Abstract: Within only a few years, the use of e-learning has increased rapidly in Austria. In certain subjects, up to 60% of university students report using e-learning platforms at least 'sometimes' or 'frequently' (Unger & Wroblewski, 2006). Yet, which aspects of e-learning do students consider important for their learning achievements and course satisfaction? This question was addressed by surveying 2196 students from 29 universities in Austria about their expectations of, and experiences in e-learning. Multiple regression analyses using Mplus 4.21 were carried out to investigate how different facets of students' expectations and experiences are related to perceived learning achievements and course satisfaction. With regard to their expectations, i.e., aspects of a course they consider important, students' achievement goals were the best predictors for success and ranked higher than other course characteristics. With regard to their experiences, students' assessments of the instructor's expertise in e-learning, and her/his counseling and support were the best predictors for learning achievement and course satisfaction. Furthermore, self-regulated and collaborative learning were related to learning achievements. The results of the study suggest to influence students' motivation and goals by adapting instruction accordingly and emphasize the importance of continuing education and training for the instructors.

Abstract: With the introduction of Tomorrow's Doctors in 1993, medical education began the transition from a time- and process-based system to a competency-based training framework. Implementing competency-based training in postgraduate medical education poses many challenges but ultimately requires a demonstration that the learner is truly competent to progress in training or to the next phase of a professional career. Making this transition requires change at virtually all levels of postgraduate training. Key components of this change include the development of valid and reliable assessment tools such as work-based assessment using direct observation, frequent formative feedback, and learner self-directed assessment; active involvement of the learner in the educational process; and intensive faculty development that addresses curricular design and the assessment of competency.

Abstract: Effects of a 1-semester professional development (PD) intervention that included expert coaching with Head Start teachers were investigated in a randomized controlled trial with 88 teachers and 759 children. Differential effects of technologically mediated (remote) versus in-person (on-site) delivery of individualized coaching with teachers also were examined in a random assignment design. Hierarchical linear model analyses revealed positive PD intervention effects on general classroom environment (d = 0.99) and classroom supports for early literacy and language development (d = 0.92), and on children's letter knowledge (d = 0.29), blending skills (d = 0.18), writing (d = 0.17), and concepts about print (d = 0.22). No significant intervention effects on teaching practices and children's outcomes related to oral language were found. There were no differential effects of remote versus on-site delivery of literacy coaching.

Abstract: This article outlines the progress and impact of professional learning communities within, between and across schools, as part of the implementation of whole system reform in Wales. It describes the way in which professional learning communities are being developed to support improvement and change across the education system in Wales. The article focuses on a group of schools that piloted a model of professional learning communities that subsequently have become a key part of the reform process in Wales and it highlights some of the challenges faced by the schools in establishing and sustaining professional learning communities. The article concludes by suggesting that professional learning communities offer one way of generating changed professional practice that can positively contribute to system-wide improvement.

Abstract: The aim of this review is to provide a critical analysis of language teacher research engagement. The term ‘research engagement’ here covers both engagement in teacher research (i.e. by doing it) as well as engagement with research (i.e. by reading and using it). Research engagement is commonly recommended to language teachers as a potentially productive form of professional development and a source of improved professional practice; empirical accounts of teachers’ practices and experiences in doing teacher research and reading research, and of the benefits that accrue to them from such activities are, however, limited and diffuse. This review examines the available evidence on research engagement in language teaching and discusses this in relation to the educational literature more broadly. The analysis presented here highlights both the benefits and the challenges that are associated with teacher research engagement, and sheds light on why teacher research remains largely a minority activity in the field of language teaching. It also illustrates the complex relationship between research knowledge and what teachers do, and considers the implications of this relationship for the contribution that reading research can make to teachers’ professional activities. The paper concludes by outlining a number of conditions which facilitate teachers’ attempts to engage both in and with research. An awareness of these conditions is fundamental to the success of initiatives which aim to promote language teacher research engagement.

Abstract: Many universities increase their recruiting efforts to reach a larger and more diverse audience. Some universities also extend their reach with cross-border initiatives and seek international students in order to promote enrollment growth and global learning. The economic potential of distance education and academic globalization has attracted numerous higher education providers, many of which operate on a for-profit basis. The result is an increase in competition for students, which leads to added pressure on universities to control costs and rising tuition. Those online programs unable to successfully adapt to this competitive environment are at risk of failing. This article draws from the research literature and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings to examine seven important factors that help determine the success or failure of online programs. These factors are planning, marketing and recruitment, financial management, quality assurance, student retention, faculty development, and online course design and pedagogy.

