Considering the expansive context of the international Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) community, SoTL scholars may wish to reflect and identify what exists for building and nurturing fellowship, and how they may be enacted in practice to benefit others. In this reflective article, we draw on our experiences as International Society…

WhatsApp is one of the most popular and widely used communication platforms today. However, from an application in a few subject areas, this mobile application (app) can be distractive and cause users to lose their focus as it attracts and promotes social interaction among learning communities. In this study, firstly, qualitative research approach…

The transformative potential of Digital Informal Learning (DIL) is evident in fostering cross-cultural understanding, with a special focus on Arabic cultural education in this case. Drawing from the case of Learn Cultural Identity (LearnCuID) groups, which are informal online learning communities, the discussion highlights how digital platforms,…

A new generation is growing up who have known the internet for their entire lives. More people incorporate social media into more aspects of our lives, including how we learn and negotiate our identities. While formal online classrooms such as MOOCs are a part of the picture, learning also occurs in informal settings such as affinity groups'…

This study is about adult learning and empowerment in a challenging context. The data from this study comes from interviews with women non-operating landowners who attended a learning circle event designed to inform them about conservation opportunities on their land. The findings show there were several aspects of the learning circles that…

Many scholars recommend preparing faculty for educator roles. Faculty Learning Communities, The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and teaching centers represent common preparatory approaches. But faculty and teaching assistants report time, disciplinary disconnects, and lack of incentives as ongoing barriers. Inspired by K-12's…

In this position paper, we explore the potential of social networks for teacher professional development. Networking is a crucial skill in professional careers, supporting the individual's personal and professional learning. Collective teacher interactions online can facilitate collaborative professional development and support collective…

Mathematical memes are an Internet phenomenon with an epistemic potential noteworthy for the teaching and learning of mathematics. The aim of this paper is to conceptualize this phenomenon on an empirical base, elucidating its educational potential. To pursue this goal, a two-year ethnographic research study has been conducted in a selection of…

Whereas Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a frequently applied professional learning tool in education, their use is often limited to an application among (a) teachers and (b) within-schools. This article contributes to the nascent research evidence on PLC usage for principal professional learning. As outcomes align with PLCs' phased…

The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) annual conference presents an exciting opportunity to meet with international colleagues from diverse backgrounds and situations to commune on our common interest in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). As with every ISSOTL conference, the enthusiasm for…

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer opportunities for professional development of environmental educators globally, yet we lack understanding of participants™ cognitive and social learning processes and of how instructors can enhance these processes. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, we used a survey and coded participant…

This article discusses peer apprenticeship learning (PAL) as situated within networked learning communities (NLCs). The context revolves around the diffusion of technologically-mediated learning in Singapore schools, where teachers begin to implement inquiry-oriented learning, consistent with 21st century learning, among students. As these schools…

Purpose: Founded in sociocultural theories of learning, the authors argue that engaging learners in collaborative knowledge building is critical. When responding to others' ideas, research shows that learners in online settings more frequently focus on surface-level aspects of colleagues' contributions -- sharing, comparing and praising -- rather…

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the extent professionals from the vocational sector are networked individuals. The authors explore how professionals use their personal networks to engage in a wide variety of learning activities and examine what social mechanisms influence professionals' agency to form personal informal learning networks.…

Given the increasingly prominent position of digital technologies in the Higher Education classroom, this paper takes a concurrent triangulation mixed method approach to explore the ways in which blogging might be used to support student learning through a large MA dissertation module, comprising students from five courses. Taking as it impetuous…