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Online Learning Essentials: Becoming an Online Teacher
(TDG 2012/16)
Leader: Hennie Yip [EDC]
Leader's email: N/A
Other Members: Jennifer Evans [EDC], Ian Brown [EDC], Roy Kam [EDC], WT Luk [EDC]
(TDG 2012/16)
Leader: Hennie Yip [EDC]
Leader's email: N/A
Other Members: Jennifer Evans [EDC], Ian Brown [EDC], Roy Kam [EDC], WT Luk [EDC]
Objectives:
The overall project objective is to provide online experiences to support the adoption of Blackboard, its integration into mainstream learning and teaching and to promote good practice and innovation. This approach is required for the University in order to provide basic, essential foundations for the use of the LMS and its wider adoption by teachers at PolyU.
The project will:
- Design and deliver three online modules to provide teachers with the framework to effectively develop and implement online teaching within their own subject discipline.
- Organise events for the dissemination of examples of good practice in Blackboard use and to recognize achievements in blended learning by teaching staff at PolyU
- Give recognition to staff who complete all three modules of the BOT course
Remarks:
The Becoming an Online Teacher course is one example of how blended professional development activities can be delivered at the University. This course has provided a concrete and tangible way in which teachers can authentically experience and engage with blended learning as both a learner and a teacher, whilst having the support to adopt new, innovative practices that can directly impact and influence their own students. The way the course has been designed and delivered has demonstrated the effectiveness and impact of an action learning approach for professional development in Higher Education.
Initial results (both qualitative and quantitative) have shown that teachers who have completed the BOT course now have the fundamental knowledge to design quality blended learning activities in their subjects that are constructively aligned to the learning outcomes, whilst making more appropriate use of the Blackboard Learning Management System.
This project has also provided the foundation for the UGC Cross-Institutional Project: BOLT (Blended and Online Learning and Teaching) that will aim to deliver blended professional development to other institutions in Hong Kong. Much of the concept and materials designed here will be re-adapted for this purpose and there is already much evidence (internally at PolyU and internationally) to suggest that teachers appreciate and value this type of support and development.
Continuing professional development for teachers is crucial but often competes with many other commitments such as departmental responsibilities and teaching workload. This has often been expressed as an issue by participants on the BOT course and so ways to provide incentives to engage, reward and recognise teachers who participate on extensive professional development during semester time needs to be reviewed. This would allow for maximum benefit and impact for participants who engage with of a course such as BOT, and thus allow teachers the time to effectively implement, reflect and cascade their learning directly into their teaching practice.
The effectiveness and influence of a course like BOT requires appropriate staffing to deliver the teaching, support new and experienced teachers and to ensure quality subject matter. In addition, the blended mode of delivery requires experienced facilitators to ensure teachers are provided with an authentic and immersive learning experience that demonstrates credibility, good practices and examples for teachers to adopt and be inspired by. Therefore appropriate staffing in eLDSS with relevant skills and experience will need to be in place in order to support similar initiatives in the future to maintain quality and impact.
Outcomes & Deliverables:
- Becoming an Online Teacher (BOT) Course Materials (example)
- Evans, J., & Yip, H. (2014, March). Using blended learning to develop blended teaching: Blackboard professional development at PolyU. Invited speech at the Blackboard User Group Forum 2014, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
- Yip, H., & Evans, J. (2014, July). It's applied, collaborative and blended! Going beyond the point-and-click workshop. Paper presented at the Blackboard World 2014, Las Vegas, USA.
- Yip, H. (2014, November). A blended professional development course: Becoming an Online Teacher. Paper presented at the Chinese Higher Education Development Network 2014, Shanghai, China.
- Nicoll, J., & Yip, H. (2015, April). Using learning management systems (LMS) in English for Specific Purposes contexts. Paper presented at the International Conference on English Education, Shih Chien University, Taiwan.
- Zhou, J. L., Yip, H., Wu, J. (2015, May). Transforming disengaged computing students to active learners by peer-evaluated case study. Paper presented at the International Conference: Assessment for Learning in Higher Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Disclaimer
The experiences reported in this section are collected from the project leaders. EDC is not liable for the accuracy of information and possible infringements of copyright associated with individual cases.
