Title: An analysis of learning behaviour in a Virtual Learning Community: a case study of teacher professional development geared to the need of infomatisation

Authors: Lu Wang, Heling Huai

Addresses: Department of Educational Technology, Capital Normal University, #105 Xi_San_Huan_Bei_Lu, Hai_Dian district, Beijing 10037, China. ' Department of Educational Technology, Capital Normal University, #105 Xi_San_Huan_Bei_Lu, Hai_Dian district, Beijing 10037, China; Spartalaan 5, 7552 SX Hengelo, The Netherlands

Abstract: This article uses three online teaching teachers, analyse their understanding on the technical product and methods, and their students| learning behaviours when they used Capital Normal University Virtual Learning Community (CNUVLC) network instruction support platform to teach students. The results illustrate: (1) The instructional practice community formed by the novice teachers and the experienced teacher has a bigger positive effect in the teacher professional development geared to the need of information and communication technology; (2) There is not much difference on both a role of a guide and a role of a manager between the novice teachers and the experienced teacher. But, there is much difference on a role of both an organiser and a learning assistant between the novice teachers and the experienced teacher; (3) For the novice teachers, the role of the organiser is suppressed by the role of the guide and the manager, and the novice teacher is difficult to build a learning assistant role; (4) The teacher|s behaviour affects the student|s behaviour, but the effects are not the same for the novice teachers and the experienced teacher and (5) This sort of technical product like |CNUVLC| intelligent network instructional support platform can support well the teacher professional development geared to the need of infomatisation.

Keywords: behaviour analysis; instructional practice community; teacher professional development; technical products; virtual learning communities; VLC; web based communities; online communities; virtual communities; learning behaviour; ICT; novice teachers; experienced teachers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2008.019642

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2008 Vol.18 No.4, pp.411 - 431

Published online: 18 Jul 2008 *

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