{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T04:29:22Z","timestamp":1772252962488,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,21]],"date-time":"2017-05-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1495324800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This work provides an update to the Erasmus Plus TEALEAF project. The outcomes of a week-long EU-funded\/Irish Government-recognized teacher course in July 2016 is described within the context of a qualitative small-scale study investigating teachers\u2019 progress in the course. The explicit aim of the teacher course was to equip a diverse group of teachers with the initial tools to work to produce simple digital apps for learning about biodiversity in their respective domains. A community of practice seeks to establish a new concept of the pre-existing generalised collective conscience through triangulated conversation between the generalised and particularised collective and individual consciences; in particular, to revise the generalised collective conscience that teachers can program apps for learning about biodiversity. A number of features of teaching and learning were selected in general and their relationship to constructivism delineated. The teachers were prompted for their responses to each day of the course through a self-evaluation tool and the responses were ranked according to the rubric. The data was analyzed using multidimensional scaling\u2014ASCAL procedure\u2014in SPSS 23TM and within the repertory grid domain according to the RepSocio tool in Rep 5TM. The plots show a gradual development throughout the week in terms of specific features becoming \u2018stronger\u2019 or exerting more influence towards the middle of the course and fragmenting after that. Analyses were able to show which participants correlated most closely with the hypothetical ideal within the community of practice. Concerning this community of practice, the interrelationships within the community are determined using a social mapping exercise moving from the individual consciences to a particularised collective conscience.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems5020039","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,23]],"date-time":"2017-05-23T01:47:33Z","timestamp":1495504053000},"page":"39","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Communities of Practice as Systems: The Case of TEALEAF"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4574-7963","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"McCloughlin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"STEM Education, Innovation &amp; Global Studies, Dublin City University, St. Patrick\u2019s Campus, Drumcondra, D09 DY00, Ireland"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"McCloughlin, T., Gash, H., and O\u2019Reilly, S. (2009). Teaching ecology using simple variable-based Flash games. Science Live for Teachers (SL4T), Dublin City University\/Royal Dublin Society."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Valanides, N. (2009). Constructing science through dialogue and computer-aided learning. SOPHIA: Teacher Professional Development, University of Cyprus."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"McCloughlin, T., Gash, H., and O\u2019Reilly, S. (2008). Creating a whole-class digital learning environment using a simple variable-based flash game. 6th PanHellenic Conference with International Participation: Information and Communication Technologies in Education, University of Cyprus."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Wenger, E.C., McDermott, R., and Snyder, W.C. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge, Harvard Business School Press."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Prensky, M. (2007). Digital Game-Based Learning, Paragon House."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gash, H., Humby, P., Austin, S., O\u2019Reilly, S., and McCloughlin, T. (2016). Biodiversity and Computer Applications: A Qualitative Case Study, IATED.","DOI":"10.21125\/inted.2016.1279"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.14742\/ajet.1328","article-title":"Acquisition of Computer Literacy on Shared Public Computers: Children and the \u2018Hole in the wall\u2019","volume":"21","author":"Mitra","year":"2005","journal-title":"Australas. J. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Phillips, D.C. (2000). Constructivism in Science and Mathematics Education, in National Society for the Study of Education, University of Chicago Press. [99th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.2307\/1175860","article-title":"Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching","volume":"15","author":"Shulman","year":"1986","journal-title":"Educ. Res. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1017","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x","article-title":"Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge","volume":"108","author":"Mishra","year":"2006","journal-title":"Teach. Coll. Rec."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compedu.2008.07.006","article-title":"Epistemological and methodological issues for the conceptualization, development, and assessment of ICT\u2013TPCK: Advances in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK)","volume":"52","author":"Angeli","year":"2009","journal-title":"Comput. Educ."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Gash, H., McCloughlin, T.J.J., and O\u2019Reilly, S. (2008, January 11). A meta-evaluation of constructivist science lessons. Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference: Sciences Serving Science, Cross-Disciplinary Issues in Mathematics and Science Education (SMEC \u201808), Dublin, Ireland."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Gaines, B.R., and Shaw, M.L.G. (2009). Rep 5 Conceptual Representation Software: Introductory Manual for Version 1.0, Centre for Person-Computer Studies."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.33225\/pec\/15.67.72","article-title":"Closeness of fit to the ideal: Classification and similarity of teachers\u2019 reflections using multidimensional scaling","volume":"67","author":"McCloughlin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Probl. Educ. 21st Century"}],"container-title":["Systems"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-8954\/5\/2\/39\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T18:36:35Z","timestamp":1760207795000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-8954\/5\/2\/39"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,21]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,6]]}},"alternative-id":["systems5020039"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/systems5020039","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.20944\/preprints201704.0083.v1","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2079-8954"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-8954","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,21]]}}}