The Improvement Network Health and Development Framework (INHD Framework) sets a vision for a complex new organizational form for practical problem solving: the Networked Improvement Community (NIC). One critical test of this idealized framework is to explore its usefulness in describing variation in these deliberatively formed, temporary…

The pandemic represented a context where rapid changes to planning, organization and service delivery were undertaken to respond to an urgent and life-threatening health system problem. There was intense interest in knowledge mobilization--mechanisms that allow the timely sharing of evidence with the aim of supporting improvement--to mitigate the…

Educational systems worldwide promote the use of collaborative networks to foster teacher learning and improve practice in the pursuit of educational change to address longstanding equity and achievement issues. New Zealand is no exception, with its Communities of Learning/Kahui Ako policy mandating collaboration spanning across schools--a mandate…

In this brief, the authors argue that creating avenues to support VITAL faculty is an essential role for leaders within academic affairs, and particularly those in faculty affairs. While the authors review a host of supports needed, they argue for the importance of sustained professional development opportunities like faculty learning communities…

The emergence of digital communication channels has transformed faculty development, offering new opportunities for networking and collaboration. This paper explores successful practices for promoting connection and belonging among faculty members through platforms like Slack and Discord. Key strategies include creating dedicated channels for…

This article introduces work originating from the area of Networked Learning that seeks to problematise and critically discuss notions such as 'collaboration', 'community', and 'participation'. It argues that there is a dark and shadowy side to these ideals, which we need to attend to in a reflexive manner. To this end, it introduces ideas of…

This report provides formative data about the implementation of projects associated with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education's Attract, Prepare, and Retain (APR) efforts during the 2023-24 school year. We surveyed or interviewed students and educators participating in six such projects: Developing Future Special Educators Grants, APR…

This report provides data about the special education teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and projects associated with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education's Attract, Prepare, and Retain (APR) efforts. We first used administrative data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to provide a historical portrait of the special education…

Increasingly, policymakers, school and school system leaders are turning to Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) as a means to achieve bottom-up educational improvement at scale (Brown and Poortman, 2018). Likening the leadership challenges of establishing PLNs to conquering a labyrinth, this paper draws on extant literature to explore one key…

Academic engagement with small business and entrepreneurship was facilitated by the availability of European Union (EU) funding, which also stimulated the emergence of a small business and entrepreneurship (SBE) 'community of practice'. Gradually, the SBE community developed into a 'landscape of practice' as small business research moved towards…

With the increasing prominence of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in higher education, the number of programmes and studies integrating online peer interaction opportunities on social media, likewise, has surged. Nevertheless, little quantitative research has been performed on the ways in which learners interact with one another via these…

This article explores the multifaceted role of Facebook in second language (L2) classrooms, with an emphasis on English language teaching and learning. Through Facebook's widespread popularity and its integration into educational settings since its launch in 2004, this article aims to address the gap by examining the benefits and teaching…

Purpose: This article explores how school leaders are responding during COVID-19 and what forms of leadership practice are emerging. Design/methodology/approach: This article draws upon the contemporary leadership literature and scholarly work. Findings: This article proposes that the current crisis has shifted school leadership dramatically…

This conceptual paper revisits a set of pivotal learning community notions filtered through sociological and community psychology perspectives to unravel representations of the community construct within learning contexts. A conceptual review of sociological and community psychology perspectives on the community construct is initially presented.…

This article is the result of a professional collaboration between two educationists (working originally in the fields of mathematics and science education), who share a passion for exploring collaborative approaches to the professional development of educators. It extends ideas explored in earlier work by focusing on the concept of professional…