Professional Development Online: Ways Of Knowing And Ways Of Practice

Abstract

This pilot distance learning experience occurred during Spring Semester, 2003. The project was designed to help faculty 1) engage in reflection and continuous improvement of learning, both their own and their students, 2) facilitate conversations about teaching and learning in the process of building a learning community, 3) create a collaborative learning environment with faculty and peers, 4) build confidence in curriculum development including designing, guiding, and assessing learning, 5) learn with and about technology in the process of improving curriculum, and 6) connect teaching and research and bridge the gap between theory and practice. The twenty participants represented ten universities; a team of two from each university included one faculty person from engineering and one from another science, math, or computer science discipline. Specifically, the professional development opportunity explored ways of knowing including theories of learning, learning styles, disciplinary and cultural perspectives and how they inform ways of practice including both teaching practice and engineering practice. After an orientation in Madison, Wisconsin, the experience involved weekly on-line discussions based on readings, a personalized curriculum project, and approximately two to three hours per week commitment on the part of each participant. The Foundation Coalition funded this project. This paper highlights the assessment results of this pilot project and next steps based on analysis and reflection. A forthcoming mini-document will describe how to develop and implement a distancebased faculty development program. Description and Implementation During the Spring 2003, 20 faculty representing ten teaching and research universities throughout the country participated in a pilot on-line professional development experience, Ways of Knowing: Ways of Practice. The following institutions were represented:

AIChE Virtual Communities of Practice _ Supporting Faculty during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The effectiveness of VCPs for faculty development has been reported over more than 15 years. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Notably, VCPs have guided faculty into adopting different, and often novel, teaching methods. In one study, twenty faculty members from ten universities participated in a semester-long experience with an orientation and weekly on-line discussions.…”

Interactive, Web-based Workshops on Educational Development Proposals and Projects

“…Thus we believe that longer programs can be presented virtually through a series of short sessions in a cost-effective efficient way without geographical limitations and there is evidence that faulty will participate. 4,5,16,24…”

“…In an earlier web-based effort, Courter and her associates 5 described an on-line professional development effort involving 20 faculty members at 10 different colleges or universities. The effort included weekly conversations on readings selected by the rotating facilitators, and participants also developed and presented a project.…”

Faculty Development Using Virtual Communities of Practice

“…10 Use of the Internet, through a wide variety of services and tools, can overcome many of the limitation of faculty face-to-face communities of practice and enhance many of the advantages. 57 Courter et al 11 described an on-line professional development effort involving 20 faculty members at 10 different colleges or universities. The effort included weekly conversations on readings selected by rotating facilitators, and had participants also develop and present a project.…”

“…Moreover, several studies, which were cited above, indicate that some faculty members are willing to follow through on extended, even yearlong, programs. 11,28,31,33,39 Finally, the increasing interest in educational programs offered by the NSF shows a major commitment on the part of the growing fraction of the engineering education community.…”