Many information technology professionals are isolated within their own companies or work with a limited number of experts in their specific domains (Jenkins et al., 2020). This phenomenon, known as professional isolation, occurs when professionals have limited access to collaborative opportunities in the workplace (Kutoane et al., 2023).…

In an era where digital platforms increasingly shape the educational experiences of learners, this dissertation examines activity in the Mathematics Discord Server (MDS), an expansive online learning community used by hundreds of thousands of mathematics learners worldwide. Daily interactions, numbering in the tens of thousands, focused on…

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of clarity around K-12 teachers' use and value of using social media as a resource for professional development. Many K-12 teachers are accessing social media for professional development. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to examine the experiences of K-12 teachers using…

The community of inquiry (COI) framework is a theoretical and practical model for creating deep, meaningful online learning experiences through three essential and interconnected elements: teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are the typical communication medium in a COI; therein, a…

The emergency school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted students and teachers across the globe. This study explored how the Global Educator Collaborative Facebook group, with over 125,000 members, supported teachers as they adapted to distance learning instruction amid emergency school closures. Through the Facebook group, teachers…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to examine, understand, strengthen, and improve how virtual platforms can be used to support the challenges novice teachers face. This document will outline the study's objective for collecting data within the initial stages of this action research study. By fostering deeper relationships between…

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of social media, specifically Twitter, as a way for women in higher education to connect with one another. Seven women who developed a specific hashtag were interviewed in a semi-structured initial process followed by a reflective follow up. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and sent to the…

Members in online communities of practice (CoPs) take advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to exchange practical or work-related knowledge in asynchronous online environments. Practical knowledge represents individuals' mental models allowing them to interact with the environment and perform tasks. With ICTs, practical…

Traditional organizational structures can be stubbornly inflexible and woefully under-optimized for cross-departmental project collaboration. Leaders seeking to innovate within the confines of these structures often have to empower themselves to create ad hoc agile teams that foster creative problem-solving, unlock social capital, and generate…

This multi-study dissertation explored technology and creativity within three different technology-rich creative musical spaces. Through the use of three contrasting empirical methods (qualitative content analysis, intrinsic case study, and phenomenology), I explored the complex ways technology and musical creativity are linked. In the first…

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted education around the world. During that time, teachers often turned to online communities to compensate for an inability to connect with in-person professional communities. This study aims to highlight a single, successful online community of AP Literature teachers who use the app Voxer to communicate. The purpose…

Kindergarten through second grade (K-2) teachers have different experiences with support when teaching beginning reading. However, there is a problem with K-2 teachers having access to virtual collaboration to support beginning reading instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences and perceptions of K-2…

The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in rural public schools has been steadily increasing in recent years. These rural schools are often underfunded and ill-prepared to manage this new demographic of students, which often leads to the students being neglected and falling behind in their studies. This Action Research Study consisted of…

Many students who enroll in online universities will never graduate. Attrition in higher education is accepted and expected; however, in exclusively online programs, it is prolific, with more than 80% of those students who begin an online program leaving before graduating. It is well known in the academic literature that isolation is related to…

The purpose of this research is to examine the shared governance of an online creation community using the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework. This investigation is a case study of an intra-district Twitter Edchat, an open group of educators who meet monthly to post professional knowledge and resources about a topic. This study…