The problem was that there is a shortage of nurses who possess the leadership practices required to fill current and impending nursing leadership vacancies. Hospital-based nurse educators are in a prime position to foster a leadership mindset within nurses, and seek out potential nurse leaders; however, nurse educators first need to develop their own leadership practices and feel empowered to take on the role of mentoring future nurse leaders. The goal was to develop an online learning community where hospital-based nurse educators could develop their own nursing leadership practices through storytelling within an environment that included the elements of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence. The online learning community would be considered an empowering environment, and nurse educators would improve their own feelings of empowerment. A wiki was used as the computer-user interface for the online learning community, and was designed based on the principles of human-computer interaction, learning theory, and instructional design. The wiki was separated into two learning communities, namely, the facilitated community and the self-organizing community. Some of the wiki pages were viewable by both communities, some were community specific, and other pages were private and viewable only to the nurse educator and the facilitator. The researcher/facilitator was the leader of the facilitated community, while self-organizing community members were responsible for leading their own community. The facilitator intervened in the self-organizing community when necessary, mostly to address technical issues. Through direct instruction via narrated presentations available to both communities, and leadership stories written and posted by the community members themselves, nurse educators learned about exemplary practices of leadership. Nurse educators in both communities significantly increased their own perceived leadership practices and perceived levels of empowerment. Educators in both learning communities identified that their communities included the elements of teaching, cognitive, and social presence. There were no differences between the communities, except on the teaching presence subscale of direct instruction, where the facilitated community was rated significantly higher. Given increases in empowerment levels, it was determined that both online learning communities could be considered empowering environments.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to better understand the ways that adult learners studying Catholic theology become present to one another, strengthen bonds of community, and contemplate the face of Christ in computer-mediated, text-based distance education. Ten geographically dispersed learners seeking undergraduate or graduate degrees in Catholic theology participated in the study. There was no face-to-face interaction. Through a password protected site specifically designed for the research, participants engaged in eight weeks of text-based, online conversation. They reflected on emergent themes about technology and the ways that it alters time, place, presentation of self, and relationships. Text as sacred, relational, presentational, communal, and transformational was explored, as was the nature and meaning of community, especially the spiritual quest to contemplate the face of Christ in an online community. The study offers a deep understanding of the meaning of presence and the development of community in the context of faith. Serving as the philosophical methodological foundation were the writings of Martin Heidegger (1927/1993), Hans-Georg Gadamer (1960/1999), Gabriel Marcel (1937/1967), John Paul II as Cardinal Carol Wojtyla (1976), and Robert Sokolowski (1993). The phenomenological method of Max van Manen (2003) guided data collection and analysis through the dynamic interplay of six research activities: (a) turning to the phenomenon which seriously interests us and commits us to the world; (b) investigating experience as we live it rather than as we conceptualize it; (c) reflecting on the essential themes which characterize the phenomenon; (d) describing the phenomenon through the art of writing and rewriting; (e) maintaining a strong and oriented pedagogical relation to the phenomenon; (f) balancing the research context by considering parts and whole. Recommendations for practitioners of computer-mediated education are explored; suggestions for future research include longitudinal studies of theology students in fully online programs, ways of introducing transcendent presence in online learning communities, how language bears on learning and presence, and the role of non-text based media and virtual environments on presence and the spiritual quest. / Ph. D.

This study empirically investigated the impact of an online learning community project on university students' motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). A newly-proposed L2 motivation theory - the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei 2005; 2009) - was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The three aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), as described in this theory, were measured before and after the online project. Specific motivating and demotivating features of the online project were generated from participants' responses. Four individuals with different heritage and technology backgrounds were selected as cases to provide information about their perception of this online project and the possible impact of this project on their motivation. A concurrent transformative mixed method design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A pre- and post-test survey and semi-structured interviews served as the main instruments for data collection. Paired t-tests were conducted to identify differences in the participants' pre- and post- scores for the three aspects of motivation. Constant comparative method and double coding method were used to generate the major themes about the motivating and demotivating features of the online project. A narrative analysis approach was taken to explore how individuals with different backgrounds perceived their experience in this online project and the possible impact of the project on their motivation. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in L2 learning experience before and after the online project, while there was no significant difference in the other two aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self). This finding provided empirical evidence about the different natures of the three motivational aspects. That is, ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self were built up over a long period of time and thus relatively stable, while L2 learning experience was more dynamic and fluid and had a tendency to change even within a relatively short period of time. Regarding the motivating and demotivating features, the results suggested that the most motivating features of this online project were the access to alternative learning resources and tools and opportunities to connect to a larger community of Chinese learners, while the demotivating features were mostly related to the technology barrier and the time and effort it took to complete this project. Furthermore, findings from the interviews with the selected individuals implied that regardless of their different heritage and technology backgrounds, most of them had a positive experience of this online project. However, the impact of this project on their motivation was limited.

