This study aims to identify the formulation differences of groups in two online activities in a university course with different strategies by using social network analysis. Specifically, the connections within the members and identification of brokers were analyzed. Whilst the group enhancing a "community of practice" in WeChat by…

During the COVID-19 quarantine, we conducted a field-setting pre/post-test randomized experiment (n = 115), creating a community using the social media application Instagram to enhance students' interactions with their peers and immediate physical environments in a large, introductory online course in environmental psychology. We used the…

This study explores Wikipedia as a site for learning. It traces how people learn to become Wikipedia editors through engagement in an editathon, a training event for people who want to become a volunteer editor. The study is original in its emphasis on the various types of knowledge editors acquire as they develop expertise. Determining the…

Collaboration is the key element of maker movement. Online maker community is a new environment for makers to collaborate with one another voluntarily. This article selected one of the largest open online maker communities in China as the research sample. A total of 1292 postings selected from 19 threads were coded using Schaefer et al.'s (2019,…

In this era of technology, teachers need to adapt to changes in their profession, and learn faster than before. They don't want to be restricted to their isolated classrooms and schools but continue learning anywhere, anytime. When a teacher attends conferences, joins teaching communities and discusses new techniques and innovations with…

The purpose of this research is to better understand community formation in MOOCs through employing combined lenses of connectivism, rhizomatic learning, actor-network theory, community of practice, and community of inquiry. In a sequential explanatory mixed methodology design, social network analysis and nethnography were used to analyze and…

Informal learning in blended and online settings plays an increasingly important role in the continuous professional development of individuals. Yet, how do individuals engage into these types of activities? We argue that social capital theory can provide valuable insights into how people behave and decide to take part in (in)formal learning.…

Lesson study provides an opportunity for teachers to improve their knowledge and skills of classroom teaching, where a group of teachers collaboratively research, plan, and observe a series of lessons followed by ongoing discussions and reflections. While social interaction between group members plays an important role in collaborative learning…

Learning is most effective when intrinsically motivated through personal interest, and situated in a supportive socio-cultural context. This paper reports on findings from a study that explored implications for design of interactive learning environments through 18 months of ethnographic observations of people's interactions at "Hack The…

Cloudworks (Cloudworks.ac.uk) is a social networking site designed for sharing, finding and discussing learning and teaching ideas and experiences. Design and development of the site has been based on an iterative analysis, development and implementation approach, underpinned by ongoing research and evaluation. To this end, we have been seeking to…

Blogs provide contextualization of the information which is vital to the process of peer support. Through dialogues initiated by blog authors and followed by readers, blog platforms build a viable base of shared experiences and mutual relationships. We employ blogs as interactive learning tools for communities of practice in higher education.…