Moving from Corporate Training to Corporate Education

Corporate education is centred on introducing learning techniques to stimulate employees to think about what their organisation does, where it is heading, potential new opportunities for the organisation, and new and better ways of doing things. While the role of corporate training is to develop the operational competency of individuals, the purpose of corporate education is to promote the development of capability of both an individual and their organisation. Organizations operating in knowledge economies require a workforce that has knowledge about other business functions along with their specilized area. In the last decade corporate training turned into corporate education in Turkey. As an important business function, accounting is one of the most preferential training subject in Turkey. The purpose of the chapter is to identify differences between corporate education and corporate training. Additionally, the study explains growing importance of corporate education in accounting area for Turkish business life.

Partnerships between Business and Adult Education Providers

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the benefits and challenges of partnerships between adult education providers and businesses. The chapter addresses reasons for engaging in partnerships, the typical partners involved, types of partnerships, partnership activities, and the process of building a partnership. The theory is then used to analyze a specific case, the partnership between a technical college and an industrial park. Based on that case, lessons learned and future trends in educational partnerships as they relate to economic development and America's ability to remain globally competitive are discussed.

Professional Development through Web 2.0 Collaborative Applications

This chapter presents a fresh look at collaborative applications and their use in professional development and informal learning. The chapter addresses some of the cultural challenges impacting collaborative technologies, especially given the fact that these technologies are transplanted from developed countries into regions of the world that are only beginning to understand their significance. Therefore, the chapter points to the importance of and the needs to allow cultural variation and differences in usage. The chapter acknowledges the fact that collaborative technologies possess great potential for both professional development and informal learning, but cautions that external factors, such as culture and community, be taken into account to realize potential benefits.

Differentiating Instruction for Adult Learners in an Online Environment

Teacher education courses offered online are becoming increasingly common. Unfortunately, few instructors of online teacher education courses have specific preparation for teaching adult learners or in teaching online courses, resulting in faltering attempts to transfer traditional methodology such as lectures to online platforms. This chapter considers the background of distance education and examines relevant literature on adult learners. Differentiated instruction is proffered as a means of meeting the needs of adult learners in online teacher education courses. Specific examples of differentiating content, process, and product are suggested.

An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Older Non-Traditional Students in an Online Learning Environment

This study explored the experiences of non-traditional students in an online educational technology course using a qualitative method. Three participants were interviewed about their experiences with online computer technology learning. The results suggested that non-traditional students were motivated to return to college but some experienced the feeling of anxiety due to an unknown method of learning. Initial learning of technology could be intimidating and frustrating for non-traditional students. The findings indicated the importance of technical support in enhancing their online learning experiences.

Changing the Face of ELA Classrooms

This chapter looks at the delivery of professional development on technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), designed to increase teachers' abilities to integrate technology into ELA curriculum. Using TPACK and 21st century SCALE frameworks as a foundation, both stipend-based and embedded professional development models provided teachers with skills to integrate mobile technologies into classroom pedagogies, modifying or redesigning selected units of instruction. Change in teacher behavior was evidenced by direct observation of teachers' integration of technology into classroom practice, and their use of technology to support lesson plans aligned to state and common core learning standards in the classroom. Student outcomes include performance on teacher developed action research, attendance, and increased ability to meet learning standards.

Digital Literacy in a Lifelong Learning Programme for Adults

The study presented explores aspects of adult learning on digital literacy in the context of a lifelong learning programme for social cohesion in Greece. The article outlines the framework of the digital literacy subject and underlines its associated objectives regarding adults' knowledge and competence in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The exploration draws upon the experiences and perceptions of eight adult ICT educators. The findings reveal that the educators tried to use flexible instructional practices that were adjusted to adult learners' needs and interests. Common effective instructional practices used were: ICT competence sessions, interdisciplinary and multi-literacy lessons, ICT-based projects, individual instruction sessions. Additionally, the article reveals the difficulties that adults faced in the course of developing ICT literacy skills. The paper ends with implications for the design of adult digital literacy courses in lifelong learning programmes, and for the preparation and development of the ICT educators in the years to come.

Theoretical Rationale for Designing a Blended Learning Teachers' Professional Development Program

This chapter explores the underlying theoretical principles that provided the basis for the design and implementation of a professional development program for informatics teachers in Greece. A blended learning model was adopted combining live workshop meetings, face-to-face in-lab training sessions and online videoconferencing sessions. The framework of constructivism and experiential learning was used as a theoretical rationale for the combination of face-to-face activities with online learning experiences. It is shown that a blended learning design based on the principles of constructivism and experiential learning pedagogy can provide vital tools for the creation of an active environment for informatics teachers' professional development. Also, it appears that a promising direction for further investigation, in terms of improving the learning outcome based on the same theoretical principles, is the more detailed design of the sequence of learning activities and a closer look at the development of communities of practice among teachers.

3D Virtual Classroom Simulations for Supporting School Teachers' Continuing Professional Development

3D Virtual Worlds provide realistic three-dimensional environments accessible through the web that can offer engaging, interactive, and immersive experiences. This can create new opportunities for teaching and learning. Yet, the possible use of 3D Virtual Worlds in formal education is a major challenge for school teachers, even for those who are experienced and keen on using digital technologies. In this chapter, the authors present a 3D Virtual Classroom Simulation appropriately designed and implemented using SLOODLE for supporting a module for teachers' continuing professional development based on the Synectics “making the strange familiar” instructional strategy, aiming towards acquiring appropriate competences for teaching within 3D Virtual Worlds and for developing innovative educational practices.

Defining Professional Development for Technology

Professional development for technology implementation is a critical component of achieving successful learning outcomes in educational settings. The use of technology in all teaching disciplines and administration requires the systematic training of every individual within the organization. Technology tools often provide the catalyst for skill development and attainment of expertise to ensure organizational successes. Through proven and research-based training opportunities, administrators and instructors can receive and ultimately share quality learning experiences that guarantee optimal learning achievement for school districts and specific instructional programs as technology is integrated into curricula. Planning professional development that creates seamless technology assimilation at all levels of use helps to guarantee that instructional design parallels desired learning outcomes.