Constructing a pre-service teacher online learning community

Abstract

In an attempt to provide discipline specific pedagogical discussions an online learning community including pre-service teachers and teachers was developed. The online discussion enabled secondary pre-service teachers to explore specific discipline issues of practice, pedagogical content knowledge and technology enhanced learning with practicing teachers. In addition to providing pre-service teachers with a lived experience of and model of online collaboration which can be used in their future classrooms, students developed networks with other educators who were also passionate about their discipline. The learning community was developed for pre-service teachers and the topics under discussion were driven by the pre-service teachers.