Running head: DISTANCE LEARNING AND PD 1

Distance Learning and its

Impact on Educator Training

Laura Buscemi
Towson University
February 2017
DISTANCE LEARNING AND PD 2

Distance Learning and its

Impact on Educator Training

Throughout the year, educators are provided with opportunities to develop and

improve their professional knowledge, proficiency, and effectiveness within the classroom.

These gatherings, lasting from less than an hour to more than a day, are commonly referred to as

professional development sessions (“Professional Development,” 2013). Professional

development can be widely varied in time, content and purpose. With recent governmental

pushes to create and evaluate highly qualified teachers, many school districts are enacting

measures in order to further structure professional development. These requirements can specify

time allotted, content provided, or methods used (“Professional Development,” 2013).

Most educators will be able to recall time spent sitting in professional development (or

PD) sessions; some feeling accomplished and productive, while others failing to find the

usefulness. The latter occurrence is less dependent on the educator themselves and more on the

information presented. Poorly designed and executed programs with little to no relationship to

content or classroom can cause teachers to feel that their time is being wasted. Teachers and

administrators alike cite lack of proper time during the school day as well as limited funding as

problems that can occur when trying to provide PD (“Professional Development,” 2013).

Overburdened teachers can often feel reluctant to spend their fully focused time in a PD session

with grading, lesson planning, and other activities on their minds. This lack of motivation and

engagement can cause what may have been helpful information to fall on deaf ears.

Recognizing the challenges of providing informative, engaging, and time conscious

professional development, many districts are moving towards the flexibility of distance
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education. Through the utilization of distance education, administrators can provide teachers

with professional development that meets individual learning needs, fits comfortably within a

teacher’s busy schedule, and provides authentic, engaging content that can be used within the

classroom setting.

Self-Directed Learning

In order to create meaningful PD for teachers, it is important to meet each teacher’s

individual needs. During a large scale face to face session focused on many teachers of varying

experiences and attitudes, it is often hard to create a sense of individualized learning

(“Professional Development”, 2013). In order to get as much information across as possible,

teachers are often forced to sit though lengthy sessions that may not be applicable to their own

teaching. There are many ways in which providing teaches with opportunities for self-directed

distance learning allows for teachers to take control of their own education, whether it be through

instruction targeting differentiated learning styles, providing the opportunity for ownership of

learning, allowing for scheduling convenience, or providing global community support. Properly

implemented distance learning programs allow for all of these aspects of self-directed learning to

be achieved, providing teachers with relevant and useful content (Beach, 2017). Providing

teachers with “professional development activities that foster self-directed learning may

contribute to higher levels of motivation for learning and the application of pedagogical and

content knowledge within the classroom” (Beach, 2017, p. 61).

Accounting for Individualized Learning Styles. As educators are keenly aware,

learning styles and preferences differ from person to person. Gamrat, Zimmerman, Dudek &

Peck (2014) explored the computer based PD program Teacher Learning Journeys (TLJ) that

took into account individual teacher learning styles and preferences. Brought about in order to
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reform the “outdated one-size-fits-all model of PD” (p. 1138), TLJ provided teachers with the

opportunity to custom-build their PD experience. The team behind TLJ recognized that

traditional models of professional development often lacked the ability to take into consideration

an individual teaches wide range of existing understandings and capabilities (Gamrat et. al,

2014).

Similarly, Beach (2017) found that the use of the online PD based website The Balanced

Literacy Diet (TBLD) aided in users ability to differentiate their own instruction based on

personal learning style. During a think aloud interview taking place following a 20 minute

exploration session of TBLD, teachers spent time reflecting on their learning. During this

interview, one teacher even mentioned her specific visual learning style as reason for her

excitement and engagement within the confines of the PD website (p. 69). Overall, providing

educators with instruction that, through distance learning and technological integration, can

differentiate to meet multiple types of learning needs creates an environment for all teachers to

succeed. As teachers are able to achieve goals and learn new skills, their students will be able to

meet higher standards of learning.

Self-Guidance and Efficacy. According to Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman & Yoon (as

cited in Gamrat et al., 2014, p. 1138), in order to provide teachers with the motivation and desire

to learn new skills, they need to be provided with the ability to personalize their own learning.

