Title: The potential of online academic communities for teaching staff: findings from a pilot study of the SocialLearn platform

Authors: Vikki McCall; Gerry Mooney; Paul Rutherford; Alison Gilmour

Addresses: School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK8 4LN, UK ' Department of Social Policy and Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Open University in Scotland, 10 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ, Scotland, UK ' School of History and Politics, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK8 4LN, UK ' Learning Development Team, The Open University in Scotland, 10 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ, Scotland, UK

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to offer some insight from an evaluation that explored the viability, usefulness and potential of the online platform SocialLearn in providing an online community for Open University Associate Lecturers (part-time teaching staff). Findings from two focus groups and a staff survey highlighted both the potential of an online community and the barriers to successful implementation. In applying a qualitative analysis of the 'Communities of Inquiry' (CoI) framework, the pilot project highlighted the importance of social presence and cognitive presence, with minimal elements of a teaching presence within the online staff community. Key learning outcomes around privacy, usability and multi-level communications were found to be central in creating a successful online academic environment for teaching staff.

Keywords: online communities; staff development; social media; communities of inquiry; CoI; online academic communities; teaching staff; virtual communities; web based communities; Open University; university lecturers; part-time staff; higher education; social presence; cognitive presence; learning outcomes; privacy; usability; multi-level communications.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2014.065392

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2014 Vol.10 No.4, pp.404 - 425

Published online: 31 Oct 2014 *

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