup o p o esso s, esea che s, echnicians and s uden s
a he Uni e si y o Pa ma can egula ly, albei in o mally, sha e knowledge and collabo a e in ‘ wo
spaces’ (Li, 2000); ha is, bo h locally and in an elec onic en i onmen , o he mu ual sa is ac ion
o one and all.
The p ima y aim o he s udy is o unde s and how he spon aneous ga he ing o p o essionals is
likely o c ea e a knowledge c ea ion and lea ning en i onmen , and how hey will unde ake hei
ac i i ies. In pa icula he objec i es a e o:
• desc ibe he o igins and ounda ions o UniPR Co-Lab as a collabo a o y;
• p o ide examples o ac i i ies ca ied ou inside he UniPR Co-Lab, ha ha e been ecognized
in he li e a u e as de eloping p ac ice inside a communi y;
• gain an unde s anding o how membe s use he oppo uni y o sha e knowledge in a c oss-
discipline en i onmen h ough ini ia i es, p ac ices, labo a o ies;
• examine he in e ac ions among membe s and gain an unde s anding o bene i s, impac s and
possible p oblems o he o ma ion o a communi y o e coming ins i u ional ba ie s inside an
academic hie a chical o ganiza ion.
As Wenge (2011) has sugges ed, he challenge is o b ing abou collabo a ion in a communi y ha
comp ises di e se pe sonali ies, compe ences and expe iences; his can i sel be conside ed a
s eng h, as long as i is accompanied by mu ual ecogni ion and unde s anding o he domain, and
acknowledgemen o he ac ha he alue o he en e p ise is based on he engagemen and display
o indi idual iden i y in hei wo k. A u he aim is o unde s and whe he his g oup shows he
cha ac e is ics o bo h a collabo a o y and a communi y o p ac ice. Would i be necessa y o such
a di e se g oup o sha e he same app oach o heo e ical models? Would hey be able o adop a
me hodology o acili a e lexible and apid co-ope a ion? (Millen e al., 2002) lis i e majo
communi y hemes eme ging om hei analysis: de elopmen pa h, membe ship, ac i i ies,
o ganiza ional suppo and alue. The i s h ee a e conside ed he e as ela ed o he Co-lab. Value
in e ms o bene i s o membe s, p oblems and possible solu ions could eme ge om he na a ion
o ac i i ies and expe iences.
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This pape a emp s o add ess he poin s no ed abo e by epo ing on he eal expe iences and cases
o he Co-Lab a he Uni e si y o Pa ma, which demons a e he applica ion o e-lea ning concep s
o he exis ing educa ional and esea ch con ex . I co e s he ini ial phases o he o ma ion o he
Co-Lab as a communi y, ocusing on he esul s ob ained and he p oblems which eme ged. The
o igins and ounda ions a e desc ibed; he objec i es and bo h he i s ac i i ies unde aken and he
echniques used a e ou lined.
One o he main p oblems expe ienced wi h his esea ch was he subjec i e na u e o obse a ion
unde aken by he au ho , who has a backg ound in echnology and economics. I was necessa y o
in e ac as a pee , e en while pa icipa ing in he collabo a ion p ocess and collec ing da a on i : in
o he wo ds, as a pa icipan obse e . As (Picka d 2010) has no ed, ac ing as an ins umen o
esea ch means being loca ed mul i-dimensionally, al e na ing be ween imme sion wi hin he
si ua ion and emo ing o dis ancing onesel om i . I is bo h ascina ing and complex o engage
in such esea ch, which b ings an inc ease o knowledge as well as an awa eness o he limi s o
such a me hodology.
1. O igins and ounda ion o Co-Lab
The con ex
The Uni e si y o Pa ma was among he i s uni e si ies in I aly o adop dis ance educa ion (in
1992) by ollowing he P oge o Ne uno om i s e y incep ion. This p ojec was abandoned in
2009, ollowing o new na ional egula ions. A he ime o w i ing, he o ganisa ional s uc u es
which p o ide echnological suppo a e he Se o e In o ma ico e Telecomunicazioni di A eneo
(SITA) and Cen o Dida ico di Ingegne ia (CEDI). SITA p o ides a se ice ha suppo s
educa ion and e-lea ning, in pa icula main aining Moodle and ideocon e encing so wa e.
