Twitter: A Professional Development and Community of Practice Tool for Teachers

This article shows how a group of language teachers use Twitter as a tool for continuous professional development through the #MFLtwitterati hashtag. Based on data collected through a survey (n=116) and interviews (n=11), it describes how this collective of teachers use the hashtag and evaluates the impact of their Twitter network on their teaching practices. The results show that most users try the suggestions and ideas that they find on this network, which have a positive impact on their teaching. Finally, the article assesses whether the hashtag users can be described as a community of practice

Twitter journal clubs and continuing professional development: An analysis of a #MedRadJClub tweet chat

Introduction Online Twitter journal clubs are a recent and popular innovation with the potential to increase research awareness and inform practice. The medical radiation sciences' MedRadJournalClub (MJRC) is a Twitter-based event that attracts a global group of participants at the monthly chats. An analysis of a recent MedRadJournalClub discussion evaluated the perceived benefits and limitations of medical radiation practitioners participating in an online journal club. Methods The February 2017 chat used for analysis was based on the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences article by Currie et al. “Twitter Journal Club in Medical Radiation Science” that examines the educational theory behind learning and evidencing professional development through MRJC and social media. The data consisted of chat tweets which were collated using the Twitter advanced search function using the #medradjclub. An initial reviewed was performed to exclude irrelevant content. A second review was then undertaken to categorize the main theme of the tweet. The data were then subjected to thematic analysis which yielded seven different categories. Results The main benefits included global access due to the online nature of MRJC that has facilitated networking and collaboration. Open access to recently published research was another key benefit. The character limitation of a tweet was the most common constraint, and the dynamic nature of the twitter conversation requires multi-tasking that may be difficult. Conclusion Our analysis indicated that participants use MedRadJournalClub as a source of continuing professional development with some evidence that this is directly informing clinical and educational practice

A digital public sphere: Just in theory or a perceived reality for users of social network sites?

Social network sites (SNS) have the potential of providing new and more egalitarian spaces for public deliberation, and researchers, media and politicians often discuss them in those terms. Still, little attention is given to how ordinary users perceive SNS as spaces for public deliberation. This study addresses this gap by investigating how SNS generally are perceived by the users as potential spaces for public deliberation and if this perception is conditioned by demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, level of education, use of Twitter, and activity in SNS. The study draws on users of SNS in a nationally representative survey from Norway (N=1699). The results show signifi cant diff erences in the perception of SNS as spaces for public deliberation according to both demographic characteristics and activity. More importantly, even if people are aware of SNS being portrayed as spaces for public deliberation, few are found to use them in such a way.publishedVersio