scholarly journals Addressing the challenges of a new digital technologies curriculum: MOOCs as a scalable solution for teacher professional development

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Vivian ◽  
Katrina Falkner ◽  
Nickolas Falkner
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Participant Engagement ◽  
Teacher Needs ◽  
Teacher Professional

England and Australia have introduced new learning areas, teaching computer science to children from the first year of school. This is a significant milestone that also raises a number of big challenges: the preparation of teachers and the development of resources at a national scale. Curriculum change is not easy for teachers, in any context, and to ensure teachers are supported, scaled solutions are required. One educational approach that has gained traction for delivering content to large-scale audiences are massively open online courses (MOOCs); however, little is known about what constitutes effective MOOC design, particularly within professional development contexts. To prepare teachers in Australia, we decided to ride the wave of MOOCs, developing a MOOC to deliver free computing content and pedagogy to teachers with the integration of social media to support knowledge exchange and resource building. The MOOC was designed to meet teacher needs, allowing for flexibility, ad-hoc interactions, support and the open sharing of resources. In this paper, we describe the process of developing our initiative, participant engagement and experiences, so that others encountering similar changes and reforms may learn from our experience.Keywords: scaling up; MOOCs; open access; professional development; online course; computer science education(Published: 28 August 2014)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2014, 22: 24691 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.24691

scholarly journals Teacher Professional Development Using Mobile Technologies in a Large-Scale Project

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 34-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prithvi Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Mp3 Players ◽  
Teacher Professional

Mobile technologies have been influencing the field of education including language learning for almost a decade. The literature on mobile technologies for education reports a number of case studies that examine various aspects of mobile learning. However, the use of mobile technologies for teacher professional development, particularly in developing economies, is rarely reported. This paper presents a case study of the English in Action (EIA) project, a UK government funded English language development project in Bangladesh, and its use of mobile technologies which not only provides teachers with the ‘trainer in the pocket’ that helps them achieve pedagogical changes in the classroom but also serves as a tool for improving their own English language competence. The paper, in particular, reports on the design and implementation of audio and video teacher professional development materials for MP3 players and mobile phones. It also highlights implications for similar projects intending to deploy mobile technologies.

scholarly journals Online Teacher Professional Development in Canada: A Review of the Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Beach ◽  
Elena Favret ◽  
Alexandra Minuk
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Study Characteristics ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Online Teacher Professional Development

This paper presents findings from a systematic review of 11 studies examining online teacher professional development (oTPD) in Canada between 2000-2020. A thematic content analysis of the articles led to four main themes associated with research on oTPD: 1. knowledge exchange; 2. reflective practice; 3. multifaceted learning opportunities; and 4. just-in-time support. The study contexts, research methods, and other relevant study characteristics are also reviewed and discussed. The results shed light on the current research trends on oTPD in Canada and highlight the need for continued research in this area. Data from diverse research methods across Canada’s geographical regions can contribute to greater insight into the types of oTPD occurring in Canada and how various platforms and professional development opportunities can best support teachers’ professional learning.

scholarly journals Who Participates in Content-Focused Teacher Professional Development? Evidence From a Large Scale Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Richter ◽  
Mareike Kunter ◽  
Alexandra Marx ◽  
Dirk Richter
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Participation ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigates the relationship between teacher quality and teachers’ engagement in professional development (PD) activities using data on 229 German secondary school mathematics teachers. We assessed different aspects of teacher quality (e.g. professional knowledge, instructional quality) using a variety of measures, including standardised tests of teachers’ content knowledge, to determine what characteristics are associated with high participation in PD. The results show that teachers with higher scores for teacher quality variables take part in more content-focused PD than teachers with lower scores for these variables. This suggests that teacher learning may be subject to a Matthew effect, whereby more proficient teachers benefit more from PD than less proficient teachers.

Teacher Professional Development Using Mobile Technologies in a Large-Scale Project

2014 ◽  
pp. 505-520
Author(s):  
Prithvi Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Mp3 Players ◽  
Teacher Professional

Mobile technologies have been influencing the field of education including language learning for almost a decade. The literature on mobile technologies for education reports a number of case studies that examine various aspects of mobile learning. However, the use of mobile technologies for teacher professional development, particularly in developing economies, is rarely reported. This paper presents a case study of the English in Action (EIA) project, a UK government funded English language development project in Bangladesh, and its use of mobile technologies which not only provides teachers with the ‘trainer in the pocket' that helps them achieve pedagogical changes in the classroom but also serves as a tool for improving their own English language competence. The article, in particular, reports on the design and implementation of audio and video teacher professional development materials for MP3 players and mobile phones. It also highlights implications for similar projects intending to deploy mobile technologies.

Peer Review In Computer Sciences

2011 ◽  
pp. 45-65
Author(s):  
Vinícius Medina Kern ◽  
Roberto Carlos dos Santos Pacheco ◽  
Luciana Martins Saraiva ◽  
Joyce Munarski Pernigotti
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Computer Science Education ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Positive Results

Several experiences with peer review in computer science education have been reported in the literature. What is needed to turn it into a continued, regular educational approach? We try to answer that question beginning by presenting the skills required by computer science international curricula, as well as the skills exercised in peer review, an approach that can match those requirements. The practice of peer review in computer science education is reported, revealing very positive results, but with little sign of institutionalization and long-term application. The learning outcomes, the software available, the types of student work reviewed, and the different approaches are detailed. The issues of a methodological approach for continued, regular, large scale application are discussed.

scholarly journals Ants Go Marching—Integrating Computer Science into Teacher Professional Development with NetLogo

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Borowczak ◽  
Andrea Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Wide Band ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Teacher Professional

There is a clear call for pre-collegiate students in the United States to become literate in computer science (CS) concepts and practices through integrated, authentic experiences and instruction. Yet, a majority of in-service and pre-service pre-collegiate teachers (instructing children aged five to 18) lack the fundamental skills and self-efficacy to adequately and effectively integrate CS into existing curricula. In this study, 30 pre-collegiate teachers who represent a wide band of experience, grade-levels, and prior CS familiarity participated in a 16-day professional development (PD) course to enhance their content knowledge and self-efficacy in integrating CS into existing lessons and curricula. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodology, a social constructivist approach guided the researchers in the development of the PD, as well as the data collection and analysis on teacher content knowledge and perceptions through a mixed-methods study. Ultimately, participants were introduced to CS concepts and practices through NetLogo, which is a popular multi-agent simulator. The results show that although the pre-collegiate teachers adopted CS instruction, the CS implementation within their curricula was limited to the activities and scope of the PD with few adaptations and minimal systemic change in implementation behaviors.

scholarly journals Does Teacher Learning Last? Understanding How Much Teachers Retain Their Knowledge After Professional Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 537-550
Author(s):  
Shuangshuang Liu ◽  
Geoffrey Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Knowledge ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Knowledge For Teaching ◽  
Score Gain ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Content Knowledge For Teaching

Teacher professional development (PD) is seen as a promising intervention to improve teacher knowledge, instructional practice, and ultimately student learning. While research finds instances of significant program effects on teacher knowledge, little is known about how long these effects last. If teachers forget what is learned, the contribution of the intervention will be diminished. Using a large-scale data set, this study examines the sustainability of gains in teachers’ content knowledge for teaching mathematics (CKT-M). Results show that there is a negative rate of change in CKT after teachers complete the training, suggesting that the average score gain from the program is lost in just 37 days. There is, however, variation in how quickly knowledge is lost, with teachers participating in summer programs losing more rapidly than those who attend programs that occur during school years. The implications of these findings on designing and evaluating PD programs are discussed.

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