Technical in as uc u es a e esponsible o adminis a ion ha dwa e, so wa e and applica ions,
and a e conce ned wi h o e ing he bes minimum se ice in o de o achie e a ouble- ee le el o
se ice le els. A eo ganiza ion o he o me SITI was accompanied by a change in he mindse and
app oach: sys ems and applica ions, oge he wi h he ne wo k in as uc u e, ha e now become he
co e o he ac i i ies ca ied ou by echnicians.
CEDI is a cen e which aims o sa is y he speci ic needs o he p o esso s o enginee ing. I was
among he i s Uni e si y s uc u es and he i s a he Uni e si y o Pa ma o ecei e
ISO9001:2000 ce i ica ion o “design and managemen o educa ion suppo ing se ices”. The
CEDI app oach is no only echnology d i en bu also se ice and use o ien ed.
The idea o a Co-Labo a o y a ose in 2011 in he Facul y o Humani ies, amongs a g oup o
p o esso s and expe s who we e ale o inno a ions in in o ma ion echnology as well as being
awa e o pa icula lea ning p oblems. An in o mal g oup de eloped which became known as he
Unip Co-Lab. A co-labo a o y is de ined by William Wul as “a cen e wi hou walls, in which
[…] esea che s can pe o m hei esea ch wi hou ega d o geog aphical loca ion—in e ac ing
wi h colleagues, accessing ins umen a ion, sha ing da a and compu a ional esou ce[s], and
accessing in o ma ion in he digi al lib a y” (Wul , 1989, p. 7). UniPR Co-Lab was mo i a ed by
his de ini ion, as well as by simila models which we e being de eloped in I alian and o eign
uni e si ies, wi h a iew o c ea ing a b idge be ween he echnological in as uc u e and he
cu en esea ch and eaching o ganiza ion. The Co-Lab p oposal was suppo ed by he belie ha
knowledge c ea ion and lea ning in ol es pa icipa ion and ac i e engagemen in he p ac ices o
social communi ies (Wenge 2008, p.4) and was u he s imula ed by he duali y pa icipa ion-
ei ica ion ha mi o s he dual aspec s o aci and explici knowledge (Hild e h & Kimble, 2002).
The ideas which inspi ed he UniPR Co-Lab include he isions o a global ne wo k as concei ed
by Bush (1945) and la e Licklide & Taylo (1968) who, du ing he las cen u y, appea o ha e
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o eseen he need o ne wo ked in e connec ion be ween people and ideas. Bush's in e es ing idea
is he Memex as an “enla ged supplemen ” o human memo y, whe e an indi idual can s o e “all his
books, eco ds, and communica ions, and which is mechanized so ha i may be consul ed wi h
exceeding speed and lexibili y” (Bush 1945, pp.101–108). Licklide ’s ision o communica ion
poin ed ou he impo ance o in e ac ion be ween indi iduals o os e c ea i i y: “When minds
in e ac , new ideas eme ge” (Licklide & Taylo 1968, pp.21–41). The g oup wo king on he Co-
Lab sough o expand Engelba 's idea o “augmen ing human in ellec ” h ough he use o
‘p os hesis’. Engelba held he iew ha ex ending human capabili ies in ol ed inc easing he
capaci y o a man o app oach a complex p oblem si ua ion o gain comp ehension o sui his
pa icula needs, and de i e solu ions o he p oblems. Inc eased compe ence in his espec is aken
o mean a mix u e o he ollowing: mo e- apid and be e comp ehension, he possibili y o gaining
a use ul deg ee o awa eness in a si ua ion ha p e iously was oo complex, speedie and be e
solu ions, and he abili y o ind answe s o p oblems ha had seemed impossible o sol e.
Engelba e e ed o a “way o li e in an in eg a ed domain”, ha is, wha membe s a e ying o
cons uc e e y day inside he Co-Lab (Engelba , 1962).
P og ess is no only abou a ailabili y o echnologies; i in ol es a change in he ole o all he
ac o s in he academic ield. The ole change and modi ica ion o skills and compe ences does no
seem o be as as as he imp o emen s in so wa e applica ions and oppo uni ies. As
(Romiszowski 2004, pp.5-27) has obse ed, “ he online s uden becomes a non-linea na iga o
h ough ne e -ending oceans o in o ma ion — his also equi es new skills and compe encies.” An
in e ac i e app oach and suppo ed expe iences is likely o esul in eal unde s anding and in he
adop ion o inno a ions in he educa ional en i onmen . The challenge is wo king oge he using
a ailable echnological in as uc u es and lis ening o each o he ’s needs and opinions, in a sea ch
o he bes possible solu ions o he pa icula con ex .