On-line writing workshops provide educational spaces within which aspiring writers can learn their craft. In order to understand the dialogic mechanisms behind that learning, this thesis examines ways in which one workshop, the Internet Writing Workshop (IWW), functions as a Freireian culture circle. The exegesis identifies several key characteristics that defined Paulo Freire's concept of the culture circle. It compares these characteristics with the structure and practice of interaction within the IWW. It unpacks some of Freire's ideas about dialogue as a means of achieving critical consciousness, and compares them to current learning theory and the ways in which dialogue takes place within the IWW community. The exegesis also examines some of the political axioms behind Freire's pedagogy, and examines ways in which the IWW community might be viewed as emancipatory or liberatory. I examine these areas in light of the development of a novel, Suicide Girls. The second draft of this novel was influenced and informed by my participant-observation of the IWW. This working draft of the novel is provided as a process document to demonstrate findings made in the exegesis and is annotated to reflect relevant process and development issues.

This thesis comprises a critical review and suggestions for enhancement of the Community of Inquiry Framework (CoIF), the frequently cited model of collaborative community-based online learning. It combines a systematic engagement of relevant literature and research, with the application of the CoIF thinking to six of my peer-reviewed publications. Although not initially conceived as forming part of a doctorate submission, these publications are drawn upon throughout this narrative, to assist my interrogation of the CoIF. They are also used to provide evidence of my continuing journey as an education researcher. This thesis is therefore not an exegesis – a traditional meta-narrative encompassing this candidate’s publications. It moves beyond my findings in the publications to create and present supplementary concepts, and develop pointed guidance about using the Framework in supporting online learning in tertiary education. My review first critically interrogates the three constituent elements or Presences of the CoIF. Social presence emerges as a highly complex and multi-faceted construct, in which the de-emphasising of the affective in the CoIF seems at variance with current research reporting the strong student emotional response to working online, and particularly in collaborative, community-based groupings. Then, in Cognitive presence, there has been little consideration of, and specificity about, reflection in the CoIF. My critique proposes that reflection and critical thinking are distinct but inter-related concepts; both of which need to be addressed. Teaching presence is renamed ‘Tutoring presence’ informed by my review based upon my emergent understandings of student-centred learning. Two enhancements to the CoIF are then proposed, together with the rationale for establishment of a Tutors’ Network. The first enhancement, referred to as 'the Influences,’ unites and enriches the individual Presences. The second argues for the existence and use of a personal learning retreat at the heart of a community of inquiry, addressing a perceived omission in the CoIF. This learner ‘space’ provides a ‘quiet, safe place’ for the private (internal) world of the learner, as a foil to the shared collaborative space in the CoIF (the external world). Finally, a Tutors’ Network is outlined as a vehicle for advancing their understandings and knowledge of online, collaborative, community-based learning in general, and in particular of communities of inquiry. This should develop the abilities of online tutors, improve their learners’ educational experiences and encourage research and scholarship into the CoIF.

