Third places: cultivating mobile communities of practice in the global south

Abstract

Research on communities of practice suggests that such groups can be used to support academic staff development, especially during times of crisis. We explore how a group of South African women academics and ‘eLearning champions’ engaged in a mobile community of practice under COVID-19 conditions. Our analysis of WhatsApp chat histories and focus group conversations reflects how the group evolved from a mobile CoP into a multi-modal third place, with implications for community-building, teaching transformation, and organisational change.