The TLJ system evaluated and studied by Gamrat et al. (2014) offered a unique look into a

highly structured yet extremely customizable set of distance learning PD courses. The courses

themselves were structured for science teachers from a variety of schools, and lasted for a 3-

month period. Teachers selected from their choice in course based on their own interests,

expertise, and curricular guidelines (p. 1140). Administrators and teachers alike were able to
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track both course choice and progress through a unique badge and stamp system. Teachers were

awarded stamps for lower level courses that provided information but did not require application,

and badges for courses that provided both information and relevant classroom application. While

teachers took more stamp courses than badge, it was easy to recognize what courses teachers felt

were personally meaningful. Badges required additional coursework, so it was clear to see

teachers making decisions based on what content was relevant and personal to their individual

needs. This environment, based on choice and personalization enhanced through the use of

technology, is key to providing learner empowerment (Gamrat et al., 2014). This empowerment

can lead teachers to a more direct, informative and relevant PD experience with less frustration

and time wasted.

Guo, Piasta, Justice, & Kaderavek found (as cited in Beach, 2017, p. 69) a positive

correlation between teacher self-efficacy and classroom quality. Self-efficacy for teachers is

described as a personal belief about one’s own ability as a teacher (Beach, 2017). An increase in

a teacher’s confidence in their ability can come from a variety of sources, including performance

accomplishments, vicarious experiences, and social persuasion. The badges and stamps provided

by the TLJ program provide a great example of a physical reminder of a specific

accomplishment, while both vicarious experiences and social persuasion are present in studies by

Beach (2017) and Trust (2016) respectively. While navigating the online distance learning site

The Balanced Literary Diet, teachers were able to watch other real teachers in classrooms across

the nation in teaching new and exciting lessons (Beach, 2017). Some teachers participating in the

study had their own actions and methods validated, while others were inspired and encouraged to

try new things. Participants cited authentic classrooms and lessons as a reason why they found

the PD available on TBLD so effective. As noted by participants of the study, teachers rarely
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have time to get out of their classrooms to observe other teachers in action. Through the

utilization of distance education, instructors were able to jump into another classroom without

having to leave their computers.

Time management and Convenience. Nothing means more to a teacher than their time.

Considering lesson planning, actual time spent instructing, grading, and the increased amount of

paperwork from a data driven administration, teacher time is precious. Requiring teachers to

spend specific amounts of time learning material in the same location can often seem

burdensome to the already overloaded teacher. Distance education provides teachers with the

ability to learn at their own pace, in their own place, on their own time. By removing the

restrictions of a face to face meeting, teachers can begin to participate in PD session when they

are mentally and physically prepared to (Beach, 2017). This provides teachers with the ability to

think more clearly, and focus on the content provided instead of focusing on what else they need

to accomplish. Trust (2016), Beach (2017), Gamrat et al. (2014), Maritim, (2009), Kanuka, &

Nocente, (2003) and Parvin, (2017) all cite the removal of “time, place, and situational barriers

that many professionals experience” (Kanuka, & Nocente, 2003, p. 228) as top reasons that

distance education has become so popular.

Collaboration and Community Support. As discussed earlier, social persuasion is the

third and final marker contributing to teacher efficacy. The higher a teacher’s efficacy, the higher

the classroom performs. Using the online network tool Edmodo, Trust (2016) examined the use

of informal, online, community based professional development opportunities among elementary

and secondary math educators. Edmodo is a site, similar to Facebook, which allows teachers to

join communities of likeminded members in order to share and develop ideas. Through the

provision of feedback and comments, teachers are able to receive social praise and credit for
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work that they may not otherwise feel is admired. Following an online survey, Trust selected ten

out of a total respondent group of 150 with which to conduct in depth interviews. These

interviews were meant to gain an understanding of a specific group’s usage of the informal,

collaborative network Edmodo in order to facilitate professional growth. According to Duncan-

Howell (as cited in Trust, 2016), online communities such as Edmodo are considered by teachers

to be significant forms of professional development. As Trust (2016) recognized, the connection

between these online communities and changes in teaching practice has not yet been officially

made, as many of these networks are in earlier stages. Even considering this, over half of the

respondents to Trust’s survey stated utilizing knowledge and materials gained from the Edmodo

community to enhance or supplement their lesson plans (Trust, 2017, p. 301).

Bringing Valuable Education to the Masses

In recent developments concerning distance learning, countries and locations fraught with

hardship are beginning to see distance education as a bridge out of poverty. In both Kenya and

Bangladesh, increased education has been recognized as the primary bringer of change in

relation to the climb out of poverty (Parvin, 2017 and Maritim, 2009). In order to help educate

the masses, more teachers need to be adequately trained. Proposals are being made towards the

governments of both locations to help fund increased technology initiatives in order to provide

teachers with distance education opportunities. According to Parvin (2017) teachers in

Bangladesh, specifically rural teachers, lack the ability to attend training courses in order to teach

the English classes they are required to. Citing lack of time off work, transportation, duties at

home, and other reasons Bangladesh teachers were unable to attend courses at centers aimed to

train teachers to educate other in the English language. A survey conducted by Parvin (2017)

noted that the majority of teachers had access to a television and mobile phone with a SMS
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messaging system, but lacked access to the internet. It was suggested by participants of the

survey that an interactive course incorporating television and SMS interaction would benefit the

teachers while allowing them to stay in their own homes to learn.