Submitted by Izabel Franco (izabel-franco@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-06T19:56:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRMM.pdf: 5818037 bytes, checksum: de533ac07940300c6b6c7953ab7a2f37 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-12T14:18:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRMM.pdf: 5818037 bytes, checksum: de533ac07940300c6b6c7953ab7a2f37 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-12T14:18:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRMM.pdf: 5818037 bytes, checksum: de533ac07940300c6b6c7953ab7a2f37 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-12T14:20:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRMM.pdf: 5818037 bytes, checksum: de533ac07940300c6b6c7953ab7a2f37 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-03 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / The current research lies in the discussions about teacher training in collaborative context which involves online learning communities, specifically in the constitution of the teaching identity of future teachers in the early years and the teaching insertion in the first year of professional career. For its development, it started with production readings which advocate that training must contemplate, through the lived and narrated experiences, situations of reflection and questioning the historical, social and political contexts in which they were and are forming teachers, providing discussions of certain practices and projecting to others, in an interwoven process of the histories, knowledge, processes and rituals. Among several education training courses that propose to support the professional development of primary school teachers, at different phases of their lecturer career, with the auxiliary of experienced professionals from public schools and university, lies in the Teacher Gateway of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), the online extension course - 2013 which is linked to this doctoral thesis. The course-titled "Narratives of Education in Mathematics and Portuguese Language - 2013" and it was developed in an online learning community, via the internet. The purpose of the course privileged collaboration among peers, questioning, reflection, research, educational planning and collaboration through narratives about the own process of the undergraduates training in Pedagogy, focused on meaningful experiences of schooling, training, especially with the Portuguese Language and Mathematics disciplines. Participants selected for the course are undergraduating women in the last year of Pedagogy and teachers up to three years teaching experience. It consists itself in a study centered on the investigations about the self-written - with the narratives of education and professional narratives - , as a practice teacher training. This is the research scene which seeks to understand how the undergraduate women, still in beginning education, signaling in their autobiographical narratives, the evidence of the constitution of the teaching identity and its unfoldments in professional practice that begins, especially the learning built in an online learning community. The interpretative-comprehensive analysis of education narratives, aim at that learning in an online learning community were significant, give place to new experiences that emerge in the own live, doing and experiment. The results indicate that the online extension course - 2013 led collaborative moments set out in online forums; construction of knowledge about teaching and being a teacher as fundamental attitudes of the educational process; deepening of the reflection process on their own stories; practice records on experiences; sharing with peers pedagogical practices developed at school. These and other learnings enabled the constuction of the artifact of scholarship. The study of autobiographical narratives produced and discussed in an online learning community, showed how this process contribuites to the constituition of the teaching professional identity and professional development that reveal themselves in constant tension on a continuum. / A presente pesquisa situa-se nas discussões sobre formação de professores em contextos colaborativos que envolvem comunidades de aprendizagem online, especificamente, na constituição da identidade docente de futuros professores dos anos iniciais e na inserção do docente no primeiro ano da carreira profissional. Para o seu desenvolvimento, partiu-se de leituras de produções as quais preconizam que a formação deve contemplar, por meio das experiências vividas e narradas, situações de reflexão e problematização dos contextos históricos, sociais e políticos nos quais eles foram e estão se constituindo docentes, proporcionando debates de determinadas práticas e projetando-se para outras, num transcurso imbricado de histórias, conhecimentos, processos e rituais. Dentre diversos cursos de formação que se propõem a apoiar o desenvolvimento profissional de professores do Ensino Básico, em diferentes fases da carreira docente, com o auxílio de profissionais experientes da rede pública de ensino e da universidade, encontra-se, no Portal de Professores da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) o curso de extensão online – 2013 à qual está vinculada esta tese de doutorado. O curso intitulou-se “Narrativas de Formação em Matemática e Língua Portuguesa – 2013” e foi desenvolvido numa comunidade de aprendizagem online, via internet. A proposta do curso privilegiou a colaboração entre os pares, o questionamento, a reflexão, a pesquisa, o planejamento pedagógico e a colaboração, por meio de narrativas sobre o próprio processo de formação dos licenciandos em Pedagogia, centradas em experiências significativas de escolarização, de formação, especialmente com as disciplinas Língua Portuguesa e Matemática. Os participantes selecionados para o curso são licenciandas do último ano de Pedagogia e professores com até três anos de experiência docente. Constituiu-se em um estudo centrado nas investigações (auto)biográficas – com narrativas de formação e narrativas profissionais –, como prática de formação de professor. Esse é o cenário da pesquisa que busca compreender como as licenciandas, ainda em formação inicial, sinalizam, em suas narrativas autobiográficas, os indícios de constituição de identidade docente e seus desdobramentos no exercício profissional que principia, especialmente, as aprendizagens construídas em uma comunidade de aprendizagem online. A análise interpretativo-compreensiva das narrativas autobiográficas, apontou que as aprendizagens na comunidade de aprendizagem online foram significativas, dando lugar às novas experiências que emergem no próprio viver, fazer e experienciar. Os resultados apontam que o curso de extensão online – 2013 propiciou momentos colaborativos estabelecidos nos fóruns online; construção de conhecimentos sobre o ensinar e ser professora, como atitudes fundamentais do processo formativo; aprofundamento do processo de reflexão sobre as próprias histórias; prática de registros sobre as experiências vividas; compartilhamento com os pares de práticas pedagógicas desenvolvidas na escola. Essas e outras aprendizagens possibilitaram a construção de artefatos de saberes (artifact of scholarship). O estudo sobre as narrativas autobiográficas, produzidas e discutidas em uma comunidade de aprendizagem online, mostrou como esse processo contribui para a constituição da identidade profissional docente e do desenvolvimento profissional que se revelam em constante tensão, em um continuum.

