Professional Development Recommendations for Online Courses

Abstract

The Internet is redesigning the delivery of instruction, and, consequently, time, space and distance are no longer constraints to teachers and students. Harrison and Berge (2000) state that “Internet access is becoming more widespread and its capabilities for delivering multimedia lessons are improving daily; the Internet is becoming the vehicle of choice for distributing learning across distances” (p. 57). However, teaching online is a relatively new concept and effective professional development is needed to help educators learn to organize content for online delivery, convert instructional materials to online formats, use advanced multimedia tools, and integrate technology resources in online learning environments. This chapter addresses standards for technology-supported instruction and staff development; models of effective face-to-face professional development, along with adaptations for online educators; and professional development programs currently available to online educators. Recommendations for effective professional development have also been provided.