Abstract
This doctoral thesis explored how faculty members in higher education use an online community of practice for professional development in teaching and, if so, in what ways and for what purposes? Answering this inquiry involved the knowledge of social constructivism, higher education, teaching, professional development, and online communities. Vygotsky's theory on social constructivism and the zone of proximal development were used to understand the social interactions and peer-to-peer learning in the "Higher Education and Learning" group on LinkedIn. A digital ethnography was used to answer this question within the context of the "Higher Education Teaching and Learning" online community. The research study found that faculty members in a LinkedIn group appeared to be learning from online social interactions through cognitive structuring, feedback, scaffolding, questioning and contingency management. The major topics discussed included 'Best Teaching and Learning Practices', 'Challenges in Teaching and Learning', 'Faculty Resources and Professional Develoment' and 'Technology'.
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