An ICT-Enabled Learning and Teaching CoP to Expand the Use of Sakai at CSU

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted at Charles Sturt University (CSU) where the author has been sponsoring a Community of Practice (CoP) about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enabled learning and teaching through blended learning strategies. This CoP has a central focus on expanding the use of Sakai. These strategies have included extensive professional development, corridor conversations, video-conference forums, face to face conferences, the development of a Sakai site, a Yammer micro-blogging site that now has more than 200 members, and the building of a learning design showcase of learning and teaching with ICTs. Sponsoring this CoP is an important bottom-up change strategy for the take up of ICT-enabled learning and teaching. The use of Yammer and university-wide video-conference forums in particular have provided effective learning in this CoP. The paper further critically reflects on the use of blended learning in this CoP in the light of social presence and organisational culture and discuss the wider applicability of these findings to other organisations using Sakai.