Social not-working? Evaluating and building an online learning community

Beginning with a short overview of what online institutional communities might offer around sustaining good learning, teaching and assessment practice, this paper then describes the rationale for and development of Edinburgh Napier Education Exchange (ENEE) as an ELGG-based social networking site for supporting project groups, special interest groups, and the discussion and sharing of educational experiences and resources across Edinburgh Napier. The results from a mixed-method evaluation of ENEE that involved usage analysis, surveys and in-depth interviews, and which focused on value perceptions, current and anticipated use, and issues around further engagement with the resource in the institution, are then presented and discussed. The evaluation, which incorporated a case study of how ENEE was beginning to be used to provide additional support opportunities for a fully online distance learning programme, highlighted a range of ways in which ENEE was proving effective particularly in helping users to 'keep abreast' of educational practice across the institution as well as in supporting small groups dedicated to specific purposes and activities. On the less positive side, lessons learned around ease of use, the challenges of engaging in 'multiple spaces', and achieving 'critical mass' in meaningful use are also brought to the fore.