Submitted by Caroline Periotto (carol@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-26T19:00:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseEGM.pdf: 1633747 bytes, checksum: 83306d17b80b84c26b81dc62f0eaa748 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-27T20:13:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseEGM.pdf: 1633747 bytes, checksum: 83306d17b80b84c26b81dc62f0eaa748 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-27T20:13:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseEGM.pdf: 1633747 bytes, checksum: 83306d17b80b84c26b81dc62f0eaa748 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-27T20:13:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseEGM.pdf: 1633747 bytes, checksum: 83306d17b80b84c26b81dc62f0eaa748 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-24 / Não recebi financiamento / The training of teacher educators is a underexplored research topic, therefore, this research aims to understand some functions of the learning process and the constitution of aspects of professionality of teacher educators in exercise in the early years of elementary school. The education research was based on theoretical and methodological assumptions of the autobiographical approach and the teacher education, having been developed a virtual space in order to provide an online learning community in which the forming of teachers could take their experiences as possibility of analysis and reflection aspects that constituted their professionalism as a educator. The online extension course called "Educators of the early years of Elementary education: formative routes and autobiographical" was held at the Portal Teachers UFSCar (www.portaldosprofessores.ufscar.br) in the period April-November 2013 and certified by the Pro-Rectory of the UFSCar extension. The interactions between the participants occurred in the discussion forums with the mediation of the researcher-forming and preparation of memorials that formed the data corpus of research that included seventeen participants, forming teachers who work in the early years of elementary school, both in the school context as in municipal or state school systems. The movement of "being virtual together" in an online education proposal and collaborative education was analyzed based on the narratives produced. Realizing that the professional education takes place in a continuum and that the experiences of practice and education provide different apprenticeship of the function, we highlight the importance of a collaborative reflection on these routes according as the participants indicated the importance of the other educator to recognize themselves as formers, as well as its role in this function. It was possible to analyze the constitution of the aspects of their professionalism in a search to define the educator’s role, in the desire to be recognized by the specificity of its function, the indication of the weaknesses of your routine, the difficulties that appear on tasks related to the action of the educator which make it impossible to control their action. We noted some gaps in the belonging feeling of these formers in a collective where it could be possible expose their experiences of acting and justify their actions, enabling that their knowledge could be shared. This research announces the need of continuous education for the educators, and the online learning community inserted in this study showed very promising for the development of continuing education projects for teacher educators. As main results we highlight the influence of experiences lived in the profession and the working conditions in which made it possible to carry over into his work as teachers educators. A specific knowledge that stands out in the educator's role is to promote the professional development of teachers. For this, the educators need to utilize their expertise and their pedagogical knowledge content to take the classroom as an object of knowledge to the teachers themselves. A specific knowledge that stands out in the educator's role is to promote the professional development of teachers. For this, the educators need to utilize their expertise and their pedagogical knowledge of the content to take the classroom as an object of knowledge to the teachers themselves. This can be only achieved by the intervention of the educator, promoting studies that take the pedagogical practice as a focus and analyze the knowledge involved, the opportunities of progress and performance for teachers. It is necessary to ensure that the educators are, first, recognized for this role, and have time and space to participate in continuous education activities that stimulate reflection by the interaction with other professionals who play the role of teacher educators, having as a wire conductor changes in the ways of teaching as promoters of better student learning conditions. / A formação de formadores de professores é uma temática de investigação ainda pouco explorada, diante disso, esta pesquisa busca compreender alguns dos processos de aprendizagem da função e aspectos da constituição da profissionalidade de formadores de professores em exercício nos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. A investigação-formação