Kay Venteicher

OMDE 610 Section 9040

3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

Online Communities of Practice: The Acquisition Community Connection

The Defense Acquisition University supports Department of Defense, Acquisition,
Technology, and Logistics by providing training and knowledge-sharing resources for the
defense acquisition workforce members. The Defense Acquisition University formed a publicly
accessible online community of practice (OCoP) forum web site, Acquisition Community
Connection. The Acquisition Community Connection provides an extensive knowledge-sharing
asset for communities of practice (CoP) where acquisition practitioners and professionals from
various disciplines can interact, share knowledge and experiences germane to areas of
responsibility/tasks, solve business problems, and provide for community sustainment. The
Acquisition Community Connection has the three components (a) domain, (b) community, and
(c) practice, which identify it as a community of practice (Bates, 2014; Communities of Practice
(Lave and Wenger), 2016).
Lave and Wenger (2015) provide that communities of practice are groups of people who
engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor (p. 1).
Harasim (2012) expounds on the value brought by participating in communities. The CoPs not
only accumulate knowledge, they also contribute to advancing knowledge. Solving new
problems and documenting the solution in a manual, article, new way of working or new tool
represents a knowledge artifact (p. 142). The Acquisition Community Connection offers
workforce members open access to information and resources as well as the ability to interact,
ask questions, and share experiences with workforce members globally and across organizational
boundaries. This access delivers support to the members in areas such as introducing new and
diverse ideas, leveraging the expertise and knowledge of seasoned members, workforce

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

innovation, and the nurturing of better business practices (Defense Acquisition University,
2012).
Background
The Defense Acquisition University launched the Acquisition Community Connection as
a collaborative learning environment and Acquisition Knowledge Management System for the
acquisition workforce in October 2001. The online community forum focuses on the acquisition
career fields in over 50 acquisition and business related topic areas. Originally focused on
servicing a target of 140,000 members, the Acquisition Community Connection audience has
grown to include military services, defense organizations, federal government, and industry
partners. Members cover a broad user base that includes a variety of age groups and experience
levels/backgrounds and can interact outside traditional formal structures (Defense Acquisition
University, 2012; Defense Acquisition University, n.d.).
CoPs, especially within government organizations, are identified by autonomy,
practitioner-orientation, level of informality and high connectivity within the group (i.e., closeknit social relationship of community members and high degree of identification) (Hoadley,
2012). As an online community, Harasim (2012) explains that members will have core
commonalities of a shared language, professional terms, and understanding of a topic. Members
may only be familiar with the foundation knowledge of the workforce topics, the Acquisition
Community Connection builds upon this through technology. Technology used provides content
and scaffolding for the user to create a learning environment through connections, conversations,
content, and information context (Hoadley, 2012). The Acquisition Community Connection

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

utilizes the Defense Acquisition University Web 2.0 applications to reach members including (a)
Facebook, (b) Flickr, (c) Tunes University, and (d) Twitter. These technologies provide for
member interaction and feedback, which are important in content-oriented communities (Bates,
2014).
Learning Theory
The acquisition workforce members use the Defense Acquisition University education
resources and training courses to build discipline- specific knowledge. The CoPs offer the
members a consolidated site for job aids, guides, references, and resources that the member can
use to support individual learning in the online collaborative learning environment. Many of
these resources are based upon the cognitivist learning theory for fundamentals training aided by
computer-assisted instruction which follows Gagnes instructional design model. Initial learning
acquired from use of the Acquisition Community Connection by new members through
cognitivist learning theory. This follows with constructivist learning theory - member utilizes
site resources and tools to create meaning from personal experiences. The member benefits from
the scaffolded learning and participates in collaborative activities learning new theories/concepts
gaining knowledge (Harasim, 2012).
Members collaborate online to solve problems and develop best practices like a
Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. The three elements of cognitive, social, teaching
presence have indicators that support success of the Acquisition Community Connection.
Indicators such as information exchange and application of new ideas among members
demonstrate cognitive presence. Collaboration and the ability to openly share in a risk-free

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

environment are indicators of social presence. The teaching presence is represented with
seasoned or subject matter experts acting in the mentor or teaching role by sharing personal
meaning. Together these elements are representative of the educational experience (Garrison,
Anderson, & Archer, 1999).
Monitoring/Assessing the Success
The Acquisition Community Connection web site gathers qualitative and quantitative
data on all CoP pages. Data collection for each CoP web page is gathered from the date a page
was created and includes activity such as (a) views, (b) questions, (c) answers, (d) documents
and videos, (e) emails, and (f) downloads. The data collected is quantitative and qualitative
providing contextual indicators of the success for the CoP. The quantitative data provides
intuitive data on the use of the page. Qualitative data can be studied by review of the discourse
created in text-based exchanges: (a) social, (b) intellectual, and (c) moderating. Social discourse
is seen in through (a) community building, (b) social engagement, and (c) user satisfaction
evident in the increasing member numbers. The intellectual discourse is seen in the activities
within the CoP site in the form of (a) idea generating, (b) idea organizing, and (c) intellectual
convergence, all of these key to problem solving in the CoP. Moderator discourse is represented
through the lessons learned found in the CoP, which is followed up with valuable feedback
(Harasim, 2012).
Conclusion
The Acquisition Community Connection is representative of a strong, growing OCoP.
The site utilizes cognitivist and constructivist learning theories. The individual members ability
to pursue self-improvement and greater knowledge coupled with the collaborative nature of the

