Researching Communities of Practice When Transitioning In-Service Educator Training to Blended Learning [Peer-reviewed journal]

In the article «Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning,» Yáñez León et al. (2023b) present a comprehensive post-project analysis of a significant initiative by the New Jersey Department of Education. This project aimed to transform the professional development landscape for 150,000 educators across nearly 600 school districts through the creation of an «Online Professional Learning Exchange» (OPLE). Funded with over two million dollars, the OPLE was designed to support a range of learning environments: face-to-face, blended, and fully online.
The strength of the OPLE lies in its capacity to shift the traditional expert-led, face-to-face training model towards a more collaborative and community-based approach. This shift aligns with the broader objectives of fostering communities of practice among educators. The article meticulously details the Systematic Review of the Literature undertaken by the authors, providing a thorough analysis of professional learning and training methods. It further describes the innovative methods used to create blended learning modules, which include a variety of formats such as video, written materials, polls, and discussions.
The integrated approach of the OPLE not only facilitates mastery of key educational concepts among educators but also significantly enhances their ability to deliver more efficient and effective instruction to students. The article concludes with a discussion on the results and implications of this project, particularly in the context of current global developments and their influence on the educational sector. This study not only contributes to the academic discourse on blended learning and professional development but also serves as a practical guide for policymakers and educators seeking to implement similar initiatives in their own regions.

A digital collage showcasing a blend of traditional and modern educational elements. The image features laptops, tablets, and digital screens with educational content, juxtaposed with a chalkboard and textbooks. Symbols of collaboration, like interconnected human figures and network diagrams, illustrate the unity of educators in a community of practice. The background is colorful and dynamic, embodying the transformative essence of the OPLE project

0100 Exciting Announcement: Publication in the Journal of Modern Education Review

I am thrilled to share our latest publication in the esteemed Journal of Modern Education Review. The paper, titled «Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning,» is a collaborative effort with distinguished colleagues Dr. James Lipuma and Dr. Saikat Pal. It’s an honor to be a part of this paper (Yáñez León et al., 2023b).

0200 Paper Abstract:

The New Jersey Department of Education sought to develop an online professional learning community for 150,000 educators in nearly 600 school districts. The authors present a post-project analysis of the project developed in support of Face-to-Face, Blended, and fully online learning situations. This project created an “Online Professional Learning Exchange” with blended online learning modules and was funded with over two million dollars. The greatest strength of the OPLE tool is to aid the state of NJ to shift their training from expert delivery of knowledge in a face-to-face format towards the Community of Practice. The paper presents a Systematic Review of the Literature, an analysis of Professional Learning and Training Methods, and a description of the Methods to create Blended Learning Modules focused on video, written materials, polls, and discussions. Through this integrated approach, the OPLE allows for user mastery of concepts that enhance their ability to provide more efficient and effective instruction to their students. Finally, the paper concludes with the results and implications in light of the current world developments and their impact on education.

0300 Keywords

  • pedagogía
  • diferenciación
  • motivación
  • lenguas extranjeras

0400 Conference Presentation

This work was also a focal point of our presentations at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Institute for the Future of Education:

0500 Accessing the Publication

You can access our paper in the Journal of Modern Education Review, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 153-159, 2023. 

135-Researching-Communities-of-Practice-when-Transitioning-In-service-Educator-Training-to-Blended-Learning-Yanez-Leon-et-al.-2023Descarga

0600 Acknowledgments

Cristo Leon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0930-0179
James Lipuma https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9778-3843
Saikat Pal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6908-5896

0700 Copyright

© Academic Star Publishing Company, 2023

0800 Español

Título: Investigando comunidades de práctica al hacer la transición de la capacitación de educadores en servicio al aprendizaje combinado

Resumen: El Departamento de Educación de Nueva Jersey buscó desarrollar una comunidad de aprendizaje profesional en línea para 150,000 educadores en casi 600 distritos escolares. Los autores presentan un análisis posterior al proyecto del proyecto desarrollado en apoyo de situaciones de aprendizaje presencial, semipresencial y completamente en línea. Este proyecto creó un “Intercambio de aprendizaje profesional en línea” con módulos de aprendizaje en línea combinados y fue financiado con más de dos millones de dólares. La mayor fortaleza de la herramienta OPLE es ayudar al estado de New Jersey a cambiar su capacitación de la entrega experta de conocimiento en un formato cara a cara hacia la Comunidad de Práctica. El artículo presenta una Revisión Sistemática de la Literatura, el análisis de los Métodos de Aprendizaje y Capacitación Profesional, una descripción de los Métodos para crear Módulos de Aprendizaje Combinado enfocados en videos, materiales escritos, encuestas y discusiones. A través de este enfoque integrado, OPLE permite que el usuario domine conceptos que mejoran su capacidad para brindar una instrucción más eficiente y efectiva a sus estudiantes. Finalmente, el artículo concluye con los resultados e implicaciones a la luz de los desarrollos mundiales actuales y su impacto en la educación.

0900 Sources

Yáñez León, C. E., Lipuma, J. M., & Pal, S. (2023a). Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning (CIIE) [Artículo en conferencia]. Memorias 2023, Noveno Congreso Internacional de Innovación Educativa, 479–484. /Research/Education. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nySYudc45AfKi8KsjXifVTxU64AfuXEo/view

Yáñez León, C. E., Lipuma, J. M., & Pal, S. (2023b). Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning [JMER]. Journal of Modern Education Review (JMER), 13(4), 153–159. /Research/Education. https://doi.org/10.15341/jmer(2155-7993)/04.13.2023/001

Yáñez León, C. E., Lipuma, J. M., & Pal, S. (2023c, June 29). Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning (IFE) [Video conferencia] [Facebook live]. IFE Conference Talks, Monterrey, NL, México. https://www.facebook.com/IFEconference/videos/1447459689334262

1000 Citation

When citing this paper use this format:
Yáñez León, C. E., Lipuma, J. M., & Pal, S. (2023). Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning [JMER]. Journal of Modern Education Review (JMER), 13(4), 153–159. /Research/Education. https://doi.org/10.15341/jmer(2155-7993)/04.13.2023/001