Some aspec s o he ailu e o he i s gene a ion e-lea ning and echnology-d i en educa ion, as
well as a ious app oaches o he idea o o mal online lea ning (Bonaiu i, 2006 ha e been epo ed
in he li e a u e. A cou se is mo e han a me e eposi o y o s udy ma e ials, e en when he con en s
a e well-designed and SCORM complian lea ning objec s.
F om he li e a u e, i became clea ha some obs acles o he di usion o online o blended
lea ning can be eache s' lack o echnological expe ise, sus ainabili y and sho age o esou ces,
he quali y o p oduc s, lack o awa eness o he in as uc u e, copy igh issues and he pe sis ence
o a conse a i e app oach. Such p oblems we e ound o be p esen a he Uni e si y o Pa ma, in
spi e o he a ailabili y o some upda ed IT applica ions and ools.
A possible app oach could be o conside he impo ance o he in o mal dimensions o lea ning.
Lea ning akes place in unexpec ed si ua ions and is no only o be ecognized inside o mal
expe iences. As Conne elucida ed in 1997, “In o mal lea ning desc ibes a li elong p ocess whe eby
indi iduals acqui e a i udes, alues, skills and knowledge om daily expe ience and he
educa ional in luences and esou ces in his o he en i onmen ” (Conne , 1997-2009).
Online lea ning expe iences o en y o me ely c ea e communi ies inside a es ic ed a ea on he
lea ning pla o m, esul ing in closed en i onmen s mo e han collabo a i e communi ies. I is only
by expanding hem ou o hose bounda ies, gaining expe ience oge he and adding eal li e
p ojec s and challenges ha a eal communi y o p ac ice can su i e h ough di e en pe iods and
si ua ions.
The objec i es o he Co-Lab
Digi al Co-Lab was ounded on h ee basic p inciples: collabo a ion, sha ing (o echniques and
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me hods, en i onmen s, so wa e and con en s), and c ea i i y (Tamma o e al., 2011) The pu pose
is o use e-collabo a ion o disco e and exploi he oppo uni ies o e ed by IT ools, including he
In e ne , in o de o achie e goals oge he wi h o he s (Pillan & Sancassani, 2003).
The Co-Lab expe ience is no only abou echnology, bu includes wo king wi h people using
app op ia e ools o each con ex , and he eby c ea ing a collabo a i e communi y o s uden s,
echnicians and p o esso s. This is no common wi hin he academic en i onmen ; he challenge is
o unde s and i such an app oach leads o be e educa ional and esea ch esul s o all he ac o s
in ol ed. I is hoped ha sha ing he Co-Lab expe ience a he Uni e si y o Pa ma – including
bo h i s successes and di icul ies – will lead o u he de elopmen in his a ea. To his end, he
Co-Lab p ojec s also include digi al publishing o dissemina ion o expe iences.
UniPR Co-Lab membe s de elop esea ch ac i i ies in o de o:
• c ea e compe ences o online lea ning;
• de elop me hodologies and echnology-suppo ed lea ning con ex s, by adhe ing o local and
in e na ional p ojec s, and ac ing in a collabo a i e en i onmen ;
• c ea e a esea ch sys em, h ough mul ichannel and mul imedia pla o ms, and an
o ganiza ional in as uc u e consis ing o esea che s, ools, knowledge and p ocesses, gea ed
owa ds os e ing digi al publishing and he dissemina ion o he esul s o esea ch
In his con ex some speci ic objec i es a e:
• o ca y ou in e ac i e and collabo a i e labo a o ies o answe o eal needs o s uden s and
p o esso s;
• o os e labo a o ies conce ning digi al publishing, digi al lib a ies and e-books;
• o moni o and de elop mul idisciplina y lea ning p ac ices;
• o ca y ou esea ch on social media, open educa ional esou ces, webina s and mobile
lea ning;
2. The Co-Lab as a Communi y o P ac ice
The concep o a Communi y o P ac ice was i s in oduced in 1991 (Wenge & La e, 1991) bu
was subsequen ly u he de ined, aking in o conside a ion cha ac e is ics, bene i s and d awbacks
o CoPs o knowledge sha ing. Being in o mally bound by he necessi y o sol e simila p oblems
is one o he ea u es ha sus ains CoPs (Kimble e al., 2004), oge he wi h hei engaging in
common ac i i ies (Kimble & Hild e h, 2004). CoPs a e no only eams o g oups (B own & G ay,
1995), and explaining wha Co-lab membe s do no wan o be enables he essence o hei iden i y
o be iden i ied. Fo example, he Co-Lab is no a eam ocusing on ONE p ojec . Each ac o can
pa icipa e in se e al p ojec s, depending on he a ailable ime, as well as on pa icula in e es s,
skills and compe ences. As men ioned abo e, i is also no jus a 'g oup': a he i is a li ing en i y
which is cons an ly being modi ied h ough i s li ed expe iences and esponses o needs, ac i i ies
and p oblems. As Wenge (2008) emphasises, h ee cha ac e is ics a e c ucial o a communi y o
be conside ed as a CoP:
1. The domain. Co-Lab membe s a e p o esso s, esea che s, s uden s and echnicians, and
sha e an in e es in gaining be e esul s in educa ion and esea ch h ough an in o med and
easoned use o In o ma ion Technologies and ools.
