Background
The COVID‐19 pandemic has affected teaching and professional learning activities. Teachers may have to rely on online spaces, such as Twitter, to interact with their professional learning networks and get enough support.
Objectives
This study aims to investigate the structure and the content of teachers’ network interactions on Twitter both before and during the COVID19 pandemic.
Methods
Data were analysed for 103 teachers using multiple methods, including social network analysis (SNA) and content and thematic analysis.
Results and Conclusions
Content analysis revealed that teachers’ cognitive and affective posts increased significantly during COVID‐19. Thematic analysis showed that, during COVID‐19, teachers’ post sfocused on issues around digital transformation. SNA showed that the sizes of teachers’ networks and in/out‐ties grew during COVID‐19. Although the study finds that teachers interacted with individuals both within and outside their discipline and their country, most teachers’ interactions were with teachers from similar disciplines and same country. Teachers used Twitter to share information and support each other.
Implications
This study provides recommendations for stimulating professional interactions among teachers. This work shows the potential of SNA and content analysis to analyse teachers’ professional learning networks.
This study investigated the impact of using a discussion strategy with learning analytics on the level of student cognitive presence and interaction. The study used a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups. The experimental group applied open-ended discussion and elaborated feedback with learning analytics while the control group applied open-ended discussion and elaborated feedback without learning analytics. A mixed-method approach was used in this study. Data were collected through content analysis, social network analysis (SNA), and interviews. The results showed that the level of cognitive presence in the experimental group increased more than the control group. SNA revealed that students in the experimental group developed more cognitive learning ties with their peers during the process of developing cognitive presence. Interview data showed that students found that the discussion strategy with learning analytics made them aware of their level and quality of interaction and their role in building knowledge in an online learning community. In addition, they felt that the discussion strategy with learning analytics increased their motivation to participate in the discussion. This study provides recommendations on how students can enhance their cognitive presence and learning experience in an online learning community.
PurposeThis study investigated the role of experienced practitioners in promoting pre-service teachers' knowledge construction and social interaction in an online professional learning community.Design/methodology/approachA repeated measures design with control and experimental groups was adopted. Two practitioners supported pre-service teachers in the experimental group to discuss issues around teaching practice. Social network analysis (SNA) and content analysis (CA) were used in the analytical approach.FindingsCA revealed that the practitioners increased pre-service teachers' levels of knowledge construction and high-cognitive discourse. SNA showed that the practitioners enhanced pre-service teachers' professional ties. Though collaboration in high-level knowledge building occurred predominantly in peers in the same discipline, the presence of the practitioners facilitated the development of more cross-disciplinary ties in the experimental group.Practical implicationsThe practitioners can be considered as a pedagogical tool to enhance pre-service teachers' engagement in the process of professional learning. This study suggests that in order to enhance the collaboration among pre-service teachers from different departments, the online activity should be designed to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.Originality/valueThe study contributes new knowledge about the ways in which practitioners can enhance the collaboration among pre-service teachers in an online PLC. It also provides insight on how to combine CA and SNA, to examine professional learning.
This study aimed to explore the effect of learner-generated digital materials on students’ deep learning approach and self-efficacy. A quasi-experimental design that involves a pre-test, a post-test, a control group and an experiment group was used in this study which involved 51 students (25 students participated in the control group and 26 students participated in the experiment group). A questionnaire was used to measure students’ deep learning approach and self-efficacy. The study found that students in the experimental group improved their deep learning approach and self-efficacy more than students in the control group. Learner-generated digital materials can enhance students’ learning experiences. This study contributes new knowledge about the methods by which learner-generated digital material can be used as a learning approach. It also provides insight on how digital tools can be used to support students learning. This study provides recommendations for employing learner-generated digital materials to engage students in the learning experience.
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