Developing professional competencies through international peer learning communities

Yakavenka, Hanna (2012) Developing professional competencies through international peer learning communities. In: Virtual Professional Development and Informal Learning via Social Networks. Premier Reference Source . IGI Global , Hershey, PA, USA, pp. 134-154. ISBN 9781466618152 (print), 9781466618176 (eISBN) (In Press)

Abstract

This chapter utilizes a peer learning community as an example to explore whether and how information exchange, learning, and knowledge creation occur when students undertake professional internships. Observation and analysis of the learners’ views on their interaction are conducted by studying peer-generated blogs to determine if learners working in companies worldwide, but connected via an informal virtual community, can communicate effectively and produce a useful pool of information, thus creating meaningful knowledge and expertise to assist in future career development. The objective is to utilize the lessons learned to incorporate effective elements of the peer learning experience into formal programs of study and so increase the employability focus of business education.

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