2. The communi y. Co-Lab membe s ac ually “engage in join ac i i ies and discussions, help
each o he , and sha e in o ma ion”; in his way hey in e ac and lea n oge he om each
o he how o ace di e en si ua ions. The sense o belonging is high, e en i i is a g oup o
people wi h di e en backg ounds, oles and being pa o di e en ins i u ional and
o ganiza ional s uc u es.
3. The p ac ice. Co-Lab is a labo a o y c ea ed o os e collabo a ion, in o de o expe imen
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wi h he quali a i e ex ension ha echnological ools allow, and o inc ease s uden lea ning
and he quali y o esea ch. P ac ice is no only sp ead in o mal mee ings bu by he numbe
o expe iences ha occu daily, de eloping ou o con e sa ions, s o y elling, and
discussing issues and p oblems. I is clea ha all pa icipan s need o be on good e ms i
hey a e o sha e his much in o ma ion. Indeed i is essen ial ha hey adop he same
app oach o knowledge sha ing.
Beginning wi h ce ain iden i ied ac i i ies, he si ua ion was analysed and examples lis ed, o
ensu e ha all ac i i ies could be acili a ed wi hin he Co-Lab. Table 1 gi es a summa y o
examples. Such ac i i ies a e also ecognizable in he u he desc ip ion o speci ic expe iences.
Ac i i ies
Examples
P oblem sol ing
"Snow is c ea ing big p oblems, and omo ow we canno mee . Wha i we
me and discussed he ma e online?"
Reques s o in o ma ion
"How could I ha e s uden s wo k oge he and commen online on a li e a u e
ex ? Which could be he bes solu ion?"
Seeking expe ience
"Ha e you e e ied o wo k wi h s uden s in g oups on ex analysis? Which
we e he p os and cons?"
Reusing asse s
"I ha e p epa ed some sho u o ials o a p ojec abou c ea ing sub i les
wi h wo open sou ce ools; you could use hem o you s uden s’
homewo k. They could ollow u o ials o c ea e examples. I can send
e e y hing o you and hen we can modi y i and design his new expe ience"
Coo dina ion and
syne gy
"Can we oge he buy a eco ding ki and use i when we need i ?"
“We a e in ol ing s uden s in lec u e and semina eco ding, and a e c ea ing
a eam o eco d; we could help you wi h you eco dings and you could gi e
us you ee ooms o o ganize semina s”.
Discussing de elopmen s
"Wha do you hink o his lea ning sys em es ing? Can i be use ul o you
needs?"
"Wha could be he u u e o ou ideo pla o m in you opinion?"
Documen a ion
"We ha e aced his p oblem i e imes now. Le 's w i e i down once and o
all."
Visi s
"Can we come and isi you ooms whe e you implemen ed a s a ic Eya
sys em o e i y how we could do ha a ou Uni e si y?"
Mapping knowledge and
iden i ying gaps
"Can we w i e an a icle oge he showing di e en app oaches o he
p oblems we me wi h while designing his cou se using echnologies?"
