Meeting the Challenges of Professional Development for Distance

Meeting the Challenges of Professional Development for Distance Educators Canadian Association for Distance Education May 2005 Lawrence Ragan Ph. D Daph Crane MDE

Agenda • Introductions Who we are? Who you are? Why are we here? • • Brainstorm Activity 8 Areas of Challenge Discussion Work Group Report back • Break • Discussion Group Work • Report Back • Wrap up

8 Areas of Challenge 1 st Session • Responsibilities for Professional Development • Faculty Selection • Faculty Support • Professional Development Mode/Program Design 2 nd Session • • Pedagogical Skills Technological Skills Administrative Skills Motivation

Responsibility for PD

Responsibility for PD Who is responsible? • Institution? • Individual? • Shared?

Faculty Selection

Faculty Selection • How are projects selected? • How are project teams selected and organized? • How are faculty author selected? • How are faculty selected for delivery?

Faculty Support

Faculty Support What support do faculty need • Pre-development • During Design and Development • During Delivery

Professional Development Design

Professional Development Design • • • JIT or programmed F 2 F, online or blended In house, external or partnership Formal vs. informal Certification vs. no certification

Team Assignment

Team Assignment • Select 1 Challenge • • PD responsibility Faculty Selection Faculty Support PD Model • Strategize “solutions” to address the challenge • Team Assignment Feedback

Team Assignment Feedback

Pedagogical Skills

Pedagogical Skills • • Pre-development planning Course design Course development Course delivery

Pedagogical Skills Pre-Development • Need for course training? • Target audience? • Desired learning experience? • How to create the DLE?

Pedagogical Skills Course Design • Consider how “translation” from face-toface to online will occur • Consider learning outcomes • Consider impact of DE on achieving learning outcomes

Pedagogical Skills Course Development • Learning Theories • Flexibility • Learner @ Centre

Course Delivery • Learner support techniques • Meeting learner needs • Juggle

Technology Skills

Technology Skills • What skills are required? • How are these skills used? • How can required skills be developed?

Administrative Skills

Administrative Skills • • Dealing with Administrivia Who does what and when What are the non- negotiatable? Providing administrative support

Motivation

Motivation How do we motivate faculty to take part in PD during: • Pre-development Planning • Course Development • Course Delivery

Team Assignment

Team Assignment • Select 1 Challenge • • Pedagogical Skills Technical Skills Administrative Skills Motivation • Strategize “solutions” to address the challenge • Team Assignment Feedback

Team Assignment Feedback