Professional Virtual Communities Research Articles

Contextual factors and virtual professional learning communities in Maldivian schools

PurposeVirtual professional learning communities provide digital platforms for teachers across the globe to join learning networks and engage in continuous and unrestricted learning. This study aimed to explore the impact of contextual factors on establishing virtual professional learning communities in Maldivian schools.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative study used a sample of 420 Maldivian in-service teachers chosen using two-stage cluster sampling and a stratified random sampling method.FindingsThe findings revealed that all three contextual factors – micro-, meso- and macro-contextual – positively and significantly influenced the virtual professional learning communities.Practical implicationsThese findings recommend an integrated framework with micro-, meso- and macro-contextual factors as valuable instruments for educational leaders striving to establish virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).Originality/valueThis study is among the first to examine the association of contextual factors of schools with the establishment of virtual PLCs in a country such as the Maldives, with geographically dispersed islands and limited resources.

The information-seeking behaviors of project managers in professional virtual communities

Purpose This research explores project manager (PM) behavior in their professional virtual communities (PVCs), using social identity theory as a theoretical foundation. The purpose is to examine the extent to which PMs seek information on key topics in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBoK).Design/methodology/approach A text data analytics methodology that uses quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques is followed. The research method reveals relationships in language-based data gathered from six project management forums and blogs.Findings Information related to all the PMBoK topics is sought in the project management virtual communities. People management topics account for a dominant portion of interactions. The findings enhance social identification theorizing for the PM role. From a practical standpoint, the findings shed light on focal areas for greater emphasis in PM PVCs.Originality/value Our people management finding constructively replicates existing findings via a large, global sample and strengthens calls for increased focus on people management matters in project management. As a result, we call for increased scholarly attention to people management in project management. Finally, we encourage pursuit of several research questions to enhance knowledge of PM information-seeking behavior.

Webinars for teacher professional development: perceptions of members of a virtual professional community of practice

ABSTRACT This study explores the significance of webinars as tools for supporting teachers’ professional development and growth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, as perceived by the teachers themselves. The study employs a mixed methods approach, involving 394 teachers registered on a popular virtual community of practice (vCoP) who completed a survey, with twenty of them participating in focus group interviews. Quantitative data from the survey were statistically analysed using SPSS 25.0, while qualitative data from the focus group interviews underwent theme-based analysis. The findings suggest that teachers highly regard webinars as effective tools for professional development and believe that webinars should be an integral part of future teacher development programmes within the framework of blended learning models. The key strengths and weaknesses of webinars as tools for supporting teacher professional development are thoroughly addressed.

Evaluation Method of Information Dissemination Efficiency within Professional Virtual Community: Based on Chinese College and University Students

Evaluation Method of Information Dissemination Efficiency within Professional Virtual Community: Based on Chinese College and University Students

Factors influencing professional virtual communities towards public service efficiency

Communities of practice, which are often a central component of KM, are considered to be used to facilitate information sharing, resolve internal obstacles, and enhance mutual learning. The extensive use of ICT has enabled their transformation into a virtual environment – Professional Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs) – which is creating ideal conditions for collaborative information sharing and learning. This research examined factors predicting usage of the VCoP and how Malaysian public sector organisations, through their adoption, can influence their service efficiency. Based on the synthesis of the UTAUT2 and the DeLone & McLean Model of IS Success, a quantitative approach was adopted for this research. 313 valid respondent data was collected using a questionnaire from public sector organisations that had adopted a VCoP as a knowledge sharing tool. A logical sequence of methods, encompassing descriptive and inferential analysis, followed by using Structured Equation Modelling (SEM), and the SmartPLS software was conducted to determine relevant statistical tests. The findings suggest that the Malaysian Public Sector will benefit from improving their knowledge sharing environment with a VCoP system. Establishing appropriate facilitating conditions, quality knowledge and an enjoyable and up-to-date digital tool will ensure continuous usage.