"We w o e a dia y o ou expe ience, so ha you do no epea ou mis akes,
o he con e sion o ideos o be uploaded upon ou ideo pla o m"
Table 1: Examples o applica ion o UniPR Co-Lab o ac i i ies iden i ied by Wenge as de eloping
p ac ice inside a communi y
As a social cons uc , a CoP is di e en om a adi ional communi y, p ima ily because i is
de ined simul aneously by i s membe ship and by he p ac ice in which ha membe ship engages
(Wenge & La e, 1991). The idea o he communi y as an ex ension o iden i y esona es wi h he
idea o he ex ension o he indi idual’s capaci y. In his way, he di e sely composed scien i ic
communi y, and he collabo a o y i sel becomes a “p os hesis” o hinking and lea ning. This
app oach enhances he indi idual pa icipan 's capaci ies and may also c ea e syne gies h ough

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sha ing and collabo a ing, and hus o e coming, in some way, he p oblems incu ed du ing imes
o inancial s ess.
Dissemina ion o UniPR Co-Lab eam began wi h labo a o ies and e en s o in ol e s uden s,
p o esso s, eache s, and esea che s, as well as o c ea e a s uden eam o wo k on p ojec s beyond
he class oom, and he ac i i ies included p o iding suppo o wo in e na ional Mas e ’s deg ees.
3. DILL and METAV Mas e ’s deg ees
Two in e na ional deg ees – he Mas e Eu opeo in T aduzione Audio isi a (METAV) and he
Mas e 's in Digi al Lib a y Lea ning (DILL) a e o e ed by he Humani ies Facul y which in ol e
dis ance educa ion using media ing echnologies.
DILL is a wo-yea cou se o in e na ional in o ma ion p o essionals, which p o ides hem wi h he
skills and compe encies equi ed o na iga e he apidly e ol ing wo ld o digi al lib a ies. Ini ially
an E asmus Mundus p ojec , i is o e ed h ough coope a ion be ween Oslo and Ake shus College
o Applied Sciences (No way), Tallin Uni e si y (Es onia) and he Uni e si y o Pa ma (I aly).
DILL admi s bo h Eu opean and non-Eu opean s uden s. A numbe o di e en selec ion c i e ia a e
used, including an excellen academic backg ound, a s a emen o pu pose, ele an expe ience and
p o essional aining. The i s and second semes e s a e spen in Oslo and Tallinn, whe e s uden s
a e gi en a basic in oduc ion o esea ch me hods, digi al documen s, in o ma ion, knowledge and
human esou ce managemen in he con ex o lib a ies. In Pa ma he s uden s ollow modules on
digi al lib a ies abou use s, usage and access. The hi d semes e also con ains a wo k placemen .
Finally, in he las semes e , s uden s w i e hei Mas e 's hesis. (“DILL,” n.d.).
The Mas e s deg ee in audio isual p oduc ion is o e ed en i ely online join ly wi h he Uni e sidad
Au onoma de Ba celona (UAB).
In o de o illus a e some CoLab ac i i ies, i is use ul o examine he suppo gi en o he DILL
p og amme, in pa icula .
The Co-Lab ac i i ies included o ganising in e nships o he s uden s, os e ing e lec ion on
compe ences and lea ning needs by using e-po olios and ideo esumes, and assis ing s uden s in
making a inal choice wi h ega ds o hei disse a ion opic. These ac i i ies include p o iding
ad ice and suppo in eal ime. The ocus o he CoLab is on collabo a ion and sha ing amongs he
s uden s. Obse a ion is ca ied ou in he sys em bo h h ough u o p esence and he use o
di e en me hods o communica ion (in e alia, Facebook g oups and o um ac i i ies inside he
Lea ning Managemen Sys em). The closed Facebook g oup has been use ul o pa icipan s o s ay
in ouch wi h new calls o pape s and e en s, as well as o c ea e a pleasan en i onmen in which
o sha e g oup pic u es, p o ide in o ma ion abou educa ional e en s, de ails and eminde s. The
p ac ical use ulness o he ool was pe cei ed by di e en classes.
Sugges ions we e made o a c ea i e use o he lea ning ac i i y ools o LIS (Lib a y In o ma ion
Science) s uden s inside he Vi ual Lea ning En i onmen (VLE). One example was a c ea i e
de elopmen o use oles wi hin he Lea ning Managemen Sys em (LMS) o c ea e scena ios and
an ideal en i onmen o in e ac ion. E en hough hese ideas we e ini ially wa mly welcomed,
some ha e no ye been pu in o p ac ice, as he g oup o p o esso s could no come o any
ag eemen , pa icula ly as some lacked he echnical knowledge o ully exploi he LMS’
unc ionali ies. In addi ion, because he classes a e gi en in ace- o- ace mode wi h concomi an
immedia e in e ac i i y, he e did no appea o be much eason o subs i u e hese in e ac ions by
using i ual ools. Howe e , when he s uden s we e no longe in class, such as du ing he
in e nship pe iod o while hey we e w i ing hei heses, he VLE ools seemed o be app ecia ed
mo e.
