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ERIC Number: ED459483
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001-Aug-22
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
A Critical Review of the Literature on Electronic Networks as Reflective Discourse Communities for Inservice Teachers. CIERA Report.
Zhao, Yong; Rop, Sheri
The question explored in this report is whether electronic networks are effective tools for creating and sustaining reflective teacher communities. Over the past two decades, computer mediated communication (CMC) technologies have been used in a variety of efforts aimed at fostering teacher learning and teacher collaboration. A study sought to closely examine the literature on the use of electronic networks for creating reflective teacher communities. Limiting the analysis to those publications that addressed at least some aspect of teacher discourse supported by telecommunications yielded approximately 50 papers, and after eliminating those papers of general discussion of electronic networks, 28 papers were left. It was found that many teacher networks pursued the goal of building learning and reflective communities for teachers, and much was expected out of these networks, both as a practical solution to the stubborn problems in teacher professional development and as a new agent to create what is difficult to realize in face-to-face situations. However, it was also found that there is a general lack of rigorous research on the subject. Little is known about the effectiveness of CMC for teacher learning. Few researchers have seriously examined the degree to which these networks indeed were "communities" that promoted reflective discourses. (Contains 54 references and 3 tables of data.) (NKA)
CIERA/University of Michigan, 610 E. University Ave., 1600 SEB, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259. Tel: 734-647-6940; Fax: 734-763-1229. Web site: http://www.ciera.org.
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, Ann Arbor, MI.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A