Abstract: Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Unless indicated otherwise, buyers of this book have permission to make up to 30 copies of handouts if they are to be used for instructional purposes as long as this book and Learning Forward are properly cited. Requests for permission to reprint or copy portions of this book for other purposes should be faxed to 513-523-0638 on organization letterhead. E-mail requests will be accepted at office@learningforward.org. All requests must specify the number of copies that will be made and how the material will be used. Please allow two weeks for a response. See WHY Professional Development MATTERS FOREWORD " Another professional development day! What an inconvenience! " Th is comment rings across kitchen tables, through grocery store aisles, on the sidelines at soccer games, and in the breakrooms in local businesses. Parents expect their children to be in school and rely on schools not only for educating them, but also for providing a safe and dependable place for students to be each day. Families and even employers are inconvenienced on inservice days or when the school day starts late or ends early to provide time for teacher professional development. For business and community leaders, the quality of a community's education system relates directly to the economic success of the community. School success translates into tax revenues, real estate values, and community satisfaction. When asked what they want for their children, parents, and community members overwhelmingly agree that they want the best teacher possible in every classroom. Research confi rms that the most important factor contributing to a student's success in school is the quality of teaching. While parents may not be familiar with the research, they are united in their desire to ensure great teaching for every child every day. Professional development is the most eff ective strategy schools and school districts have to meet this expectation. Professional development is the strategy schools and school districts use to ensure that educators continue to strengthen their practice throughout their career. Th e most eff ective professional development engages teams of teachers to focus on the needs of their students. Th ey learn and problem solve together in order to ensure all students achieve success. School systems use a variety of schedules to provide this collaborative learning and work time for teachers. When time set aside for professional development is used eff …

Abstract: Background: To determine the characteristics associated with having a mentor, the association of mentoring with self-efficacy, and the content of mentor-mentee interactions at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), we conducted a baseline assessment prior to implementing a comprehensive faculty mentoring program. Method: We surveyed all prospective junior faculty mentees at UCSF. Mentees completed a web-based, 38- item survey including an assessment of self-efficacy and a needs assessment. We used descriptive and inferential statistics to determine the association between having a mentor and gender, ethnicity, faculty series, and self-efficacy. Results: Our respondents (n=464, 56%) were 53% female, 62% white, and 7% from underrepresented minority groups. More than half of respondents (n=319) reported having a mentor. There were no differences in having a mentor based on gender or ethnicity (p≥0.05). Clinician educator faculty with more teaching and patient care responsibilities were statistically significantly less likely to have a mentor compared with faculty in research intensive series (p<0.001). Having a mentor was associated with greater satisfaction with time allocation at work (p<0.05) and with higher academic self-efficacy scores, 6.07 (sd=1.36) compared with those without a mentor, 5.33 (sd=1.35, p<0.001). Mentees reported that they most often discussed funding with the mentors, but rated highest requiring mentoring assistance with issues of promotion and tenure. Conclusion: Findings from the UCSF faculty mentoring program may assist other health science institutions plan similar programs. Mentoring needs for junior faculty with greater teaching and patient care responsibilities must be addressed. Keywords: mentoring; faculty development; program evaluation; self-efficacy (Published: 23 April 2010) Citation: Medical Education Online 2010, 15: 5063 - DOI: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.5063

Abstract: Preface. About the Authors. Part One Establishing and Sustaining a Faculty Development Program. 1. Overview of Faculty Development: History and Choices (Mathew L. Ouellett). 2. Program Types and Prototypes (Virginia S. Lee). 3. Establishing an Educational Development Program (Douglas L. Robertson). 4. Working with a Faculty Development Committee (Kim M. Mooney). 5. Listen, Learn, Lead: Getting Started in Faculty Development (Margaret W. Cohen). 6. Important Skills and Knowledge (Todd D. Zakrajsek). 7. Promoting Your Program and Grounding It in the Institution (Ed Neal and Iola Peed-Neal). 8. Practical Suggestions for Programs and Activities (Donna E. Ellis and Leslie Ortquist-Ahrens). Part Two Key Priorities in Faculty Development: Assessment, Diversity, and Technology. 9. Program Assessment for Faculty Development (Kathryn M. Plank and Alan Kalish). 10. Assessing Teaching Practices and Effectiveness for Formative Purposes (Michael Theall and Jennifer L. Franklin). 11. Assessment Practices Related to Student Learning: Transformative Assessment (Catherine M. Wehlburg). 12. Overview of Diversity Issues Relating to Faculty Development (Mathew L. Ouellett). 13. Conceptualizing, Designing, and Implementing Multicultural Faculty Development Activities (Christine A. Stanley0. 14. Working with Underrepresented Faculty (Franklin Tuitt). 15. International Faculty Development: Pursuing Our Work with Colleagues Around the World (Nancy Van Note Chism, David Gosling, and Mary Deane Sorcinelli). 16. Issues in Technology and Faculty Development (Sally Kuhlenschmidt). Part Three Faculty Development Across Institutional Types, Career Stages, and Organizations. 17. Effective Practices at Research Universities: The Productive Pairing of Research and Teaching (Constance Ewing Cook and Michele Marincovich). 18. Effective Practices in the Context of Small Colleges (Michael Reder). 19. Faculty Development in the Context of the Community College (Helen Burnstad and Cynthia J. Hoss). 20. Graduate and Professional Student Development Programs (Laura L. B. Border and Linda M. von Hoene). 21. Working with Adjunct Faculty Members (Terri A. Tarr). 22. Supporting Faculty Members Across Their Careers (Ann E. Austin). 23. Organizational Development (Kay J. Gillespie). Afterword by William H. Bergquist. Epilogue. Name Index. Subject Index.

