What is SCoPE? SCoPE brings together individuals who share an interest in educational research and practice and to offer opportunities for dialogue across disciplines, geographical borders, professions, levels of expertise, and educational sectors. With this very broad mandate, flexible tools, and an open mind about how to proceed, the members have shaped this online community into a vibrant meeting place for dialogue, collaboration, and sharing.

Timeline – 2004

- Simon Fraser University expressed interest in supporting an international, online educator community

– 2005 - SCoPE launched

– 2007

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- Joined Twitter - 800 members, 40 countries

– 2008 - SCoPE moves to BCcampus - Hosted fully online conference - 2000 members, 62 countries

– 2011 - Hosted first MOOC

– 2012 - 4000 members, 156 countries

Early Decisions – Membership is free and open to everyone – Core activity will be scheduled, facilitated, topic-based seminar discussions. Ideas

for topics emerge through participation in the community – Invite requests for Special Interest Groups to form public (encouraged) or private

communication and workspaces – Invite students, researchers, curriculum, software designers and developers to use

SCoPE for sharing and advancing their work – Encourage the use of SCoPE for research on online communities – Always involve members in discussions about how to proceed

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– Customized support for upcoming facilitators

SCoPE is committed to: – Continuing to provide free and open access to SCoPE activities – Inviting and supporting all interested individuals to participate in community

activities – Providing opportunities to use emergent technologies to support community

activities – Responding to the needs of community members – Connecting content to community discussions in order to establish rich resources – Encouraging open academic practices

What have we done since 2005? – Organized 75 scheduled, facilitated, asynchronous seminar discussions, and about

120 synchronous sessions – Hosted 1 entirely online conference, provided facilitation and administration for 2

others, and supported online presence for f2f conferences – Organized 4 Online Community Enthusiasts events in Vancouver – Facilitated 12 book discussions – Collaborated to offer 2 MOOCs – Provided space and support to over 50 online special interest/project groups

Who is Here?

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A sampling of SCoPE seminar topics

A sampling of SIGs and Events – Professional Reading Group Series – Community Enthusiasts – Virtual Chairs Research Project

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– Learning and Knowledge Analytics MOOC – Shaping Our Future – online conference – Professional Learning Series

How are we sustaining the community? – Fully supported by BCcampus, British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education,

Innovation, and Technology – Form “collaborative partnerships” to share resources, use of software, promotion

efforts, and expertise – a mutual exchange of services – Volunteers! Lots of volunteers!

How do people participate?

What contributes to success? – Simple starting point

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– Site has basic layout, essential tools – Involve members in discussion about the community – Wide open – Topics generated through participation – Ideal for busy professionals – No obligation to participate – Mix of experts and novices – Create a rhythm and reasons to return – Collaborate on events with other communities and organizations – Networking opportunity, place to promote work and ideas

Collaborating Partnerships SCoPE forms collaborating partnerships with many organizations to implement and promote community activities and products. This is a mutual exchange of support and services.

Community steward role – Keep my finger on the pulse of the community – Plan and facilitate community activities – Keep up with housekeeping – Look for opportunities, link members – Work with volunteer facilitators to help them prepare for seminar discussions – Follow up on issues, suggestions

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Some quotes that stood out – “SCoPE is one of the few learning groups that keeps me fascinated over time. I learn

something from everyone every time I read or listen.” Colby Stuart – "So much intriguing insight surfaced during this dialogue that was appreciated -- as

I've found it does in SCoPE dialogues generally." Sarah Haavind – "I deeply appreciate the mentors, models, and resources that SCoPE provides." Paul

Beaufait – "One good thing about being subscribed to everything going on here at SCoPE it the

opportunity to be just lazily, vicariously learning from the examples of others, a sort of active reading along” Sus Nyrop

– "I think I've become a SCoPE groupie." Derek Chirnside – “I often take an idea…from a SCoPE conversation and pass it onto my colleagues for

more conversation so my ‘participation’ is extended so to speak into my other networks.” Barbara Berry