Technological affordances in teachers' online professional learning communities: A systematic review.

Background Study: Previous systematic reviews concluded that online professional‐learning communities (OPLCs) have positive effects on teachers' development, but explored neither the technological affordances that make this possible nor the potential negative impacts of technology use in OPLCs. Obje...

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Published in:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 1019 - 1040
Main Authors: Jin, Fangzhou, Song, Zicong, Cheung, Wai Ming, Lin, Chin‐Hsi, Liu, Tiruo
Format: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Jun2024
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      jtl: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
      issn: 02664909
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      dt: Jun2024
      vid: 40
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jcal.12935
        177193467
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        atl: Technological affordances in teachers' online professional learning communities: A systematic review.
      aug:
        au:
          Jin, Fangzhou
          Song, Zicong
          Cheung, Wai Ming
          Lin, Chin‐Hsi
          Liu, Tiruo
        affil: Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong,, Hong Kong
      sug:
        subj:
          Online Education
          Teachers Education
          Technology Utilization
          Learning
          Professional Development
          Human
          Empowerment
          Multimethod Studies
          Thematic Analysis
          Skill Acquisition
          Reflection
          Quantitative Studies
          Qualitative Studies
          Conversation
          Descriptive Statistics
          Funding Source
      ab: Background Study: Previous systematic reviews concluded that online professional‐learning communities (OPLCs) have positive effects on teachers' development, but explored neither the technological affordances that make this possible nor the potential negative impacts of technology use in OPLCs. Objectives: The aim of this study is to systematically analyse previous research on teachers' OPLCs, and thus help answer the question of what technological affordances (dis)empower members of teachers' OPLCs, and how they do so. Methods: This study applied the systematic‐review method. A total of 28 studies were identified and analysed using rigorously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results are reported as a synthesis. Results and Conclusions: First, in theme, the selected articles primarily focused on features of OPLCs and of teachers' knowledge. Second, mixed‐methods approaches were commonly used in the sampled research, and the number of studies employing advanced statistical methods and machine learning increased over time. And third, the reviewed studies' findings suggest that technology supports 'bottom‐up' teachers' communities (as distinct from 'top‐down' professional development organized by educational authorities) in seven ways: that is, by promoting collaboration opportunities, expanding the participants' networks, facilitating knowledge sharing, delivering support more rapidly, providing emotional support, allowing ubiquitous learning, and enabling multiple modes of participation. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Previous reviews found OPLCs have positive effects on teachers' development. What their paper adds to this: What technological affordances empower teachers in OPLCs.How technological affordances empower teachers in OPLCs. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The sampled articles primarily focused on OPLC features and teacher knowledge.Mixed‐methods approaches were commonly used.Technology provides various affordances to 'bottom‐up' teachers' communities.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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