Technology Use and Research Approaches for Community Education and Professional Development

Abstract

You can hardly read an article or a book about recent developments without encountering some commentary about the accelerating rate of change. This rate of change is very often associated with new technologies. It is pervasive, powerful, and, in the minds of some, perilous (p. 3). These issues are not limited to a single field or geography, and observations made in one context are often transferable to another context.Technology Use and Research Approaches for Community Education and Professional Development is a collection of the latest theories, perspectives, and practices related to the influence of technology in a community education and professional development environment. It represents a number of research articles and case studies that highlight various advantages and disadvantages of technologies and their applications. Its scope is specifically bound under the idea of technology-enhanced learning and takes a communal or "we" view of technology.This approach is pertinent as the collection of articles represents currency in its topics and perspectives being examined as well as a deep view of recent and ongoing research. The broad topics included impact a variety of disciplines and an applied focus. Particular to the relevant focus is the number of connections to online learning and to social media in particular. In the last few years, one topic of technological importance has been associated with communication and social media. The various emerging social aspects of learning are well represented in the collection, providing the opportunity to examine its potential perils (chapters 1, 6, and 7) as well as the newly emerging construct of digital citizenship (Chapter 6).