Editing Virtual community of practice (section)

== Current research ==
Research suggests that through extended connections, reflections, and online discourse, OCoPs can support the growth of a collective community identity.<ref name="Gray, 2004">Gray, B. (2004). Informal Learning in an Online Community of Practice. Journal of Distance Education/Revue de l'enseignement à distance, 19(1), 20–35.</ref> OCoPs provide a virtual space for people who might otherwise never meet, in which they can collaborate and participate in shared activities related to the group's interests and goals.<ref name="Wenger, 2007"/> Additionally, people who are engaged in emergent and uncommon practices, or who have few local resources may have a lower barrier of entry for becoming members of online communities. By participating in community practices, both experienced and novice practitioners can learn together and as a community, which also shapes the personal identities of the members and the group's collective identity.<ref name="Gray, 2004"/> Virtual Communities of Practice may be especially effective for increasing teacher efficacy and reducing professional isolation in [[computer science education]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schwarzhaupt|first1=Robert|last2=Liu|first2=Feng|last3=Wilson|first3=Joseph|last4=Lee|first4=Fanny|last5=Rasberry|first5=Melissa|date=2021-10-08|title=Teachers' Engagement and Self-Efficacy in a PK–12 Computer Science Teacher Virtual Community of Practice|journal=Journal of Computer Science Integration|language=en|volume=4|issue=1|pages=1|doi=10.26716/jcsi.2021.10.8.34|issn=2574-108X|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kelley|first1=Todd R.|last2=Knowles|first2=J. Geoffery|last3=Holland|first3=Jeffrey D.|last4=Han|first4=Jung|date=2020-04-16|title=Increasing high school teachers self-efficacy for integrated STEM instruction through a collaborative community of practice|journal=International Journal of STEM Education|volume=7|issue=1|pages=14|doi=10.1186/s40594-020-00211-w|issn=2196-7822|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Some questions remain as to what level of participation in an online community constitutes legitimate membership of an OCoP. Two types of participation have been identified to distinguish between levels of activity. Active participation means that members regularly contribute to community discourse. Peripheral participation, also called “lurking,” means that members read without contributing. Some studies have concluded that some degree of peripheral participation is expected in online communities.<ref name="preece">{{cite journal | last1 = Preece | first1 = J. | last2 = Nonnecke | first2 = B. | last3 = Andrews | first3 = D. | year = 2004 | title = The top five reasons for lurking: improving community experiences for everyone | journal = Computers in Human Behavior | volume = 20 | issue = 2| pages = 201–223 | doi=10.1016/j.chb.2003.10.015| s2cid = 26877425 }}</ref> Though these members may not contribute to the community discourse, they nevertheless learn from observing, which some researchers would characterize as legitimate membership.<ref name="Gray, 2004"/> Some researchers raise concerns that peripheral participation can threaten an OCoP if more members lurk than actively participate.<ref name="riverin">{{cite journal | last1 = Riverin | first1 = S. | last2 = Stacey | first2 = E. | year = 2008 | title = Sustaining an Online Community of Practice: A Case Study | journal = Journal of Distance Education | volume = 22 | issue = 2| pages = 45–58 }}</ref>