This is Your Brain on the Internet

Techlearning > > This is Your Brain on the Internet > November 1, 2003

By Barbara Bray

"Some of my colleagues E-mailed back to say that online forums provided them opportunities to meet others with the same focus and questions. Physical place did not matter. The power of virtual meetings is how easy it becomes to exchange dialogue and digital files. Not only is this true for our own discourse with other professional developers, it is an effective vehicle for the teachers with whom we work.
The research about what is the best method for learning really does not matter when online forums are used for professional education. What matters is whether participants perceive the forum as a valued process. If they do, they will be more likely to adopt it as a platform for continuing professional development (Rogers, 1995). "

Rogers, E. M. Diffusion of Innovations. (4th Edition). 1995. New York: The Free Press.