MSPnet.org: An Online Professional Learning Network

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MSPnet.org is an online professional learning network created to serve NSF's Math and Science Partnership program. It facilitates the sharing of strategies, challenges, resources and expertise within and across MSP projects. It is also an effective vehicle for sharing the lessons learned by MSP projects with the U.S. Department of Education's MSP program, as well as with researchers, practitioners, and the public at large. Finally, it provides an innovative model of inter-linking e-communities of practice to others interested in developing online learning communities. MSPnet, which was first launched in January 2004 with 351 pre-registered members, now serves over 7,200 members who are affiliated with current or past MSP projects. In addition, it has successfully attracted a large public user-base of over 1.5 million unique visitors, who have accessed over 7.4 million page-views. MSPnet's professional learning network facilitates cross-project dialogue while also providing each NSF MSP project with its own project space, including interactive tools to enhance collaboration between partners. The current effort includes new features and functionalities to insure that the network stays innovative and up-to-date with rapidly changing technology. Changes to the site are responsive to evolving community needs, principles of Web and community design, navigational ease, and usability. While seamlessly continuing previous activities, innovative formats and interactive events (e.g., interactive online poster sessions, interactive panels and webinars), MSPnet is supporting additional cross-project dialogue, enhancing mechanisms for users to quickly find resources relevant to their needs, and providing synthesis and research briefs of MSP-authored research. These are accessible to a wide audience, and create new mechanisms for the sharing of resources with other resource centers and communities.