In Kenya, online education is currently being implemented in order to help facilitate the

growth of teachers to match the growth in young pupils. In some cases, students outnumber

teachers 90 to 1 (Maritim, 2007). Similar to the teachers of Bangladesh, Kenyan teachers cite

transportation, time, duties at home as well as cost as the main reasons that trainings are not

attended. According to Maritam, the Kenya Vision 2030 plan highlights a path to increase the

number of certified teachers by 2030 utilizing distance education tools. At this time,

implementation of this plan would be near impossible with the majority of teachers lacking a

computer at both school and home. Some more rural areas even lack electricity. Maritam points

to the need for Kenya to develop a stronger technology centered structure in order to implement

successful distance education programs. Even though the cost to set up proper distance education

systems for developing countries may seem high, it is being advocated for more and more as a

path to prosperity.

Conclusion

Overall, research conducted into the possibilities provided to teachers through the use of

distance learning based professional development is new, exciting, and varied. With many

articles agreeing on the time saving, personalized benefits of distance education, it is easy to see

why it is becoming the new preferred method of training (Kanuka & Nocente, 2003). Beach,

Gamrat et al., Trust, and Kanuka & Nocente provided studies with triangulated data, helping to

prove the validity of their research. The larger, overarching question is whether or not studies

with such a small sample size can really be attributed to a larger, more complex mass of
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educators. As noted in the studies, they were not mean to be generalized to a large population,

but this could be an interesting area for further research. The other flaw that was noticed

regarding the studies conducted, specifically Beach (2017), Trust (2016), Kanuka & Nocente

(2003), and Gamrat et al. (2014) was the fact that all study participants were volunteers. Those

who spend time voluntarily completing PD courses in order to help a study are few and far

between, and often possess similar characteristics towards motivation and behavior. Providing

further research on teachers that find themselves less motivated to volunteer for distance PD

courses could provide administrators and teachers with a much better view of the effectiveness

and usefulness of distance PD. This being considered, teachers are still often considered one of

the hardest groups of people to educate, as they will expect more from their tutors. Choice based

distance education can work to provide these educators with relevant content knowledge using a

method that naturally goes hand and hand with differentiated education, hopefully even

encouraging the most reluctant teacher to participate in useful, online PD.

In considering my final project, I feel that my research can provide me with a solid base

to promote a distance course focused on teacher professional development. Recognizing my own

feelings regarding the effectiveness of the current methods of face to face PD, I find the research

regarding the use of badges to track progress (Gamrat et al., 2014) as well as differentiated

instruction methods encouraging. Even in considering the faults, I look forward to evaluating

both the methods used in the studies as well as the responses from individual teachers in the

development of a PD course for my final project. In conversing with my partner, we will be

combining our research knowledge base to create a teacher centered professional development

course utilizing real time communication and relationship building. This will help to promote
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teacher self-efficacy through the use of social interaction as shown in Trust (2016), as well as

provide development that is specific to content, convenient, and differentiated.

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References

Beach, P. (2017). Self-directed online learning: A theoretical model for understanding

elementary teachers' online learning experiences. Teaching And Teacher

Education, 6160-72. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2016.10.007

Gamrat, C., Zimmerman, H. T., Dudek, J., & Peck, K. (2014). Personalized workplace learning:

An exploratory study on digital badging within a teacher professional development

program. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 45(6), 1136-1148.

Kanuka, H., & Nocente, N. (2003). Exploring the effects of personality type on perceived

satisfaction with web-based learning in continuing professional development. Distance

Education, 24(2), 227-244.

Maritim, E. K. (2009). The distance learning mode of training teachers in Kenya: challenges,

prospects, and suggested policy framework. Open Learning, 24(3), 241-254.

Parvin, I. (2017). A conceptual framework of virtual interactive teacher training through open

and distance learning for the remote areas English teachers of Bangladesh. The Turkish

Online Journal Of Distance Education, Vol 18, Iss 1, Pp 157-165 (2017), (1), 157.

Professional development (2013, August 29). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary of education

reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/professional-development/

Trust, T. (2016). New model of teacher learning in an online network. Journal Of Research

On Technology In Education, 48(4), 290-305.