MATEC Web of Conferences 4 4, 0 2 0 82 (2016 )
DOI: 10.1051/ m atecconf/ 2016 4 4 0 2 0 82
C Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2016
Online Learning Community and its Application in the
Occupational Training of College Teachers
Xiu Guo Huang
School of Interpretation & Translation, Shandong University at Weihai. Weihai, Shandong Province, PRC,264209
Email:xiuguohuang@126.com
Abstract: Object: The analysis of established online learning community, and its structural elements
and creation strategies can shed light on the effect of the application of online learning community in
the occupational training of college teachers. Methods: detailed analysis of the existing successful
online Teacher learning communities like the Wired for Learning and the online learning community
established by Beijing Normal University. Conclusion: Traditional learning community took place in
a specific physical environment, whose members and resources are limited by the physical
environment. Online learning community can help solve many of the existing problems in traditional
training and opened new possibilities for occupational training
1 Introduction
resource sharing. They can also have more
At present wireless network technology has
covered
our
whole
mobile
different time. The construction of online teacher
intelligent terminal has been widely used and
learning community contributed to the depth and
popularized.
breadth of the study and research in the
This
country,
tremendous
and
accesses to interaction in various forms and at
change
has
exerted its influence on every facets of our life.
information
Considering
of
environment, online teacher learning community
information technology and the reform in every
is bound to play a great role in promoting the
respects of our society that it has brought about,
development
we realized that the traditional occupational
development.
the
rapid
development
era.
of
Through
the
teachers'
network
professional
training for college teachers was destined to be
changed. And the internet innovation has already
had a profound influence on the traditional way
of learning and the training mode.
2 Literature Review
The “community” of the online learning
community was originally a sociological term,
The online teacher learning community
which referred to a kind of organic collective
assisted by the network technology enabled
existence and the integration of the people inside
teachers to circumvent the limitation and
it. Later it was introduced to the field of
restriction of time and space that dominated the
education and therefore the concept of “learning
traditional learning environment. In the online
community” emerged. Now, the paradigm of
teacher learning community, the teachers were
teacher's professional development has changed
offered more chances of participation and
from passive training into active learning, whose
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MATEC Web of Conferences
core include the “teacher's knowledge of
community, concept, intention, values, feelings
teaching, the cognitive process of teachers,
and beliefs in Community, a link among
teachers’ acquisition of knowledge, and how to
members can be established, which emphasizes
understand
the formation and identification of the common
and
apply
knowledge
to
the
classroom situation"[1]. Avalos pointed out that
identity of learners.
the cooperative learning community of teachers
The concept of “community” stressed that
was to assist and stimulate teachers’ acquisition
through
of
important
dependence
intermediary of teachers learning. Learning
negotiations
community refers to a community composed of
gradually
learners and learning helpers. The members in
communication ability, toolkit, and specification
learning community frequently communicate
can be established. Ultimately, the identity
and exchange information between them, share
characterized by community membership was
all sorts of study resource, and fulfill some
consolidated"[3]. For members of a specific
learning tasks. Thus the mutual influence and
learning community, the mutual communication,
interpersonal connection among its members are
sharing of learning experience and learning
formed and can contribute to the development of
materials, with the other members of the
teachers’ profession [2]. As to what kind of
community can positively influence each other
situation is most appropriate for teachers to
and make each learner get the support and
update knowledge, increase knowledge and put
nurture. At present, the concept of "learning
into class practice, “community” has become an
community" has taken root in education and
ideal place for teachers’ learning and the
teaching situation, the related research and
mainstream discourse in teachers’ occupational
practice of “learning community” has become a
training. The goal of learning community is
kind of “international movement”.
knowledge
and
became
an
participation,
on
each
cooperation
other,
throughout
a
common
support
these
goal,
and
and
processes,
memory,
through the growth of collective knowledge; an
increase in the individual knowledge can be
achieved.
Dewey in his work Democracy and
3 Analysis and Evaluation of Online
Learning Community in Occupational
Training of College Teachers
Education first introduced the term "community"
The analysis of established online learning
into the field of education, whose goal is through
community, and its structural elements and
exemplary
mutual
creation strategies can shed light on the effect of
encouragement, to create a mutual learning
the application of online learning community. At
atmosphere for learners. In this way it can
present the most successful of online learning
improve the learners' enthusiasm for study.
community of this type include the Lab.net that
Bruner in its research also pointed out in the
aimed to help middle school teachers' career
process of learning the importance of the
development, and Wired for Learning, a
creation of a "community". The concept of
collaborative Learning community built by IBM
"learning community" reflected the belief that
to help students and teachers to form a
"education is a way of life", whose purpose is to
meaningful connection in the process of
break the fixed boundaries of education, realize
communication and through collaborative tools
the lifelong development of the individual. After
to help teachers improve teaching. Besides
Giovanni studied different types of schools, he
inside China, the influential and successful
believed that schools should be reformed into
example is the virtual learning community, an
community.
intelligent network teaching support platform,
demonstration
Through
a
and
commitment
to
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ICEICE 2016
built by the Capital Normal University, to
synchronous learning, asynchronous learning
provide the support for the sharing of learning
and group learning activities. In addition, the
resources, offer a variety of teaching and
online learning community will help to optimize
learning tools, and ease the burden of teachers to
the spread of practical knowledge and thus
conduct online classes and students' cognitive
improve
load. Their improvement in teaching efficiency
Aided by the tools, the resources and activities
and quality has been proved in the empirical
on the community platform, tacit knowledge can
research.
be innovated and practical knowledge can be
teachers'
occupation
development.