esteve assentada em pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da abordagem (auto)biográfica e da formação de professores, tendo sido desenvolvida um espaço virtual com o intuito de constituir uma comunidade de aprendizagem online na qual as formadoras de professores puderam tomar suas experiências como possibilidade de análise e reflexão de aspectos que constituíram sua profissionalidade como formador. O curso de extensão online “Formação de Formadores dos Anos Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental: Percursos formativos e (auto) biográficos” foi realizado no Portal dos Professores da UFSCar (www.portaldosprofessores.ufscar.br), no período de abril a novembro de 2013 e certificado pela Pró-Reitoria de Extensão da UFSCar. As interações entre as participantes ocorreram nos fóruns de discussão com a mediação da pesquisadora-formadora e na elaboração de memoriais que formaram o corpus de dados da pesquisa que contou com dezessete participantes, formadoras de professores que atuam nos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, tanto no contexto da escola quanto nas redes de ensino municipais ou estaduais. O movimento de “estar junto virtual” em uma proposta de educação online e formação colaborativa foi analisado a partir das narrativas produzidas. Compreendendo que a formação profissional se dá em um continuum e que as experiências da atuação e formação proporcionam diferentes aprendizagens da função destacamos a relevância de uma reflexão colaborativa sobre esses percursos a medida que as participantes indicaram a importância do outro formador para reconhecerem a si mesmas como formadoras, assim como, seu papel nesta função. Foi possível analisar a constituição de aspectos de sua profissionalidade na busca de definição do papel do formador, no desejo de ser reconhecida pela especificidade de sua função, na indicação das fragilidades de sua rotina, nas dificuldades que aparecem diante de tarefas inerentes à ação do formador que impossibilitam o controle de sua ação. Observamos algumas lacunas no que tange ao pertencimento dessas formadoras a um coletivo em que fosse possível expor suas experiências da atuação e justificar suas ações, possibilitando assim que seus conhecimentos pudessem ser compartilhados. Esta pesquisa anuncia a necessidade de formação contínua dos formadores e a comunidade de aprendizagem online estudada se mostrou bastante promissora para o desenvolvimento de projetos de formação continuada para formadores de professores. Como os principais resultados destacamos a influência das experiências vividas na profissão e, por conseguinte, as condições de trabalho pelas quais foi possível transitar em sua atuação como formadoras de professoras. Um saber específico que se destaca na função do formador é promover o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores. Para isso, os formadores precisam se valer de seus conhecimentos específicos e de seus conhecimentos pedagógicos do conteúdo para tomar a sala de aula como objeto de conhecimento para os próprios professores. Isso só pode ser realizado mediante a intervenção do formador, promovendo estudos que tomem a prática pedagógica como foco e que analisem os conhecimentos envolvidos, os avanços e as possibilidades de atuação dos professores. É preciso que se garanta que os formadores sejam, primeiramente, reconhecidos por esse papel, e que tenham tempo e espaço para participarem de atividades formativas contínuas que favoreçam a reflexão pela interação com demais profissionais que desempenhem a função de formadores de professores, tendo como fio condutor as mudanças nos modos de ensinar como promotoras de melhores condições de aprendizagem dos estudantes.

This study reports on the use of action research methodology to generate a critical reflective collaborative setting. The aim was to infuse the institution with the results of this study in order to stimulate debate on the issues regarding change in practice and systems. The suitability of Internet communication technologies, more specifically the online learning community, is evaluated as a delivery mode that would address today’s learning needs. This required the collaborative construction of knowledge in a community setting with the teacher enabling communication and interaction, and facilitating and stimulating the sharing and testing of ideas and constructs. But such a learning scenario was found to be significantly challenging to the current print-based learning experience. It implied a challenge to teaching and support staff as well as the questioning of the efficiency and legitimacy of current instructional design staff and procedures used. The teaching responsibilities and commitment in the online community was outlined as against current print-based teaching practice. The current development and production culture, which restricts innovation and change in practice and systems significantly, came under pressure. The success of the online learning community in the Unisa context was nevertheless significant and it has the potential to serve as an opportunity to re-examine print-based production and delivery and to devise strategies and solutions to increase the quality significantly. / Faculty of Education / D. Ed.