Leveraging Virtual Communities for Capacity Building in Complex HCI Environments

This paper investigates the implementation and impact of a virtual Community of Practice (vCoP) designed to aid community-based organisations (CBOs) in Victoria, Australia, in developing multicultural digital messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal was to evaluate the vCoP's effectiveness in enhancing capacity and sustaining meaningful connections for participants beyond the study's immediate scope.Utilising Action Research (AR) and ethnography, we offer insights into the operational dynamics and effectiveness of vCoPs within complex environments. We identify crucial factors for optimising vCoP capacity building, focusing on (i) the participants and their roles, and (ii) the modes of engagement employed within the vCoP. This study provides a foundation for future research that incorporates these considerations, aiming to guide vCoPs in similar contexts, to build participant capacity within and outside the contexts of ongoing research. It also underscores the necessity for longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impacts and effectiveness of these strategies. Overall, this work contributes to the broader discourse on leveraging social learning within Human-Centred Computing (HCI) to address intricate challenges and support community empowerment in dynamic settings.