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Jonathan Watts
IST 511
Sarah Tourtellotte
Abstract
and improving classroom practices. Only recently, though, has the proliferation of internet-
connected devices and cloud-based software applications allowed for online spaces to be an
effective environment for teacher professional development (PD). Just within the past decade
have researchers been able to study effects of online PD as devices are more readily available,
and the majority of the population now have consistent access to the Internet. Research and
studies on the topic of professional development in education, in any form, are still as relevant to
online PD as they are to traditional PD opportunities, and should be considered when designing,
developing, and implementing online learning situations. The following literature review
discusses effective elements of professional development, how they apply to an online setting,
Literature Review
effective PD in general can assist in the creation of any online PD. Additionally, with each year’s
advances in technology and availability of online tools, more research is becoming available on a
wider range of online PD topics. Good instructional design is beneficial to any learning scenario,
with any medium for delivering learning or interacting with other participants.
There are certain components that should be considered in any professional development,
regardless of what technology is being utilized. Including Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) TPACK
framework, for instance, which suggests being aware of learners’ technological, pedagogical, and
content knowledge, when designing professional development, will help ensure educators have
ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3
the required knowledge sets to process the learning at-hand. As it applies specifically to online
learning, instructional designers need to assess the technological knowledge set of their learners
to ensure they can access the content, and take advantage of any instructional strategies and
learning activities as they were designed. Without considering the overlap of these three areas,
learners may not have the required skills to take full advantage of the intended learning design.
Along with ensuring that the instructional design of professional development addresses
teachers’ knowledge sets as a prerequisite to accessing learning, addressing teacher beliefs about
learning is also an important consideration. Whether the professional development is about using
technology in the classroom, fostering collaborative discussions among students, or learning how
to apply new instructional strategies, the belief systems of educators plays an important role in
the eventual implementation of this learning. Researchers such as Chen, Looi, & Chen (2009),
Ertmer, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Sadik, Sendurur, & Sendurur (2012), and Aguirre & Speer (2000)
have all analyzed the impact prior belief systems have when it comes to the actual classroom
implementation and day-to-day decisions teachers make. It is difficult enough to address teacher
Similar to the trends of classroom learning and instruction moving toward a constructivist
Vrasidas and Michelins Zembylas (2004), for example, take this constructivist approach when
describing their framework for professional development and specifically mention applying
professional development course, and revealed the positive effect it had on enhancing educators’
practice (Chitanana, 2012). As more professional development opportunities are moved online to
address teachers’ busy schedules and to provide instruction on a wider variety of subjects to a
larger audience, careful design considerations need to be taken into account. Too often, in-
person workshops are offered in a traditional sit-and-get model, as opposed to a model with
educators actively participating in their learning. It is important not to simply copy this model
when moving PD online, but instead re-examine how technology can be used to create a
learning.
References:
ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 5
Aguirre, J.M. & Speer, N.M. (2000). Examining the relationship between beliefs and goals in
Chen, F.H., Looi, C.K., & Chen, W. (2009). Integrating technology in the classroom: a visual
iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2012_1_2.pdf
Ertmer, P.A., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A.T., Sadik, O., Sendurur, E., & Sendurur, P. (2012). Teacher
Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework
Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M. (2004). Online professional development: lessons from the field.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910410555231