ONLINE AND PROGRESSIVE Tips for Virtual Teacher Professional Learning — by Jim Vanides BSME, M.Ed., Online Instructor, National Teacher Enhancement Network, Montana State University The educational principles described by Progressive Education Network begin with: “The purpose of school expands beyond prevailing education policy and practice. Progressive educators support their students’ deep intellectual development and healthy identity formation—as developing individuals, as active learners within a school community, and as engaged citizens in the broader world.” Those who have spent their careers providing high-quality professional learning experiences for teachers would quickly agree that the same could apply to adult learners. Drawing on some literary license, we might mirror the statement above in the context of professional learning: “The purpose of educator professional learning expands beyond prevailing “professional development” practice. Progressive professional learning for teachers supports their deep intellectual development and ongoing professional identity formation - as lifelong learning professionals, as active learners within a professional community of practice, and as educators who invite their students, and themselves, to be active citizens in the broader world.” It’s a tall order. Is there a role that online learning can play to scale this high bar? Yes - if the online learning experience is designed thoughtfully to support this vision and model the progressive pedagogy teachers will be practicing in their own classrooms. There are many effective ways to approach online professional learning for teachers. “Learning Online: What Research Tells Us about Whether, When, and How” provides an excellent frame to think about the possibilities. (see chart >)
ONLINE LEARNING DESIGN OPTIONS (moderating variables) MODALITY • • • •
Fully online Blended (over 50% online) Blended (25–50% online) Web-enabled F2F
PACING • Self-paced (open entry, open exit) • Class-paced • Class-paced with some self-paced STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR RATIO • < 35 to 1 • 36–99 to 1 • 100–999 to 1 • > 1,000 to 1 PEDAGOGY • Expository • Practice • Exploratory • Collaborative ROLE OF ONLINE ASSESSMENTS • Determine if student is ready for new content • Tell system how to support the student (adaptive instruction) • Provide student or teacher with information about learning state • Input to grade • Identify students at risk of failure INSTRUCTOR ROLE ONLINE • Active instruction online • Small presence online • None STUDENT ROLE ONLINE • Listen or read • Complete problems or answer questions • Explore simulation and resources • Collaborate with peers ONLINE COMMUNICATION SYNCHRONY • Asynchronous only • Synchronous only • Some blend of both SOURCE OF FEEDBACK • Automated • Teacher • Peers Source: Content adapted from Barbara Means, Marianne Bakia, and Robert Murphy, Learning Online: What Research Tells Us about Whether, When and How (New York: Routledge, 2014).
Spring 2021 The Journal of the Progressive Education Network PEN 21
