Key words: Blended Learning, collaboration, IT competences, Community of Practice

Out of the abstract of my master thesis:

"Blended Learning considered as a chance for knowledge transfer and increase of collaborative joint work of teachers. The term “eLearning” is part of nearly every company, organization or educational institution. Schools especially want to lay claim the factor eLearning and present it on their portfolios to show a forced competency and skill to their customers - the parents and children. The purpose of this thesis is to examine to what extent the use of blended learning can affect the collaboration within a team of school teachers, and if it is an alternative to a classic knowledge transfer.
First, a review of different terms and definitions about knowledge, knowledge management and schools as a learning organization is described. Furthermore current literature relating on e-learning and blended learning is addressed. The research part is a mix of methods and combines both quantitative and qualitative investigations. The first step of the empirical study is a quantitative questionnaire conducted on all the teachers of the organization being analyzed. To deepen the research, three interviews with knowledge carriers of the school are conducted to challenge and evaluate the results of the survey. Finally the combination of the two methods and the analysis of the data are used to get a tangible result.
The main outcome of this thesis is that blended learning is an important part of the researched organization and it can be a chance to increase the collaborative work of the teacher’s team. According to the results of the surveys the use of blended learning and a more positive candidness depends on the IT competences of every teacher and the not to underestimate role of the administration of the organization."

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„Zusammenkunft ist ein Anfang. Zusammenhalt ist ein Fortschritt. Zusammenarbeit ist der Erfolg.“ (Henry Ford)
Einem Artikel aus der „Zeitschrift für Pädagogen“ aus dem Jahr 2006 zufolge herrscht in den Schulen nach wie vor ein Mangel an Kooperation und Kollaboration zwischen LehrerInnen. Studien in Deutschland belegen (z.B. Esslinger 2002), dass Zusammenarbeit einen „untergeordneten Stellenwert der Kooperation von Lehrkräften in Kollegien…“ (Gräsel, Fußangel, & Pröbstel, 2006, S. 205) darstellt. Ein Trend zu einem Mehr an Zusammenarbeit und Vernetzung sei laut den Autoren nicht zu erkennen. Ergebnisse der Schuleffektivitätsforschung dagegen zeigen aber recht deutlich auf, dass erfolgreiche Schulen „gemessen an den Leistungen bzw. Leistungszuwächsen ihrer Schüler/-innen sich durch ein hohes Maß an Kooperation und Kohäsion im Kollegium auszeichnen.“ (Gräsel, Fußangel, & Pröbstel, 2006, S. 205)....