In the online environment, faculty engagement in the form of professional development takes on a new significance. Online programs hold strategic importance and growth opportunities for institutions, and therefore universities need faculty members who are engaged and effectively teaching in the online environment (Allen & Seaman, 2013, 2016;…

The 3M National Teaching Fellowship is a national teaching award program that has recognized over 300 teachers at more than 80 Canadian universities for their teaching excellence and outstanding educational leadership. Despite its rich, 30 plus-year history, its impact has remained largely anecdotal. In this study, we build on Hannah and Lester's…

Critical Friends Groups (CFGs) are a form professional learning community that has been used for teacher learning in K-12 environments for many years. In order to foster community and learning amongst distributed participants, CFGs are beginning to make their way online. This article describes the experience of a four-year old online CFG whose…

The world of online higher education is still in its infancy. This provides the opportunity for universities to create environments where online adjunct faculty acknowledges a sense of belonging and collaboration working with leaders who inspire, support, and mentor. Leaders, who truly listen, are open and honest. Support will inspire online…

Unacceptably high attrition rates present a challenge for American community college administrators. Paradoxically, community colleges have been denoted in fewer than 25 percent of the research conducted with regard to the potential benefits of cohort learning communities. This qualitative case study was conducted with 10 students from the…

Post baccalaureate teacher education programs are an effective way to increase the teaching pool with candidates who are content experts (Beijaard et al. 2004; Brantlinger, A., & Smith, B., 2013; Zeichner, K. M., & Schulte, A. K., 2001; Schultz, K., & Ravitch, S. M. 2013; Humphrey et al., 2008). Many of these programs utilize a cohort…

Over the past decade, infographics have become a ubiquitous genre-circulated in mass media, posted on walls in public spaces, shared on social media sites; and more recently, assigned as reading and writing assignments in academic classes. Their ubiquity and appeal as a visual representation of processes and data make them a promising genre for…

This qualitative multiple case study sought to understand staff members' perceptions of the components of an effective and sustainable professional learning community. The Professional Learning Community Assessment questionnaire and interviews were the instruments utilized to attain data. The study's results allowed the researcher to identify…

Women's leadership development and empowerment have been called the most pressing issue of the 21st century, yet in 30 years of leadership development programs for women, the results have been negligible. Current research reflects the barriers to achievement, as opposed to the possibilities for success, which can only be determined by…

The focus of this study was to explore high school teachers' perceptions of self-directed professional development learning as participants in a community of practice. The questions for this study were: How did directing their own learning influence high school teachers' perceptions of their professional development? How did participating in a…

In this dissertation study, the researcher explored how pedagogy affects the creative process of visual artists who are also higher education art teachers. In order to understand and conceptualize the relationship between pedagogy and art making through the artist-teacher lens, the method and the methodology of Portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot…

Much has been written about the importance of creating cohesive units in such settings as the military, the work environment, as well as in sports, on the assumption that an increase in the sense of cohesiveness enhances the unit's performance. The kind of "communitive thinking" that emerges when confronted with the challenging…

This final chapter synthesizes the findings and implications derived from applying the Decoding the Disciplines model across disciplines and within communities of practice. We make practical suggestions for teachers and researchers who wish to apply and extend this work.

Through reflective narrative, we present our experiences in a Community of Practice (CoP) committed to teacher preparation for social justice. First, we discuss the CoP's origination and then reflect upon how our participation informed our practice as novice teacher educators. Specifically, we propose that novice teacher educators' participation…

The purpose of this article is to highlight mentoring as an important piece of leading a learning community. The authors will share a definition of mentoring which is applicable to the learning community experience. Characteristics of mentoring will be described, including types of mentoring and mentor-mentee relationships. The authors will apply…