Virtual Mentoring as an Instructional Tool for Online Professional Development
Virtual Mentoring as an Instructional Tool for Online Professional Development

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13:

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This case study explored virtual mentoring as an instructional tool for an online professional development course for health information faculty. Embedded mentoring was a unique characteristic of the course. Mentors were assigned a participant whom they provided instructional delivery and mentoring support in absence of a course instructor. This exploratory study examined how faculty participants perceived the virtual mentoring, how they perceived their learning and how teaching presence was perceived within the course. The Community of Inquiry theory and associated framework guided this research. The theory implies that critical reflection and social discourse within a community, when guided by teaching presence results in collaborative thinking that supports higher order learning. The framework provides a constructivist model for the development and delivery of online courses. This individual case study examined one online course that used mentors to provide instruction and mentoring. The research involved observation of historical evaluative data sources from the asynchronous online professional development course. Qualitative analysis involved evaluative course documents that included free text assignments and surveys that contained Likert style response scales and open-ended responses. The data sources included two course activities, a standard course evaluation and a modified Community of Inquiry survey instrument. The findings illustrate that the virtual mentoring aspects of the professional development provided mentoring support, assisted in the acclimation to academia and contributed to learning. The course learning experience contributed to transformational learning and professional growth for participants that increased teaching. Participants identified that all indicators of cognitive, social and teaching presences were perceived in the course. The course was facilitated by voluntary mentors and was successful in delivering mentoring support, facilitation of learning, and teaching presence. This research contributes to a body of knowledge regarding virtual mentoring as an instructional tool to engage faculty participants in discipline specific learning. This study demonstrates a Community of Inquiry designed professional development course where health information faculty felt mentoring support, learned through the community, and reported cognitive, social and teaching presence within the course when mentoring support was provided in absence of an instructor. This study presents an alternative approach to professional development and mentoring in other areas of career and professional development contexts.

Virtual Mentoring for Teachers: Online Professional Development Practices
Virtual Mentoring for Teachers: Online Professional Development Practices

Author: Keengwe, Jared

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2012-08-31

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 1466619643

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A major investment in professional development is necessary to ensure the fundamental success of instructors in technology-integrated classrooms and in online courses. However, while traditional models of professional development rely on face-to-face instruction, online methods are also gaining traction-viable means for faculty development. Virtual Mentoring for Teachers: Online Professional Development Practices offers peer-reviewed essays and research reports contributed by an array of scholars and practitioners in the field of instructional technology and online education. It is organized around two primary themes: professional development models for faculty in online environments and understanding e-Learning and best practices in teaching and learning in online environments. The objective of this scholarship is to highlight research-based online professional development programs and best practices models that have been shown to enhance effective teaching and learning in a variety of environments.

Handbook of Research on Virtual Training and Mentoring of Online Instructors
Handbook of Research on Virtual Training and Mentoring of Online Instructors

Author: Keengwe, Jared

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2018-07-06

Total Pages: 535

ISBN-13: 1522563237

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To meet the dynamic academic demands of twenty-first century digital learners, many institutions of higher learning are offering more online classes than ever before that are accessible to both traditional and non-traditional learners. As such, a growing demand for online courses implies that participating institutions provide faculty with appropriate professional development programs to ensure the design and delivery of quality online courses. The Handbook of Research on Virtual Training and Mentoring of Online Instructors is a critical scholarly resource that highlights the issues, challenges, and online engagement experiences to enhance effective teaching and learning in this learning environment. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as media literacy, professional development, and virtual learning environments, this book is geared towards educational administrators, educators, and instructional designers interested in quality online instruction.