Abstract: We consider the professional development of in-service teachers and review traditional development efforts that have been used in the past. An alternative form of professional development using Japanese lesson study is proposed and discussed as a possibility. A case study involving the Mpumalanga Secondary Science Initiative, where lesson study was used, is described and its efficacy reviewed. The project was aimed at improving mathematics and science learning of secondary school learners using lesson study for teacher development. The discussion concludes with a reflection on the outcomes and efforts of the project. Keywords : lesson study; professional development; teacher learning

Abstract: How can we create and sustain professional learning programs that actually lead to improved student achievement? In this thoughtful and informative guide for teachers, administrators, and policymakers, Douglas B. Reeves provides answers. First he casts a critical eye on professional learning that is inconsistent, unfocused, and ultimately ineffective, and explains why elaborate planning documents and ""brand-name"" programs are not enough to achieve desired outcomes. Then he outlines how educators at all levels can improve this situation by: Taking specific steps to move from vision to implementation. Focusing on four essentials: teaching, curriculum, assessment, and leadership. Making action research work. Moving beyond the ""train the trainer"" model. Using performance assessment systems for teachers and administrators. If you're tired of professional development that takes up too much time and delivers too little, read Transforming Professional Development into Student Results and discover how to move toward a system that gives educators the learning experiences they need to make a measurable difference for their schools and their students.

Abstract: In this article we address the question: ‘What sub‐identities of teacher educators emerge from the research literature about teacher educators and what are the implications of the sub‐identities for the professional development of teacher educators?’ Like other professional identities, the identity of teacher educators is a construction of various aspects or facets, which we prefer to call sub‐identities. We are interested to learn what sub‐identities might constitute the main identity of what we generically refer to as ‘teacher educators’ and, to achieve this, we set out to analyse the research literature relating to teacher educators to search for ways in which such sub‐identities might be explicitly or implicitly described. Based on the research literature we found four sub‐identities that are available for teacher educators: schoolteacher, teacher in Higher Education, teacher of teachers (or second order teacher) and researcher. We also found a view on teacher educators as teachers in a more generic w...

Abstract: Participating in a faculty development workshop gives me a sense of community, self-awareness, motivation and validation of current practices and beliefs ….Steinert (2008)Faculty development, or st...

Abstract: The purpose this article is to describe an institutional initiative created to support faculty engaged in blended course redesign. This Inquiry Through Blended Learning (ITBL) program adapted Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's (2000) Community of Inquiry framework in order to provide faculty participants with a guided inquiry process for discussing and reflecting on key redesign questions, exploring blended learning from a student perspective, integrating the new experiences and ideas, and then applying this knowledge through the implementation of a course redesigned for blended learning. An overview of the ITBL program, the methods used to evaluate the redesigned courses, the findings, and conclusions are presented in this article.

Abstract: This article contributes to understanding of the professional learning of expert school teachers when they are appointed as university-based teacher educators. In this case study of a single department a qualitative analysis is used to interpret the transcripts of 16 semi-structured interviews with lecturers in teacher education within four years of their appointment to higher education roles. They experience tensions within the educational partnership and professional field about the value of abstract knowledge compared with work-based practice and about what a lecturer in teacher education should be. The situated learning of the new lecturers within their particular departmental context encourages them to hold on to their existing identities as school teachers, rather than embrace new identities as academics.

Abstract: Policy at the University of Washington has undertaken an investigation of leadership in urban schools and districts that are seeking to improve both learning and leadership. The study explored the following overarching question: What does it take for leaders to promote and support powerful, equitable learning in a school and in the district and state system that serves the school? The study pursued this question through a set of coordinated investigations, each with an intensive qualitative or mixed-methods strategy and with overlapping samples, designed to offer images of what is possible in schools and districts that take learning improvement seriously. Study sites were chosen to reflect a focus on learning and leadership improvement and varying degrees of progress toward improvement goals. n School Leadership investigation: The reconfiguration and exercise of leadership within elementary , middle, and high schools to enable more focused support for learning improvement n Resource Investment investigation: The investment of staffing and other resources at multiple levels of the system, in alignment with learning improvement goals, to enhance equity and leadership capacity n Central Office Transformation investigation: The reinvention of central office work practices and relationships with the schools to better support districtwide improvement of teaching and learning Separate reports detail the findings of each investigation, and a synthesis report identifies themes connecting the three study strands. The development of these reports was supported by a grant from The Wallace Foundation. Opinions represent those of the authors and not necessarily those of the foundation.