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4. Co-Lab Me hodology
The Co-Lab ac i i ies as shown in Fig. 1 a ose as a esul o using an expe imen al me hodology, in
which he s a ing poin is he p oblem o be sol ed, o he ac i i y o be os e ed h ough
app op ia e use o a ailable echnical ools. Membe s ag eed on p ecise objec i es o be eached in
o de o ca y ou s ep-by-s ep moni o ing du ing he conduc o he expe ience. Fo each ac i i y a
daily jou nal is kep ; a he end o each ac i i y he e is a collec i e e lec ion on all aspec s o be
imp o ed.
Howe e , because o he e y na u e o he CoLab as a cen e o collabo a i e knowledge c ea ion,
sha ing and lea ning, o he pa icipan s besides he esea che he sel we e also in i ed o eco d
da a, which was in u n sha ed amongs he whole g oup. Thus a common knowledge base was
de eloped which was o ganic in na u e, g owing and modi ying o e ime as lea ning and insigh s
g ew. This is in acco dance wi h Wenge ’s iden i ica ion o ac i i ies wi hin a communi y, which
encou age p ac ice and he sha ing o such expe ience (Wenge , 2006). The Co-Lab expe ience is a
con inuous p ocess o enego ia ion o iden i y and meaning, ha passes h ough con e sa ions,
collabo a i e p ac ical ac i i ies, imi a ion, in ui i e unde s anding, disco e ies, mis akes,
discussions, p oblems, heo y and p ac ice. I is wha Bonaiu i (2006) desc ibes as ex ended
cogni i e con ex , whe e lea ning becomes a dis ibu ed p ac ice and sp ings up in e ac i ely and
among indi iduals in many di e en eal si ua ions.
Figu e 1: Co-Lab Me hodology (adap ed om Tamma o e al. 2012)
The engagemen o people's iden i y in hei ac i i ies was os e ed, as lea ning happens a each s ep
o he p ocess and o all ac o s. The echnologis s in e iewed he eache s abou hei needs and
hei cou se objec i es, in o de o gi e he co ec ad ice o each speci ic con ex , and in his way,
he echnologis s we e able o disco e he impo an aspec s o he educa ional p ocess. On he
o he hand, p o esso s lea n how o use he ools om he echnologis s and hey decided oge he
on selec ing he bes one o a speci ic educa ional expe ience. Technologis s and p o esso s hus
wo ked oge he o p oduce he bes possible lea ning esul s, and collabo a i ely documen ed hei
expe iences. Some imes, when echnicians p oposed ools, hey ealised ha i migh be ad isable o
change di ec ion and choose some hing else ins ead, as he i s choice may no ha e been he bes
solu ion wi hin a pa icula con ex .
Figu e 2 shows he in e ac ions and connec ions be ween ac o s, p ojec s and s uc u es wi hin he
Co-Lab Communi y, as opposed o a e ical and hie a chical s uc u e (Wenge , 2011).
Pa ma Co-Lab: o ganiza ional challenge o esea ch and lea ning
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Figu e 2: Co-Lab Communi y in e ac ions: ac o s, p ojec s and s uc u es
Ho izon al accoun abili y suppo s indi idual iden i y, connec ions be ween membe s and pee - o-
pee con ac s, as well acili a ing lea ning, c ea ing pe sonal meaning, encou aging engagemen and
c ea i i y. The Co-Lab is also ying o achie e i s objec i es wi h less e o due o he e-use o
con en and compe encies, and epu posing hese on an as-needed basis.
Da a collec ion
Da a was collec ed in a ious ways o his s udy, mainly h ough obse a ion. The esul s o
obse a ions we e logged in sha ed documen s, such as dia ies c ea ed by means o wikis o blogs.