Implementing a Virtual Coaching Model for Teacher Professional Development
Implementing a Virtual Coaching Model for Teacher Professional Development

Author: Myers, Suzanne

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2022-01-14

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1799875245

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Over the last two decades, the use of instructional coaching has surged in PreK-12 education settings as one way to support the implementation of instructional best practices in a wide range of disciplines. However, not all educators have access to high-quality instructional coaching due to multiple factors, which typically include isolation (geographic and otherwise), limited financial support, and limited professional development time. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic brought long periods of quarantine and social isolation where educators were scrambling to teach in an unfamiliar medium, and virtual coaching was the only way they could receive professional development. For these reasons, many districts are exploring virtual solutions to provide professional development and coaching support. Implementing a Virtual Coaching Model for Teacher Professional Development addresses how to effectively implement virtual coaching in the field of education and discusses how technology can provide more equitable access to job-embedded and personalized professional learning (through virtual coaching) across all educational institutions. Covering a wide range of topics such as sustainable learning and cognitive coaching, it is ideal for professional development professionals, corporate trainers, education leaders, principals, teachers, researchers, practitioners, academicians, and students.

The Excellent Online Instructor
The Excellent Online Instructor

Author: Rena M. Palloff

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2011-01-11

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1118000900

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The Excellent Online Instructor is a guide for new and seasoned faculty who teach online, those responsible for training and developing online instructors, and administrators who must evaluate online faculty performance. This comprehensive resource describes the qualities of and explains how one can become an excellent online instructor. Written by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt—noted experts in online instruction—the book Includes models based in adult learning principles and best practices Offers guidelines to test instructors' readiness to teach online Contains ideas for overcoming faculty resistance Reveals how to develop an effective mentoring program Shows how to establish a long-term faculty development effort Praise for The Excellent Online Instructor "Palloff and Pratt have a profound understanding of the online educational milieu, its complexities and challenges as well as the potential it opens up to serious educators dedicated to exploiting its full value. Practical and down-to-earth strategies are at the core of what the authors offer the reader in this engaging book." —Michael J. Canuel, CEO, LEARN Quebec "This book examines best practices for effective online teaching and instructor engagement and provides a concise plan for faculty development and effective training methods. Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have provided another essential resource for the field of online teaching and learning that is a must-read for anyone working with faculty or teaching online in either higher education or K–12." —Kaye Shelton, dean, Online Education, Dallas Baptist University "Whether you are guiding departmental faculty or looking to improve your own online skills, Palloff and Pratt provide practical steps, tools to organize your processes, best practices to emulate, and valuable resources to help you achieve excellence online." —Lynn Olson, dean, Graduate and Professional Studies, St. Joseph's College Online

Virtual Mentoring for K–12 Literacy Instruction
Virtual Mentoring for K–12 Literacy Instruction

Author: Paula Saine

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-10-12

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 1475832273

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There is no research-based text that provides a model for teaching and learning in a virtual environment with literacy learners. Therefore, this book will focus on preparing challenging students to be successful independent learners for the twenty first century. This will involve one where students are constructing their own meaning not only within the traditional brick and mortar environment with the assistant of the classroom teacher, but also in an online environment scaffolded by a virtual tutor. Today, virtual environments are a common alternative space for students in K–12 to engage in meaningful online literacy learning with their tutors (Boxie, 2004; Hurst, 2007; Williams & Casale, 2015; Witte, 2007).

Online Professional Development Through Virtual Learning Communities
Online Professional Development Through Virtual Learning Communities

Author: Sonja Hollins-Alexander

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2013-05-01

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1452276684

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Powerful collaborative learning—anytime, anyplace! Online learning seems like a perfect solution for cost-conscious districts and busy teachers, but can these programs also deliver high-caliber professional learning? Using one district’s success story as a model, this timely book shows you how to combine well-designed online instruction with the energy of peer-to-peer collaboration. At the heart of this book is a model that supports powerful professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for every student. Sonja Hollins-Alexander writes from her own experience building a successful online professional development (PD) program for a large urban district. Readers will find Research-based support for online PD and the author’s original Learner-Learner model A thorough planning guide and ten action steps for program development Best practices for managing staffing and resources Strategies for establishing a true community of learners online Discover how to create a sustainable online PD program that promotes collaboration and growth! "This book provides district and school leaders with a practical guide to shifting professional learning from more traditional ‘sit and get’ models to technology-enhanced models that foster collaboration and co-creation." —Catherine Huber, Principal Northwood Elementary, West Seneca, NY

