MTU Cork Library Catalogue

Developing a model for lifelong learning of communication professionals in agencies : the role of communities and networks of practice / Pia Sue Helferich

By: Helferich, Pia Sue [author].
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookSeries: Ph. D - Marketing and International Business.Publisher: Cork : Cork Institute of Technology, 2017Description: 2 volumes : illustrations (some color) ; 30 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: rdacarrierSubject(s): Communication -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) | Social media | Non-formal education | Communities of practiceDDC classification: THESES PRESS Dissertation note: Thesis Cork Institute of Technology, 2017.
List(s) this item appears in: PhD Theses
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Vol info Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Reference MTU Bishopstown Library Thesis THESES PRESS (Browse shelf(Opens below)) volume 1 Reference 00181156
Reference MTU Bishopstown Library Thesis THESES PRESS (Browse shelf(Opens below)) volume 2 Reference 00181158
Total holds: 0

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate "how communication professionals attain lifelong learning in their working environment in order to face the challenges arising from digitalisation?" Challenges include, for example, the extensive use of social media by stakeholders. Even though scholars have clearly outlined the importance of lifelong and informal learning in the education literature, the topic has not been investigated with regards to communications professionals. Furthermore there is a lack of empirical evidence in the literature that investigated the impact of social media on informal learning strategies. This thesis provides an in-depth multi-disciplinary literature review with an emphasis on communities of practice, informal learning and network theory. The thesis is dependent on a qualitative, explorative stance and uses a grounded theory methodology (GTM) with a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods to meet the research aims of the study. The methods included are interviews, a quantitative survey, and focus group. The result of this novel research is a model for lifelong learning of communication professionals in agencies. The model emphasises "personal networks of practice" as the centre of all informal learning activities in communication agencies. Personas are provided to show how the model works in practice for different individuals. This strengthens the usefulness for practical application. The model contributes to research as a multi-disciplinary model for lifelong learning in a digital age that contributes to existing theory within educational research. A contribution to communication research is made through methodology novelty and insights about how communication professionals learn informally with social media tools - (Abstract)

Thesis Cork Institute of Technology, 2017.

Includes bibliographical references.

Powered by Koha