The Benefits of Community Building and Participatory Leadership in an Interdisciplinary Virtual Professional Learning Community in Higher Education during COVID-19 and Post-Pandemic Times

The Benefits of Community Building and Participatory Leadership in an Interdisciplinary Virtual Professional Learning Community in Higher Education during COVID-19 and Post-Pandemic Times

Informal Professional Communication of Rehabilitation Specialists and its Significance for their Practical Activities

Aim: To investigate the scope, forms and activeness of informal professional communication of rehabilitation specialists using information and communication channels and its significance for their practical activities. Materials and Methods: The following methods were used during the research: sociological; statistical; structural and logical analysis; generalization. Copies of the author’s original sociological survey questionnaire were used as research materials. Results: The analysis of the results of survey revealed that absolutely all interviewed rehabilitation specialists consider it useful to create virtual groups for professional communication with colleagues in the field of rehabilitation through modern information and communication channels. 44.9±3.7% of respondents recognized themselves as passive participants of such groups. But 98.9±0.8% of the survey participants consider the information received in such communication groups to be useful for professional clinical activities in the field of rehabilitation. It was determined that the issues of correct preparation of documentation when providing services under the packages of the National Health Service of Ukraine (78.7±3.1%) and the problems of organizing the provision of rehabilitation services in health care facilities (74.2±3,3) were discussed most often in the groups. Conclusions: The development of virtual professional communities of rehabilitation specialists helps them to exchange information and improve their knowledge in matters of organizing the provision of rehabilitation services in health care institutions and processing documentation. Provided that the facilitation of communication topics of professional groups is established, it is possible to improve their functioning and attract more specialists to active participation.

Language aggression in virtual professional communities

The study focuses on language aggression as it is enacted in virtual professional communities. With the aim to reveal the dominant forms and mechanisms of aggression in the virtual environment, the authors explore data retrieved from Russian social media. Theoretically, the paper is informed by social identity theory and linguistic pragmatics. Adopting a methodology that draws on an inferential model of communication, the study analyses aggressive utterances and their meanings in situational contexts. The findings distinguish between two principal forms of aggression: insulting aggression and aggression of exclusion. Although both perform the function of social control, they differ in terms of triggering situations, pragmatic mechanisms as well as linguistic resources employed. Insulting aggression makes use of dehumanising, negative evaluation, blaming, social deixis, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ and references to one’s emotional involvement in the situation of conflict. Such mechanisms are enacted through the linguistic tools that convey the semantics of aggression more or less directly. These include pejoratives, depreciative epithets, colloquialisms, informal expressions, lexemes with semantics of emotional state, imperatives, means of deontic modality and a shift in using polite/impolite forms of address. On the contrary, aggression of exclusion involves meanings that require inferential efforts of the recipient. The interplay between literal meanings of speech acts and the underlying intentions results in conversational implicatures. Exclusion is manifested through drawing a boundary between ‘us’ and ‘them’, terminating a conversation, talking about somebody present in the third person. Its linguistic forms comprise lexemes with semantics of exclusion, lexis with negative connotation, interjections, and irony.

Effects of Professional Virtual Community Attributes and Flow Experience on Information Sharing Among Chinese Young Netizens: A Fuzzy-Set QCA.

As an important channel to search and share information, professional virtual community (PVC) has become one of the main channels for Chinese young netizens to search information and socialize. However, despite many researches on PVC have been conducted in various fields, there is still a lack of researches on young netizens in China, who are in the stage of online social networking booming with countless PVCs but many of them are non-effective. Moreover, there are few studies to explore explicit paths to obtain the effective information sharing or sustainable development of PVC. Therefore, based on this research gap and social cognitive theory, this study explored PVC information sharing among Chinese young netizens combining the external factors and the individual factors, and attempted to obtain the paths to the effective PVC information sharing. An online survey was conducted through snowball sampling in China, and 407 samples from 15 different PVCs were confirmed. By using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) with software fs/QCA 3.0, this study attempted to explore the casual configurations that achieve high and non-high effectiveness of PVC information sharing among Chinese young netizens. Three types of equivalent configurations that can achieve high effectiveness of PVC information sharing are obtained; Four types of equivalent configurations that can achieve non-high effectiveness of PVC information sharing are obtained. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the expertise of PVC and challenge-skill balance of members are the primary factors in PVC information sharing. The findings of this study provide that the paths to high and non-high effectiveness of PVC information sharing, which is beneficial to the management and development of PVC. Furthermore, it is helpful for netizens to find and enjoy the PVCs with high quality when they need them. The management of public opinion and how to design web pages to improve the user experience can also be carried out from this perspective.

