1,720,965 research outputs found
Online communities of practice and their role in the professional development of teachers
No full textTeachers are required to constantly change their pedagogy throughout their career, either in response to new theoretical approaches or new technological innovations. It is a profession that is characterised by dynamism and constantly strives to advance its practices to improve outcomes in student learning. However, current professional development programs are seen to be failing to meet the needs of the teachers, students and education policy.
Research has shown (Huberman, 1995; Richardson, 1990), there has been little discernible change in teaching practice from current professional development programs, thus an alternative solution is needed. The premise underlying this study is that the use of online communities of practice may present a solution to the failure of current professional development programs in effecting change to teaching practice. Thus it is the intention of this thesis to investigate if online communities of practice can realise this potential.
The research was conducted within the paradigm of qualitative analysis. The study was conducted as a multiple explanatory case study also known as a collective case study (Yin, 2003) and this approach reflects the current shift in trends of research in education. As Richardson (1994) stated, it has shifted "from a focus on effective behaviours toward the hermeneutic purpose of understanding how teachers make sense of teaching and learning" (p. 5). The approach used in this thesis provided insights into the value of online communities as authentic contexts for supporting professional development particularly in relation to relationships, communication and collaboration between teachers around professional inquiry, problem solving and emotional aspects of teaching.
The results of the study show that online communities of practice are a valuable source of continuous professional development for teachers. They have the ability to provide support as teachers accommodate the constant changes and the need to acquire new skills and knowledge. The strength of this method of PD lies in its ability to be self-sustaining and generative. Teachers have access to authentic, relevant and flexible learning that is not constrained by time and can be accessed according to members needs
Teachers making connections : online communities as a source of professional learning
No full textThe impact of the Internet on our lives has been pervasive. People are increasingly turning to the social interaction available on the Internet to satisfy their needs, whether these are professional or personal. The Internet offers users fast access to social contacts such as online chat groups and discussion lists,helping us to make connections with others. Online communities are being increasingly used by teachers for professional support, guidance and inspiration. These are often organised around subject areas and offer teachers opportunities to develop both personally and professionally. Online communities may present as a source of continuous professional development for teachers\ud
as they are able to deliver authentic and personalised opportunities for learning. This paper will present the findings of a study that was conducted on three online communities for teachers. It will explore the nature of online community membership and offer some conclusions regarding their potential as a source of professional learning for teachers
Graphically mapping electronic discussions: unlocking online dynamics
No full textTranscripts of electronic discussions have traditionally been examined via the use of conversational analysis techniques. Coding such transcripts provides rich data regarding the content and nature of the discussions that take place. However, understanding the content of the messages is not limited to the actual message itself. An electronic message is sent either in response to or to start a discussion thread. Examining the entry point of a new message can help to clarify the dynamics of the community discussion. Electronic discussions do not appear to follow traditional conversational norms. New messages may be immediate responses or they can be responses to messages posted over a longer period of time in the past. However, by graphically mapping electronic discussions, a clearer understanding of the dynamics of electronic discussions can be achieved. This paper will present the findings of a study that concluded that three distinct patterns exist which electronic discussions may follow and each of these patterns were indicative of a distinct type of electronic discussion
eCAF: A new tool for the conversational analysis of electronic communication
No full textElectronic communication is characteristically concerned with 'the message' (eM), those who send them (S) and those who receive and read them (R). This relationship could be simplified into the equation eM = S + R. When this simple equation is applied to electronic communication several elements are added that make this straightforward act of sending and receiving a message more complex. These new elements are characteristics such as asynchronicity, unknown senders and readers, non-linear text and the absence of non-verbal cues. What is apparent is that the complexity of these messages lies in their impact outside the online environment. It is clear from the messages themselves that the information is being applied to real, authentic contexts and is not limited to the online environment. Conversational analysis frameworks must attempt to understand this complexity if the meaning of electronic messages is to be understood. This paper proposes a new conversational analysis framework, the Electronic Conversational Framework (eCAF), for use with electronic communication. The Electronic Conversational Framework (eCAF) has been designed as a new methodological tool that incorporates the unique virtual/real worlds that individuals participate in and links these two locations to the phases of electronic discussions
Changing the metaphor : the potential of online communities in teacher professional development
No full textBelonging to an online community offers teachers the opportunity to exchange ideas, make connections\ud
with a wider peer group and form collaborative networks. The increasing popularity of teacher professional\ud
communities means that we need to understand how they work and determine the role they may\ud
play in teacher professional development. This chapter will map data from a doctoral study to a recentlydeveloped\ud
model of professional development to offer a new perspective of how online communities can\ud
add to a teacher’s personal and professional growth and, in so doing, add to the small number of studies\ud
in this field. This chapter will conclude with a call for a revision of the way we approach professional\ud
development in the 21st century and suggest that old models and metaphors are hindering the adoption\ud
of more effective means of professional development for teachers
Discussing, sharing and collaborating: Distributed constructionism goes online
No full textOnline curriculum projects are ideally suited to provide spaces for learners to\ud
discuss construction activities and contemporary web tools allow the enactment of\ud
theories offered in the late 20th Century, particularly those relating to distributed\ud
constructionism and the potential of the Internet to enhance teaching and learning.\ud
This paper presents a post hoc analysis, using five participating schools as a\ud
theoretical sample, of a 2007 online curriculum project, Land Yachts, which\ud
involved 142 pre-service students (in 48 teams), 477 primary school students (in\ud
143 teams) and 18 classroom teachers from locations as diverse as Far North\ud
Queensland and Western Australia. The analysis will outline the online discussing,\ud
sharing and collaborating on constructions that students undertook in order to\ud
enhance and extend their knowledge. The paper will conclude that distributed\ud
constructionism has much to offer as a framework for designing online curriculum\ud
projects but that changes in technology have afforded differing and much\ud
interactive connections between learners
Online professional communities : understanding the effects of membership on teacher practice
No full textOnline communities offer teachers a forum to discuss ideas, seek support, engage in professional\ud
discussions and network with a wider peer group. The popularity of online communities for teachers is self-evident by the quantity that has emerged in recent years and they present as opportunities to engage in continued pedagogical growth. The study presented in this paper has focused on the electronic discussions of three online communities for teachers, two Australian-based communities\ud
and one UK-based community. The aim was to analyse the content of the messages, via content analysis using the Practical Inquiry Model (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2001) in an attempt to determine if membership had an impact pedagogy. This study will present findings that support the conclusion that membership to online communities provides genuine opportunities for continued pedagogical growth for teachers. It will also show that they are being used as a problem solving resource, provide opportunities for professional discourse and professional support
Facebook© goes to college: using social networking tools to support students undertaking teaching practicum
No full textThe impact of Web 2.0 and social networking tools on education has been much commented on. Teachers need to consider how to meet the needs of their students utilising Web 2.0 and other social networking tools. However, tertiary institutions are beginning to recognise that the currently enrolled undergraduate student body is also increasingly Web 2.0 proficient. The focus of undergraduate education degrees has primarily been the use of Web 2.0 tools to teach future school students. However, institutions are now realising that these same tools can be used to create pedagogically sound learning environments for pre-service teachers. This paper will explore the use of social networking tools, such as Facebook©, to support students undertaking teaching practicum. It will introduce a project that involved a cohort of business education students currently enrolled in education degrees at Queensland University of Technology. These students were habitual users of Facebook©, and a group page was created to examine their experiences and behaviours during their teaching practicum placements. This paper will suggest how the digital behaviours and habits of students enrolled in this course may be used in developing supportive tools that can be harnessed during practicum periods
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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