Quali a i e in e iews we e conduc ed wi h he p o esso s in ol ed in he i s deli e y o METAV
p og amme. They we e asked o epo on he p os and cons o hei expe iences, o commen on
he cou se s uc u e and sugges imp o emen s. I was in e es ing ha mos p o esso s asked o
addi ional ools o in e ac wi h s uden s, and many o hem asked o applica ions ha we e al eady
a ailable on he pla o m, sugges ing ha hey we e no awa e o all he possibili ies al eady
o e ed, as o exis ing ideocon e encing se ices a Uni e si y. I is p obably use ul o adop a
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sligh ly di e en poin o iew conce ning se ice le el and app oach in he u u e.
All o hose in ol ed who we e in e iewed, emphasised he impo ance and e ec i eness o he
social o ma o cou ses, and he possibili y o ac i e pa icipa ion in o um ac i i ies. This
indica es ha a social app oach o cou ses may in ol e s uden s mo e, and i could be use ul o
conside such an app oach o DILL Mas e 's deg ee, as well. The majo i y o p o esso s asked o
a mo e lexible e sion o he pla o m, wi h ega ds o ile managemen and ools o inc ease
in e ac i i y and co-ope a ion.
5. Resul s
The expe ience o UniPR Co-Lab is an example o bo om-up o ganiza ional change ha os e s
knowledge sha ing. The na a ion o he ac i i ies unde aken by membe s has shown ha i was
possible o an in o mal and di e se g oup o collabo a e bo h ace- o- ace and online, and desc ibes
he obse a ions, showing indi idual, communi y and o ganiza ional communi y bene i s and some
d awbacks. Lea ning abou ools, me hods and p ocedu es was os e ed h ough p ac ice, and a
common con ex was sha ed. Some communi y cos s we e co e ed by esou ces ha we e al eady
a ailable o he p ojec s. An e alua ion o he communi y cos s migh be use ul, including he
oppo uni y cos s o people’s engagemen in communi y ac i i ies, in o de o be e explo e
o ganiza ional bene i s and compa e cos s o he sa ing o ime de i ed om knowledge sha ing
and sol ing p oblems oge he (Millen e . al, 2002).
A g ea deal o da a emana ed om his esea ch s udy, and se e al hemes eme ged, mos o which
ha e led o new de elopmen s and applica ions in he CoLab; o example, he opinions ga he ed
om he in e iews we e con incing and led o he ins alla ion o an al e na i e e sion o he LMS
pla o m o Co-Lab eam, in o de o gain imp o ed lexibili y when i came o es ing, oge he
wi h s uden s, he modules and plug-ins ha migh mee speci ic needs.
Use o ideocon e encing echnologies
The e has been a signi ican inc ease in he use o he ideocon e encing ools o suppo lea ning,
in o de o allow s uden s o pa icipa e u he , o a oid delays in decisions due o di icul ies in
mee ing in he same place a he same ime, and o suppo e en s wi h asynch onously eco ded
in e iews o impo an speake s all o e he wo ld. This ool is being used o i ual mee ings
du ing he DILL Thesis semes e in Pa ma. Mee ings a e o ganized whe e s uden s can hold hei
p esen a ions and p o esso s pa icipa e by gi ing sugges ions o imp o emen . An online
academic w i ing u o ial has been o ganized and eco ded h ough he pla o m.
An inc eased use o ideocon e encing ools was also sugges ed o synch onous mee ings, hus
adop ing a di e en app oach o his echnological solu ion ha led o a pa adigma ic change. Some
i ual ooms we e c ea ed and ca e ully “ u nished” di e en ly on each occasion acco ding o he
speci ic needs, by using di e en layou s. No only w i en ins uc ions a e gi en, hus lea ing he
ac o s alone, bu people a e ins uc ed and ained h ough p ac ice. Ins ead o was ing he
echnician’s ime, his p ocess is iewed as an in es men , as he mo e he p o esso s and
esea che s conside he sys em o be impo an and simple o use, he mo e i will be employed,
hus c ea ing u he inno a i e oppo uni ies. The UniPR Co-Lab is cons an ly ha es ing and
expe imen ing wi h new use models and si ua ions. I is abou communica ion being mo e han jus
sende and ecei e , bu also abou how change can be b ough abou h ough communica ion
(Licklide & Taylo , 1968).
C oss-disciplina i y
Da a om he lea ning pla o m ga he ed du ing July 2011 showed ha p o esso s om he Facul y
o Humani ies, oge he wi h hose om he Facul y o Enginee ing, we e he mos equen use s o