Virtual mentoring and coaching for school leaders participating in virtual professional learning communities

PurposeThis study was conducted in the United States of America to identify what practices virtual mentor-coaches perceived to be effective in virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) within virtual professional learning communities (VPLCs). The authors also sought to determine the ways in which virtual mentor-coaches provided VMC for school leaders within VPLCs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a phenomenological approach in our research, describing the lived experiences of practicing virtual mentor-coaches as they engaged in VMC. Data analysis included video analysis and systematic coding of interview data.FindingsAn in-depth analysis of interview and video data showed that virtual mentor-coaches support school leaders in developing and transforming school leaders' leadership for building teachers' instructional capacity. The authors identified a VMC process model within VPLCs, including four steps as follows: (1) presentation, (2) collaboration, (3) reflection and (4) action plan.Practical implicationsVMC for school leaders participating in VPLCs is regarded as a transformative model which provides encouragement, reflection and support for instructional leadership actions.Originality/valueKey steps and components of an effective VMC highlighted in the current research offer practical guidance for future virtual mentor-coaches in conducting and implementing VMC within VPLCs.

Informal learning through social media: exploring the experiences of teachers in virtual professional communities in Kazakhstan

Informal learning through social media: exploring the experiences of teachers in virtual professional communities in Kazakhstan

P.O.W.E.R. and The Privileged Poor: Reflections on co-facilitating a virtual professional learning community

P.O.W.E.R. and The Privileged Poor: Reflections on co-facilitating a virtual professional learning community

Virtual Professional Learning Communities: A Case Study in Rural Music Teacher Professional Development

The purpose of this study was to explore how a Virtual Professional Learning Community (VPLC) might serve as effective professional development for large ensemble teachers in rural communities interested in improving their pedagogy. We used a case study approach to investigate four rural music teachers who actively participated in an online professional learning community focused on implementing the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance model of planning and instruction into one of their large ensemble classes. Based on our findings, we concluded that a VPLC provided rural music teachers with meaningful, content-specific professional development while also reducing feelings of professional isolation. However, we also identified challenges that impacted the effectiveness of the VPLC. The implications for music teacher educators are discussed.

The Development of Virtual Professional Learning Community Platform with Experiential Design Thinking Process to Enhance Digital Teacher Competency

In an era of digital transformation, technology has a strong influence on educational organizations. It is a huge challenge for teachers to deal with digital technology. A professional learning community platform integrated with technology is a powerful tool that can improve the digital competency of teachers to manage that challenge. The purpose of this research is to 1) develop a virtual professional learning community platform (VPLC platform) based on an experiential design thinking process, 2) to develop a training course for building digital teacher competency using an experiential design thinking process, and 3) to assess the digital competency of teachers using the VPLC platform in conjunction with the experiential design thinking process. Thirty teachers were selected by multi-stage sampling. The architectures used were the VPLC platform, the experiential design thinking process, and digital teacher competency. The research instrument was a digital competency assessment form for teachers with regard to the VPLC platform and an experiential design thinking process to enhance digital teacher competency. The findings revealed that 1) the VPLC platform model consisted of three components: 1) the VPLC platform, 2) the experiential design thinking process, and 3) digital teacher competency, brought together in four modules: 1) User management module, 2) Content management module, 3) Learner management module, and 4) Analytics management module and five processes: 1) Empathize the Concrete experience, 2) Define the Problem and Reflective observation, 3) Ideate the Abstract conceptualization, 4) Prototype, and 5) Test and Evolution and Active experimentation. The overall result of the quality of a training course in building digital teacher competency with an experiential design thinking process was at the highest quality value (Mean= 4.90, S.D.= 0.31). 3) The overall resulting digital competency of teachers was at the highest level (Mean= 4.80, S.D.= 0.40).

Enhance Volunteering Education Through Overseas Volunteer Service

This study aimed to determine how the learning stimulation and intrinsic motivation of students affect their culture sharing in volunteering via general altruism and intention. Stratified random sampling was used, and 850 invitation questionnaires were sent to participants, of whom 264 returned valid questionnaires (return rate, 31.06%), which were analyzed with the partial least squares method. It was found that students’ intrinsic motivation for overseas volunteering increases their understanding of global issues. Thus, schools or organizations should develop a mechanism for volunteering students to interact with others within a professional virtual community in order to enhance their volunteering experience and inspire their continuous learning from overseas volunteering.

