Professional Development for Online Teaching: A Literature Review

Abstract

The growth of online learning has created a need for instructors who can competently teach online. This literature review explores the research questions, program recommendations, and future research suggestions related to professional development for online instructors. Articles were selected and coded based on date of publication and the context of the professional development. Results indicate that most research questions focused on (a) professional development programs, (b) instructors, and (c) instructors’ online courses. Most program recommendations focused on (a) professional development programs, (b) context of professional development, and (c) instructors’ activity during professional development. Future recommendations for research topics focused on professional development programs and instructors, while future recommendations for research methods focused on research design and institutional settings. The findings suggest that while professional development for online instructors is important, consistency in both design and delivery is lacking. Future research is needed to provide guidance to programs, instructors, and institutions leading to satisfaction and success for more online students.

Trialling micro-learning design to increase engagement in online courses

“…Traditional methods, reading and memorising pages of material, are becoming increasingly less effective, and even more so in Open and Distance Learning (ODL). By designing and delivering content in small and very specific "bursts", micro-learning can help us engage better with, and meet the needs of contemporary learners (Buchem and Hamelmann, 2010;Jomah et al, 2016;Leary et al, 2020), who are at risk because they experience difficulty with traditional approaches, which are exacerbated in the world of "remote" online higher education. Micro-learning design has now emerged as an approach that enables academic teachers to engineer learning experiences in ways that increase the appeal of learning materials by reducing cognitive load and stress, as a well-established educational strategy for increasing information absorption and knowledge retention (Biggs, 2012;Sweller, 2010).…”

“…Making it instantly apparent to students that they can view, hear and read materials easily in small bite-sized segments, is also central to the design approach. This is based on a pedagogical strategy aimed at decreasing common “daunted by length” perceptions and the reactions students experience when they encounter learning materials (Jomah et al , 2016; Leary et al , 2020).…”

Cognitive Features of New Generations of Students as a Reason for Changing Approaches to Teaching Methodology

“…Студентам, с учетом отмеченных выше проблем устно изложить свои мысли из-за многолетней привычки к цифровому общению, следует давать возможность как можно чаще говорить в процессе опросов, помогать им осваивать и использовать специфическую профессиональную терминологию. С этой же целью необходимо уже с первого курса организовывать тематические семинары, научные конференции, коллоквиумы, публичные защиты курсовых работ и проектов [8][9][10].…”

The Impact of Covid-19 on Education System: Transformation of Virtual Learning

“…Basically, the usage of technologies and the Internet is not new in our online learning system. However, there is a dearth of research that investigates the impact of online learning implementations especially among institutional supporters, teachers, and learners (Edwards & Robinson, 2019;Leary et al, 2020). Considering this, the study is conducted to review past literature on the adaptation of technologies and its impact on online teaching and learning classes.…”