Strategies for professional development

Dr Janet Macdonald

National Train the E trainers workshop, Abuja, March 2011

Who What Where

• What categories of staff• What do they need to learn• Where will they be

Staff needsWho What Where

National trainers

ODL principles and practice; activity design; assessment design; appropriate use of online or mobile technols

On campus, maybe some on other campuses

Staff needsWho What Where

Teacher developers

ODL principles and practice; activity design; assessment design; appropriate use of online or mobile technols

On campus, maybe some on other campuses

Staff needsWho What Where

Tutors ODL principles and practice; appropriate use of online or mobile technols; pastoral support; giving appropriate feedforward and feedback on assignments

On campus, maybe some on other campuses or working from home?

We can’t learn everything at once!

• Induction• Within two years• Continuous professional development

Effective staff development

• Much of the learning in a staff development event is informal and takes place in the spaces around the formal event (Eraut, 2004)

• Learning activities should be embedded in actual working practices, and should take account of peer-learning (Boud, 1999)

• Staff development works when the learning is experiential (Stefani & Elton, 2002)

Approaches• Content: event/ website resources• Learning by doing/ seeing others do it

– Workshops with hands-on, discussion– Activity based courses

Learning on the job..

• Social learning, peer learning always important in professional development

• Context and timing important too• “Just in time” learning often significant

Continuous professional development

– Peer community of practice– Champions within Faculties– Help forum/wiki/FAQs– Building a portfolio/reflection/accreditation– Focused events: which can also work well

online

Tutor Home

Tutor Home

Tutor Moderators module• Introduction to online tutoring using online

forums, synchronous online software (Elluminate), wikis

• Standard training for online tutors in most faculties

• 3000 course participants since 2004, 1000 in last year

• 76% completion rate

Typical activities

Participant observations

“The most important learning came from being a participant.”

“ I have benefited from the wealth of experience volunteered by colleagues.”

“Given me personal experience & empathy for students.”

“There's nothing like learning by doing. This was my first experience of an online forum so doing it was great.”

Talking Point

Talking Point

Lessons to consider• What is the bottom line – what must they

learn first in order to survive?• Choose a strategy which fits their working

patterns, access, geography• Plan for continuing professional

development to top up skills

Abuja wasn’t built in a day…

References• Eraut, M., (2004) Informal learning in the workplace.

Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2) 247-273• Boud, D. (1999) Situating academic development in

professional work: using peer learning. International Journal of Academic Development, 4(1), 3-10

• Stefani, L & Elton, L (2002) Continuing professional development of academic teachers through self-initiated learning, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(2), 117 - 129