Should online and in-person professional development classes be taught differently? Research suggests classes should be customized for the environment. In a recent issue of the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, results from a year-long study illustrate successes from PBS TeacherLine and reveal best practices for preparing and supporting online faculty. The study comes on the heels of PBS TeacherLine receiving the Association of Educational Publishers’ 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Professional Development, which honors the best in a range of product types and resources used by teachers, parents, and students.
PBS TeacherLine offers more than 80 online, facilitated courses in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, technology integration, instructional strategies, instructional technology and STEM. The courses are based on research-supported pedagogy, aligned with Common Core State Standards, individual state and national education standards and benchmarks. PBS TeacherLine’s commitment to providing high quality professional development for its online instructors has contributed substantially to the program’s decade-long history of success. A study of PBS TeacherLine’s efforts includes these additional advantages:
- A well-defined, exclusively online environment
- Dedicated resources for supporting and developing online instructors that move beyond course mechanics and toward enhancing professional skills
- Research-based practices for adult learning and continuous improvement through peer review and formative assessment
- High-quality online instruction without the parallel responsibility for course development
- Inquiry-based adult learning that incorporates tested principles with activities that can be measured
Later this year, PBS TeacherLine will offer five new professional development graduate-level courses that will include resources from Annenberg Learner, a leading creator of pedagogy and content courses for teacher professional development. The Annenberg content expands PBS TeacherLine’s course catalog to include history and strengthens existing math and science course offerings.
For more information visit www.pbs.org/teacherline.