Improving Online Teacher Education
Improving Online Teacher Education

Author: Rachel Karchmer-Klein

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 0807778478

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Use this practical guide to develop collaborative and interactive online experiences for teacher candidates. The author examines methods for integrating evidence-based practices into online teaching environments, including think alouds, case-based instruction, peer feedback, and field experience. The content is applicable to a variety of situations and content areas in education, such as literacy, math, and educational leadership, so that readers can design their own quality learning opportunities for students. A final chapter invites readers to build a digital professional learning network where they can explore areas of tech integration related to specific interests and problems of practice. Improving Online Teacher Education is organized in a nonsequential design so readers can choose which topics and activities are most relatable and useful to their professional environment. It is designed to make online teaching and learning more engaging for instructors and teacher education candidates. “Everything you need to radically improve the online experience for your students is here for you. Turn the page and begin the journey.” —From the Foreword by Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University “In this engaging, practical book, Karchmer-Klein draws on her extensive experience to assist instructors in designing online courses using a range of instructional activities and digital tools that will foster students’ learning in online spaces.” —Richard Beach, professor emeritus of English education, University of Minnesota

The Role of Online Collaborative Tools in Planning, Instructional Coaching, Professional Development, and Observation in Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy in School Districts
The Role of Online Collaborative Tools in Planning, Instructional Coaching, Professional Development, and Observation in Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy in School Districts

Author: Kevin Arnold

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between the use of collaborative technology, video-facilitated observation and feedback, and virtual professional development and coaching and levels of collective teacher efficacy. The study used a questionnaire to survey 547 coaches, content specialists, and district administrators in New York State. The independent variables were usage levels of online collaborative technology, video observation and feedback, and virtual coaching and professional development, and the dependent variable was collective teacher efficacy. Participants rated the availability and use of each of the independent variables based on a six-point Likert scale. Additionally, participants completed a 21-item collective teacher efficacy scale developed by Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy (2000). Participants were drawn from school district coaches, instructional specialists, and administrators who are directly engaged in supporting teacher development in New York State school districts with student populations between 2,000 and 15,000 students. Emails were sent to potential survey participants with a link to a survey, and the findings of the survey were analyzed using bivariate correlations between the subcomponents of each variable, the overall usage rate of the variable, and the overall level of collective teacher efficacy. The results of this study found a statistically significant positive relationship between both online collaborative tools and virtual professional development and coaching and collective teacher efficacy. No relationship was found between video observation and feedback and collective teacher efficacy. The following conclusions were suggested: online collaborative tools help build opportunities for groups to collaborate and build teacher networks; online collaborative tools can help strengthen connections and communication and reduce isolation of groups of teachers, building the collective teacher efficacy components of vicarious experiences and social persuasion; video as a tool for observation and feedback does not have the current level of use required to make a significant impact on outcomes for school districts; districtcreated virtual professional development helps build mastery experiences and affective states for teacher groups by building the capacity of teachers' practice; and virtual professional development and coaching is a viable alternative to in-person trainings because it has a positive relationship with collective teacher efficacy. The study provides suggestions for policy recommendations related to the review and development of structures to support and enhance online collaboration and virtual professional development and coaching. Suggestions for practice include improving district and school visions around the use of technology, providing clear expectations for online collaboration and development, and broadening teacher networks through the availability of virtual interactions. Recommendations for further study are also provided. The use of these tools became vitally important with the sudden reliance on remote instruction during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, which required districts to ramp up the use such tools with little time or planning. This provides districts with an opportunity to maintain this momentum and reimagine the use of technology in districts, building on the new skills and technology rolled out in response to the pandemic.