Assessing the sustainability of social studies virtual professional learning communities on social media: a quantitative study of “sense of community”

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the #SSChat community's recognition of cohesion and shared learning goals within the #SSChat community. Specifically, the author sought to gauge the #SSChat community's “sense of community (SOC) ” (e.g. measuring participants' perceptions of membership, influence, fulfillment of needs and a shared emotional connection related to the community) and sustainability (e.g. information contribution and consumption, self-disclosure and intention to leave the community). Additionally, the author aimed to examine “SOC” as a construct supporting the #SSChat community's sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a quantitative survey research design that was guided by McMillan and Chavis' (1986) SOC theoretical framework. The instrument included two reliable and valid surveys. Descriptive and inferential statics were used to investigate the three research questions.FindingsFindings from this study highlight refinement and reinforcement areas framed using McMillan and Chavis' (1986) SOC theoretical framework to support the continued development and growth of the #SSChat as virtual learning community for social studies education professionals.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of research that investigates the dynamic underpinnings and foundations of informal virtual learning communities for social studies educators and whether they are sustainable. While this study is not the first to investigate the relationship between sustainability and SOC, it does extend previous research by evaluating the specific SOC tenets and their individual relationships to sustainability.

Moderating role of leadership between mass collaboration and quality of knowledge: a case of Iraq’s pharmaceutical sector

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of leadership between mass collaboration and quality of knowledge in the pharmaceutical sector of Iraq.Design/methodology/approachThe approach that has been taken for conducting the following study is through a questionnaire survey where it has been mainly distributed among the employees of the pharmaceutical sector in Iraq that has been accessed through social media platforms. The total number of individuals that have participated in the study consists of 334. As per the analysis, the Smart PLS tool has been used for analyzing the data where structural equation modeling has been applied.FindingsThe results revealed that email, virtual meetings and professional virtual community have a significant and positive influence on the quality of knowledge, whereas discussion board is found to have an insignificant effect. Moreover, in terms of the moderating effect of leadership, it was indicated from the results that leadership moderates on email and professional virtual community concerning the quality of knowledge.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of this study was limited to the pharmaceutical industries in the context of developing countries, specifically Iraq, and therefore, the results could not be generalized to other sectors in other countries because different cultures may lead to different results.Originality/valueThe following study is considered to be the first research that addresses the importance of mass collaboration for the quality of knowledge in the organization of Iraq where the pharmaceutical industry is selected. This study also determines the importance of leadership for mass collaboration where its moderating role has not been analyzed in any previous studies.

The Impact of Virtual Professional Learning Communities on the Academic Achievement of Tenth Grade Students at Asiyah Bint Muzahim School in the Subject of Science in the Light of Online Learning

The Impact of Virtual Professional Learning Communities on the Academic Achievement of Tenth Grade Students at Asiyah Bint Muzahim School in the Subject of Science in the Light of Online Learning

Determinants of entrepreneurial knowledge and information sharing in professional virtual learning communities created using mobile messaging apps

Determinants of entrepreneurial knowledge and information sharing in professional virtual learning communities created using mobile messaging apps

Discourse analysis of the American working youth communities on the social network Reddit

The article discusses the working conditions and employment of American working youth during the global pandemic (2020) within the discursive space of the online communities of the social network Reddit. The aim of the study was to conduct a discourse-analysis of professional virtual communities of American working youth. The main tasks were to analyze the specifics of the language of online communication of American working youth, to identify the main problems of employment and labor relations relevant to young Americans, to find out how much American working youth identify with the working class, and to study its class interests, class positions and feelings of solidarity. Infrequent (basic) and frequent (additional) content analyses were used to analyze empirical information (143 text and visual posts in 11 communities of the social network Reddit). The results of the study draw conclusions about the presence of a specific language of communication, similar conditions of employment and living standards, the stability of class positions and the high level of virtual solidarity of American working youth. Comparison of the data obtained with the results of our previous study of virtual communities of Russian working youth allows us to tell about the similarities and differences between American and Russian youth. The main common feature characteristic of both (American and Russian) working youth is the presence of their own group identity.