Inter-Professional Learning for Teaching - Using Digital Tools

The importance of inter-professional learning and knowledge integration for teaching is increasing as the use of digital tools will challenge the pedagogical conditions within the school context. It is the responsibility of schools that the students can use modern technology as a tool for searching knowledge, for communication, as well as for creation and learning. Therefore, teachers often are challenged in integrating digital tools in their pedagogical practices. It has been obvious that the implementation of new digital tools in the classrooms has caused some uncertainty within the school professions. Thus, professionals working in schools need to collaborate, interact and communicate with other professionals in order to develop their knowledge within their work practice. Communities of practice are sharing a specific practice and can create a common understanding and sense-making. Digital tools have occurred as resources for interaction and collaboration at different locations and times, also to a great extent facilitating inter-professional work and learning. This paper is based on an action-based qualitative study of a Nordic education project, with focus on the inter-professional collaboration and the use of digital tools. In the project different professions as teachers, principals, IT-pedagogues, ITtechnicians as well as researchers have participated. The aim of this paper is to analyze conditions for how to enable interprofessional learning and knowledge integration through various digital tools. Knowledge acquired collectively is actually negotiated and accepted within a community of practice. To collaboratively produce common teaching cases, obviously challenges the creation of a system of collective knowledge. Challenges are also related to the inter-professional processes of learning as different professions are acting in different contexts. Trust between different individuals and professions seems to be an important aspect together with participation in the communities of practice for inter-professional learning and knowledge integrating using various digital tools in a virtual environment.