Schools' ICT Programme

LTS Online Communities

The LTS online communities provide a service for communication and resource sharing between the community members.

An online community has been defined as 'a group of people who interact in a virtual environment. They have a purpose, are supported by technology and are guided by norms and policies' (Preece, J, 'Online Communities: Designing Usability, Supporting Sociability', Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2000).

The software used by the communities was created by the LTS web development team as a bespoke package to encourage reflection though discussion.

Leadership communities

LTS has established and supports two main online communities for people in leadership positions, called Heads Together and Deputes Together, as well as an associated community for the Association of Head Teachers and Deputes in Scotland.

LTS also offers support to the Faculty Leaders community and Coachnet, a community for people in the Scottish Executive Education Department's coaching and mentoring projects.

The purposes of these communities are to:

• support the further development of the leadership skills of members

• support members in their day-to-day role by providing them with a mechanism for mutual support, for offering potential solutions to problems and for the sharing and creation of new ideas

• create a one-stop shop for access by members to resources which have been created/identified by their peers

• reduce the isolation of members

• raise the awareness of members about the potential role of ICT for management and administration, learning and teaching.

As well as development and maintenance of the communities, LTS is also involved in exploring how online communities can be developed and sustained, using international sources of research as well as experience with the LTS communities.