This study is for understanding points of sameness and difference on progression of 'Gyocom' and 'Indischool', which are the online teacher`s community and are well run. In addition, this is for looking into elements of success. Analysis of materials ...
This study is for understanding points of sameness and difference on progression of 'Gyocom' and 'Indischool', which are the online teacher`s community and are well run. In addition, this is for looking into elements of success. Analysis of materials published on both homepages of communities and interviews with the runners and members of communities are accomplished to attain goals of this study.
The points of sameness and difference found on progression of Gyocom and Indischool are as follow.
The founders of Gyocom and Indischool communities are teachers on service and main members were too. Gyocom was an open community to all teachers of primary and middle school. And Indischool was a close community to only teachers of primary school. Gyocom is a community of church type that has a runner, who plays a role of a priest or a pastor, and a leader, who take the initiative and set and example. While Indischool is a community of cafe type that mutuality are considerably active between members focused on common interests.
Gyocom and Indischool are run by voluntary donation. Using the communities, there were no differences between members if they are donating or not. However, around 0.2% members among of all were contributing to voluntary donation in Gyocom and Indischool.
Members were familiarly using the bulletin boards, which are asynchronous and communicational method. It seemed that what means do they use for communication isn`t important, with getting its growth.
The means for strengthening sense of belonging were off-line meetings, which were on the actual. The offline meetings of Gyocom and Indischool were taken as type of voluntary studies and trainings about making full use of various contents for improving lessons in classes. Members were better making sense of relationship by sharing experience of participating in offline meetings than online community.
There was static mutual relation between the numbers of materials and referring, which are uploaded on Gyocom and Indischool. The more the new uploaded materials were, the higher the number of referring was. On the other side, the less new uploaded materials were, the lower the number of referring was.
Members of Gyocom and Indischool didn`t want to discuss social issues. They were indifferent in even matters of relating with their rights and interests. Teachers in online community kept their areas as like in offline. They showed the inclination of keeping boundaries and they wanted others not to invade their areas.
Giving several reasons, the teachers clung to their lesson type of lecturing, which was with teachers as the center. They made use of various web materials as means of making students understanding about their explanations.
The members of Gyocom and Indischool didn`t have any economical profit through community activities. On the contrary, they were playing active parts with shouldering charges in time and economy if they were so passionate members. In case of online community for pursuing goals of nonprofits, there were three important factors of a positive leader, a faithful member and abundant information.
The elements of success of Gyocom and Indischool as developed online community of teachers are as follow. First, online community had exact purposes. Second, there were positive interchanges of information between runner and members, in addition to between members. Third, there were so many positive members. Forth, they made full use of events. Fifth, webs were constructed for answering the purposes of communities.
Community culture is required that teachers take and give instructions each other for improving professionalism. On this score, the successful operation of online community of teachers is full of suggestions.