Abstract: A large online survey of Colorado public school science teachers (n=628) on the topic of climate change instruction was conducted in 2007. A majority of Earth science teachers were found to include...

Abstract: This study examined faculty characteristics and behaviors in 46 MBA courses conducted over a two-year period We found that both formal instructor activities, referred to in the online learning literature as teaching presence, and informal instructor activities, known as immediacy behaviors, were positive predictors of student perceived learning and satisfaction with the educational delivery medium We also found that instructor login intensity, the average amount of time spent per login session, was a negative predictor of perceived learning Collectively, these findings suggest the need for instructors to structure and organize their courses beforehand so they can focus on efficient engagement with their students while the class is in session Although teaching presence and instructor immediacy were significant predictors of delivery medium satisfaction, they explained only 6% of the variance This finding should help instructors avoid taking unnecessary responsibility for students' attitudes toward online learning The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for training of online instructors and the appropriate use of multilevel analytical tools in online learning and education research

Abstract: Collaborative inquiry groups, such as profes- sional learning communities and lesson study groups, are proliferating in schools across the United States. In whatever form, the potential for impacting student learning through this collaborative work is expanded or limited by the nature of teachers' conversations. Polite, congenial conversations remain superficially focused on sharing stories of practice, whereas collegial dialogue probes more deeply into teaching and learning. Exam- ples of talk taken from collaborative teacher inquiry groups are used to illustrate these important differences. Specific recommendations are provided, including the role that teacher leaders can play in adopting and mod- eling specific strategies that support the use of more substantive professional conversation.

Abstract: Background The National Effective Teaching Institute (NETI) is a three-day teaching workshop that has been given annually since 1991 in conjunction with the Annual ASEE Conference. Its goals are to improve the participants' teaching effectiveness, promote their engagement in scholarly teaching and educational scholarship, and motivate them to engage in instructional development on their campuses. To evaluate the impact of the NETI on its participants, a Web-based survey was administered to alumni of NETI offerings from 1993 to 2006. Purpose (Hypothesis) The study was designed to test the hypothesis that the NETI met its stated goals, and to the extent that it did, to identify factors in the workshop's structure and delivery that might have contributed to its success. Design/Method An online survey collected information regarding the participants' awareness and use of selected teaching strategies, their students' and their own ratings of their teaching, and their engagement in scholarly teaching, educational research, and giving their own teaching workshops and seminars. The validity of the survey structure is supported by several published studies that compared self-assessments of teaching with external evaluations by trained observers. Results The NETI has motivated many of its participants to adopt or increase their use of proven teaching strategies known to correlate with improved student learning; made them more student-centered, scholarly, and reflective in their teaching practice; and induced many of them to engage in instructional development and educational scholarship. Conclusions The NETI has satisfactorily met its goals. When interpreted in the light of a theory of adult motivation, the results support the effectiveness of discipline-specific faculty development for engineering educators.

Abstract: The American Psychological Association’s Learner-Centered Principles provide empirically-based approaches to improving teaching and learning. However, in order to facilitate learner-centered, technology-rich instruction to K-12 students, teachers must be afforded opportunities to develop key understandings and skills, rarely evident in most professional development programs. In this paper, we synthesize empirically-based studies and recommendations for teacher learning and propose a learner-centered professional development (LCPD) framework to guide both professional development and empirical work on teacher learning. We describe LCPD components, discuss ways that technology can support LCPD, and highlight implications for research and practice.

Abstract: This study examines the impact of 2 forms of professional development on prekindergarten teachers' early language and literacy practice: coursework and coaching. Participating teachers (N = 148) from 6 urban cities were randomly assigned to Group 1 (coursework), Group 2 (on-site coaching), or Group 3 (control group). Pre- and postassessments examined teachers' knowledge and quality of language and literacy practices. Analyses revealed no significant improvements between groups on knowledge of early language and literacy. However, those who received coaching made statistically significant improvements in the structural environment both immediately and 5 months later. Effect sizes were substantial for coaching, while those who received coursework made no significant improvements. Analyses of the active ingredients of coaching were examined using logs and interviews to further elucidate these findings. Results indicated that coaching appears to be an effective form of professional development for ea...

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Abstract: Objectives. To assess the breadth, depth, and perceived importance of pharmacogenomics instruction and level of faculty development in this area in schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United St...