Traditional learning community took place
transmitted outward. The collective sharing and
in a physical environment, whose members and
internal absorption of useful information can be
resources
achieved.
are
the
physical
online
learning
The online learning community made it
community is formed in the digital and virtual
possible to solve many of the existing problems
space, members and the resources enjoyed great
in the teachers’ occupational development. First,
flexibility. Online learning community realized
in traditional teaching occupational training, in
the sharing of resource in the true sense and
most cases, the learners are isolated from each
changed their way of learning and collaboration,
other and therefore limited to one’s own
which really enhanced the learning effect of the
development. There are certain interactive
members of the community. The development of
learning activities among each other but the
information technology makes it possible for the
number is small and the effect is quite limited.
wide employment of E-learning and M-learning.
Online learning community is able to strengthen
Now we are moving toward U-learning, where
mutual cooperation. Based on the digital
learning can happen in any forms and at any
technology, it is highly flexible in time and space
time. These new learning concepts broke the
and is suitable for the synchronous learning,
pattern of traditional learning and made learning
asynchronous learning and group learning
merge naturally into our lives. This new type of
activities. Through mutual cooperation, the
learning, a truly personalized learning, was no
common professional development can be
longer restricted by time and place. Learning
achieved. Second, the current knowledge sharing
environment.
limited
While
the
by
resources don’t just refer to traditional learning
is still in a state of disorder and cannot realize
materials, such as books, notes, but all the the
effective sharing with others. For example, by
bits of information on the Internet, such as text,
cloud technology, computer can meet the
audio, video, images, and so on.
demand of large data and information processing,
The online learning community can play a
where "the cloud" resource is accessible
major role in the college teachers’ career
anywhere any time. But it is still necessary,
development. The main advantage of online
through the appropriate construction of facilities,
learning community derives from the support of
to separate the function of the resource from its
information technology that specially focused on
entity, and to realize the integration and flexible
the activity of community members, resource
configuration of resources. Only through this can
sharing, technology tools and relations between
the advantage of the congregation, sharing and
them. This can definitely promote the technical
update of resources be achieved [4]. Through the
level of teachers' professional development.
integration of the resources on the internet
Online learning community can also strengthen
community platform, we can best share and
the collaboration of the teachers. It is highly
absorb the collective resources.
flexible in time and space and is suitable for the
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According to Gattiker et al. (2000) research,
MATEC Web of Conferences
online learning community should possess a few
members, which can turn a traditional “resource
essential elements, which include a social
distribution center” into an “interactive platform”
network based on personal relations, a simple
in a true sense.
and open communication channel inside the
community that is accessible to all interested
4 Findings and Suggestions
mutual
After the analysis and evaluation, we can
understanding, dialogue, feedback, a common
say that in the construction of online learning
experience and a common history. We can
community, special attention must be paid to the
analyze these elements in a detailed way. The
following factors.
primal factor in the online learning community is
4.1 A clear and precise definition of the theme
groups,
private
meetings
and
the community members that are the various
of the online learning community.
participants of an online learning community,
The theme must be pertinent to the
such as various kinds of ordinary members and
promotion
team leaders. As for the occupational training of
development, resources improvement and the
college English teachers, any online learning
teaching of a particular major. It also should give
community of this kind must have enough
enough consideration to the needs of teachers
interested
online
and the requirements of curriculum reform. The
learning community should also be equipped
purpose of the choice of the subject is to
with the appropriate technical tools, such as
continuously inject confidence and motivation
those that are used to support a variety of
into new members of the learning community
community learning activities such as efficient
and to enable them to communicate in an
search
tools,
atmosphere of equality, democracy, freedom.
communication tools, collaboration tools, and
Therefore, we can make an organic combination
the like. Besides, the online learning community
of teachers' professional development and course
also should have a central subject. This is
resources construction.
initiated by the community organizer or by some
4.2 The establishment of a reward mechanism in
members of the community and it should be of
the construction of teaching resources
members.
engines,
Secondly,
the
management
of
the
teachers’
professional
mutual interest, it is the focus of the target
The implementation of the reward system
community activities. In the case of college
on the one hand, can help teachers maintain the
English teachers occupational development, the
enthusiasm
topics would better include but not limited to the
updating, and on the other hand, enhance the
following topics like big classroom teaching,
teachers' sense of the identity as being a member
lesson preparation, choice of teaching resources,
of the learning community. It can also prompt
the academic development and so on. The online
teachers to have a positive competition and thus
learning community should possess enough
realize common development for all those
resources, various resources like multimedia and
involved.
interactive digital resources, and also human
4.3The support of powerful learning tools and
resources in a broader sense. For example, the
the collection of rich resources
for
resource
construction
and
online learning community for college English
A rich variety of resources are the essential
teachers, there should be a balance of the
nutrients for teachers' teaching and researching
number of inexperienced young teachers and
activities.
experienced teachers to achieve the desirable
4.4 Online
effect. In a word, online learning community is a
complement each other.
condensed experience of all the community
02082-p.4
and
offline
activities
should
The focus of our efforts is the construction
ICEICE 2016
of the online learning atmosphere based on the
education experts can become reality.”[5]
internet technique. Most of the activities are
Acknowledgements
designed to be held on the online learning
This work was financially supported by the
community platform, such as the discussion and
Research Project of Shandong University at
exchange of information and other activities.
Weihai.
Attention should also be paid to the organization
of various research groups to carry out a large
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