Introducing a learning repository using a blended professional development approach (original) (raw)

Implementation of a learning management system using an integrated approach to professional development

2002

Australian universities are challenged to provide training programs in the use of learning management systems (LMS) that assist staff both understand the software environment and use it effectively in their teaching practice. In this paper, we describe the develop1nent of an integrated professional develop1nent progran1 designed for staff who want to use WebCT in their teaching. The program was part of a strategic initiative to provide centralised information and Communication Technology infrastructure for teaching at Monash University. The integrated training program comprised a variety of strategies including: a series of 5 3-hour workshops, developed to introduce academic staff to design techniques and principles of delivery of educational material using WebCT; the option of specialist group access to workshops more tailored to meet their needs; support of networks of staff throughout the university and the use of third party instructional online tutorials. Workshops included dis...

Exploring Professional Development Needs and Strategies for Instructors/Faculty Facilitating ePortfolios Online

Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2021

This qualitative study sampled 30 university websites across Canada to identify which Canadian universities offer ePortfolio activities to students and faculty members. The researchers from Athabasca University identified eight institutions as offering ePortfolio activities and aimed to explore how faculty or instructors of such ePortfolio activities were selected and what professional development (PD) opportunities were available to them. The study included 11 participants from the eight Canadian universities identified during our search of university websites mentioning ePortfolios. Through a descriptive and interpretive process in a series of 60–90-minute interviews with faculty, educational developers, and instructional designers at the identified universities, the four researchers explored the type of professional development offered to faculty members who are involved or will be involved in ePortfolio use and program integration. The main focus of their interviews was on 1) th...

Multi-Faceted Professional Development Models Designed to Enhance Teaching and Learning within Universities

Enhanced Learning and Teaching

In this chapter we advocate the reconceptualisation of pedagogical focused professional development to a more flexible and systematic approach and present two technology-oriented models. This chapter is of interest to a range of educational stakeholders including university professional developers, academics, leaders, students, and support staff. Two mixed method case studies of students’ and academics’ experiences of online and blended teaching and learning informed the design of the models. These multi-faceted models are designed to promote effective pedagogically-focused professional development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, social and professional networking, and supportive university leadership all aimed at improving teaching and learning. We articulate how the integration of technology can facilitate all of these important activities. It is anticipated that, if implemented, these models will result in a more pedagogically- and techno- efficacious academy; more sat...

Chapter 18. Transforming Traditional Professional Development into Blended Learning Communities [eBook section]

Editora Artemis eBooks, 2023

The New Jersey Department of Education sought to develop a professional online learning community for 150,000 educators in nearly 600 school districts. The authors present a post-project analysis of the project developed in support of face-to-face, blended and fully online learning situations. This project created an "Online Professional Learning Exchange" with blended online learning modules and was funded with over two million dollars. The greatest strength of the OPLE tool is helping the state of New Jersey shift its training away from specialized knowledge delivery in a face-to-face format to the Community of Practice. The article presents a systematic review of the literature, an analysis of learning methods and professional training, and a description of methods for creating blended learning modules focused on video, written materials, polls, and discussions. Through this integrated approach, OPLE enables users to master concepts, which improves your ability to provide more efficient and effective instruction to your students. Finally, the article concludes with results and implications in light of current world developments and their impact on education.

Professional Development in Higher Education: A Theoretical Framework for Action Research

British Journal of Educational Studies, 1993

While many institutions provide centralized technology support for faculty, there is a lack of centralized professional development opportunities that focus on simultaneously developing instructors' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) in higher education. Additionally, there are few professional development opportunities for faculty that continue throughout the practice of teaching with technology. We propose a model of continuing professional development that provides instructors with the ability to meaningfully integrate technology into their teaching practices through centralized support for developing TPACK. In doing so, we draw upon several theoretical frameworks and evidence based practices.

Integrating the Scholarship of Teaching, Learning and Assessment into One Institution’s Homegrown Professional Learning Resources

2017

Many professional learning (PL) programs in universities aspire to support tertiary educators to perform duties associated with teaching, student learning, and assessment. Additionally, because much of a university academic’s work is associated with conducting scholarly research and supervising students’ research, PL programs also need to provide support associated with supervision and research activities. Faced with these multiple PL demands, one small Australian higher education institution developed a suite of resources to support faculty teaching staff and researchers in their professional capacities using a heuristic (self-determined) approach to resource development. The content of the resources drew on the principles of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and a participatory research methodology was adopted to develop the resources. This chapter outlines 80 Adventist Online Education: Realizing the Potential almost a decade of scholarly work that has resulted in t...

Maor, D. and McLoughlin, C. (2005) Professional development communities as a model for staff development online. In: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (ELEARN) 2005, 24-28 October 2005, Vancouver, Canada.

In traditional approaches to professional development, much effort has been devoted to enhancement of the use of technology. However, the challenge now is to encourage the use of pedagogically-sound technologies. In this paper we discuss models of online professional development that include a 'whole of institutional approach' to staff development of online teaching skills and professional development that engages staff in reflective practice and immerses them in experiential learning online. We conclude that transformative and reflective models of online professional development are more likely to be sustainable and effective in supporting professional learning communities when introducing technological innovations in teaching.

Collaborative Professional Development in Higher Education: Developing Knowledge of Technology Enhanced Teaching

The Journal of Effective Teaching, 2015

This paper describes a professional development initiative for teacher educators, called the Digital Pedagogies Collaboration, in which the goal was to build faculty knowledge about technology enhanced teaching (TPACK knowledge), develop a collaborative learning and research community of faculty members around technology enhanced teaching, and provide opportunities for faculty to serve as future workshop facilitators and mentors for other faculty and students. Using a designbased research approach, data sources included workshop evaluation surveys, photographs of workshops in progress, researcher field notes, and narrative case reports constructed by faculty members actively involved in the collaborative research. Findings indicated that the Digital Pedagogies Collaboration was effective because it was: 1) based on faculty members’ expressed instructional needs, 2) used a TPACK-based professional learning workshop model that translated TPACK principles into practical classroom appli...

Online Pedagogy and the Challenges for Academic Staff Development

This paper presents an analysis of the implementation and evaluation of an academic professional development program to support the institutional integration of a learning management system (WebCT) at Monash University. The program aimed to take an integrated approach; using a combination of a general workshop series; specialized tailored sessions provided on request for small, Faculty-based groups; and online third party instructional material and tutorials. This paper briefly describes the design and implementation issues, presents the key evaluation findings and raises critical issues in relation to academic staff development in the context of in a large multi-campus, researchfocused University.