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

CoP creates a learning environment that has a positive effect by creating value for the workforce.
The Acquisition Community Connection has built an OCoP, which continues to work to further
expand the capabilities supporting acquisition workforce members.

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

References
Bates, T. (2014, October 01). The role of communities of practice in a digital age. Retrieved
from http://www.tonybates.ca/2014/10/01/the-role-of-communities-of-practice-in-adigital-age/
Communities of practice (Lave and Wenger). (2016, April 03). Retrieved from
http://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html
Defense Acquisition University. (2012, May). Community of Practice (CoP) implementation
guide, v4.0. Acquisition Community Connection. Retrieved from
https://acc.dau.mil/adl/en-US/170879/file/31851/CoP_Guide_v4_May2012.pdf
Defense Acquisition University. (n.d.). ACC practice center. Acquisition Community
Connection. Retrieved https://acc.dau.mil/CommunityBrowser.aspx
Garrison, D., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment:
Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2),
87-105
Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theory and online technologies. New York & United Kingdom:
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Hoadley, C. (2012). What is a community of practice and how can we support it? In D. H.
Jonassen & S. M. Land (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of learning environments (Second
ed., pp. 287-300). New York: Routledge.

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

Wenger-Trayner, E. & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015, April 15). Communities of practice: A brief

introduction. EB Wenger-Trayner. Retrieved from http://wenger-trayner.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/04/07-Brief-introduction-to-communities-of-practice.pdf
Criteria
Points

Exemplary

30
Sources
Used &
Information
Produced
30%

Unsatisfactory

25 points

35

Topic &
Question
35%

Proficient

Paper
addresses
35 points
the question
embedded in
chosen topic.
Paper fully
Paper is
addresses the
properly
question
structured
embedded in
with
chosen topic.
introductory
The answer is
paragraph
fully integrated
(with thesis)
into a
and a
cohesive
conclusion,
narrative with
but the
an
narrative may
introductory
not be fully
paragraph
cohesive
(with thesis)
and/or may
and a
contain some
conclusion.
components
that do not
contribute to
the papers
thesis.
30 points
20 points
Sources used
are
appropriate;
information
produced is
accurate and
clearly relates

Sources used
are
appropriate;
information
produced is
accurate but
may not

15 points
Paper does not
fully address
the question
embedded in
the chosen
topic. There
may be some
problems with
the papers
thesis and/or
essential
structure (of
introduction,
body, and
conclusion).

10 points
All sources
used may not
be appropriate;
information
produced may
not always be
accurate and/or

Comments

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

20

to the topic
always
and question. clearly relate
to the topic or
question.
17 points

8
may not always
clearly relate to
the topic or
question.
15 points

20 points
Writing is
crisp, clear,
and succinct.
Writer uses a
formal,
academic
tone. Almost
flawless
grammar and
punctuation.

Narrative
Style &
Grammar
20%

10

10 points

Writing is
generally
clear, but
unnecessary
words are
occasionally
used. Some
issues with
formal
academic
tone. Fewer
than three
grammar and
punctuation
errors.

Writing is
partially clear,
but at times
vague and
confusing for
the reader.
Writer does not
use a formal
academic tone.
Several
grammar and
punctuation
errors.

8 points
5 points

APA 10%

Requested
Length &
Format 5%

Correct APA
format with
correct
integration of
sources into
the text.
5 points
Doublespaced, 11 or
12 point font.
Appropriate
title. Name,
course, and
section are on
first page,
upper left.
Hanging
indent used
appropriately;
800-1000

Mostly
correct APA
format, with
one or two
errors.

Three or more
errors in APA
format.

4 points
3 points
May have
minor
problems
with title, font,
spacing. 8001000
WORDS (+/100).

May have
major problems
with titles, font,
spacing. 8001000 WORDS
(+/-150).

Kay Venteicher
OMDE 610 Section 9040
3 April 2016
Assignment 4 Online Community of Practice

WORDS (+/50).
Overall
Score

10099

Exemplary
90 or more

Proficient Unsatisfactory
80 or more
0 or more

Excellent work, Kay! I only wish that I had been able to access the website so I could see it for
myself (my settings wouldnt allow it) I am supposed to take off a letter grade for lateness, but
it looked like only 6 hours so I dropped you one point to a 99! For a 100 next time, get it in
before midnight and get some sleep! I look forward to your next paper!
Betsy