Running head: ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1

Online Professional Development Literature Review

Jonathan Watts

California State University, Monterey Bay

IST 511

Sarah Tourtellotte

December 15, 2017

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Abstract

Professional development has always been an important element in developing educators

and improving classroom practices. Only recently, though, has the proliferation of internet-

connected devices and cloud-based software applications allowed for online spaces to be an

effective environment for teacher professional development (PD). Just within the past decade

have researchers been able to study effects of online PD as devices are more readily available,

and the majority of the population now have consistent access to the Internet. Research and

studies on the topic of professional development in education, in any form, are still as relevant to

online PD as they are to traditional PD opportunities, and should be considered when designing,

developing, and implementing online learning situations. The following literature review

discusses effective elements of professional development, how they apply to an online setting,

and the trend of constructivism in education.

Literature Review

Although there isn’t an abundance of research or scholarly articles recently written

specifically on the topic of online professional development, research on the development of

effective PD in general can assist in the creation of any online PD. Additionally, with each year’s

advances in technology and availability of online tools, more research is becoming available on a

wider range of online PD topics. Good instructional design is beneficial to any learning scenario,

with any medium for delivering learning or interacting with other participants.

There are certain components that should be considered in any professional development,

regardless of what technology is being utilized. Including Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) TPACK

framework, for instance, which suggests being aware of learners’ technological, pedagogical, and

content knowledge, when designing professional development, will help ensure educators have
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the required knowledge sets to process the learning at-hand. As it applies specifically to online

learning, instructional designers need to assess the technological knowledge set of their learners

to ensure they can access the content, and take advantage of any instructional strategies and

learning activities as they were designed. Without considering the overlap of these three areas,

learners may not have the required skills to take full advantage of the intended learning design.

Along with ensuring that the instructional design of professional development addresses

teachers’ knowledge sets as a prerequisite to accessing learning, addressing teacher beliefs about

learning is also an important consideration. Whether the professional development is about using

technology in the classroom, fostering collaborative discussions among students, or learning how

to apply new instructional strategies, the belief systems of educators plays an important role in

the eventual implementation of this learning. Researchers such as Chen, Looi, & Chen (2009),

Ertmer, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Sadik, Sendurur, & Sendurur (2012), and Aguirre & Speer (2000)

have all analyzed the impact prior belief systems have when it comes to the actual classroom

implementation and day-to-day decisions teachers make. It is difficult enough to address teacher

beliefs in an in-person professional development workshop, but it becomes increasingly difficult

when the learning is moved online.

Trends in online professional development

Similar to the trends of classroom learning and instruction moving toward a constructivist

approach, professional development also seems to be moving in this direction. Charlambos

Vrasidas and Michelins Zembylas (2004), for example, take this constructivist approach when

describing their framework for professional development and specifically mention applying

constructivism and communities of practice in an online environment. Another recent study

analyzed the design and implementation of constructivist learning principals in an online

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professional development course, and revealed the positive effect it had on enhancing educators’

practice (Chitanana, 2012). As more professional development opportunities are moved online to

address teachers’ busy schedules and to provide instruction on a wider variety of subjects to a

larger audience, careful design considerations need to be taken into account. Too often, in-

person workshops are offered in a traditional sit-and-get model, as opposed to a model with

educators actively participating in their learning. It is important not to simply copy this model

when moving PD online, but instead re-examine how technology can be used to create a

constructivist learning environment, improving on traditional methods of instruction and

learning.

References:
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Aguirre, J.M. & Speer, N.M. (2000). Examining the relationship between beliefs and goals in

teacher practice. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 18, 327–356.

Chen, F.H., Looi, C.K., & Chen, W. (2009). Integrating technology in the classroom: a visual

conceptualization of teachers' knowledge, goals and beliefs. Journal of Computer

Assisted Learning, 25(5), 470–488.

Chitanana, L. (2012). A Constructivist approach to the design and delivery of an online

professional development course: a case of the iEARN online course. International

Journal of Instruction,15(1). Retrieved from: http://www.e-

iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2012_1_2.pdf

Ertmer, P.A., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A.T., Sadik, O., Sendurur, E., & Sendurur, P. (2012). Teacher

beliefs and technology integration practices: a critical relationship. Computers and

Education, 59(2), 423-435.

Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework

for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054.

Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M. (2004). Online professional development: lessons from the field.

Education + Training, 46(6), 326-334. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910410555231