Virtual Engagement in a Hybrid Community of Practice: A Descriptive Study on the Training and Integration of New Members into the Genomics Education Partnership during COVID-19

This descriptive study examines the experiences of virtually-trained new members in a hybrid distributed community of practice (CoP) focused on undergraduate genomics education. We utilized a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design consisting of an engagement survey for all community members (n=124), followed by interviews with new members (n=15). Survey analysis identifies several areas in which new members do not differ from members with longer involvement, including in motivations for involvement, levels of engagement, satisfaction, and perceived benefits of community involvement. These findings indicate ways in which virtual training and integration was able to facilitate important community outcomes within a new, online context. Our interviews reveal important elements of training new CoP members, including onboarding, implementation, and community engagement opportunities, that successfully facilitated new members' integration into the community and contributed to their meeting the aforementioned outcomes. The findings of this study provide useful lessons and structures for growing communities through virtual means.