Abstract:

Professional development has change thanks to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the adoption and proliferation of the Internet. Social networks contribute to professional development through open experiences and communities or through more restricted and specific groups. In this paper we analyze multiple forms of communication in social networks and argue that professional development is based on the construction of shared knowledge. Taken into consideration different types of online communities, we focuses our study in massive online courses (open and massive networks) and in virtual communities (more restricted and closed groups), in order to answer the following questions: In what extend social networks are influencing individuals and promoting professional development? Are individuals managing the information and experiences from social networks for their professional development? By exploring the main changes that social networks provide for professional development we expect to contribute for further research and actions in this field of expertise.

Keywords:

Communities of Practice, Education, Professional Development, Professional profiles, Social Networks, Virtual Communities.