Online Help-Seeking in Communities of Practice: An Acceptance Model for Conceptual Artifacts

User-generated FAQ collections are a common aspect of the Internet culture that integrates knowledge of particular practices, thus playing the role of technology-based conceptual artifacts. However, FAQs are seldom used when specific knowledge or help is needed, thus raising the question, which factors influence FAQ acceptance in a community of practice (CoP). This paper proposes a conceptual model explaining conceptual artifacts´ acceptance, based on the CoP and academic help-seeking approaches. Both are extensively covered by psychological and educational research literature, however their combination is not yet sufficiently investigated. A correlational study conducted in an academic software users´ CoP, and involving structural equations modeling, validates the model, suggesting thus a research line that is worth further pursuing. For educational practice, the study suggests three ways of supporting knowledge sharing in CoPs, i.e. availability of technology-based conceptual artifacts, role definitions and division of labor, and purposeful communication in CoPs.