Lundstrem, K. A. (2012). Exploring the effectiveness of online professional development in developing skills in computer-mediated communication technologies. (Publication No. 3484700) [Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Abstract:

“While online professional development is an increasingly valuable means of providing busy educators with flexible, convenient learning opportunities, a lack of empirical research exists that determines its effectiveness. Part of this gap is due to the complex nature of assessing educational technology. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to explore the effectiveness of online professional development in terms of both helping faculty members acquire the knowledge to integrate computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies into teaching and then apply this knowledge to their own teaching practice. The study was conducted at a large, public college located in New York City. The quantitative portion of this research involved a survey of 24 faculty members, who have participated in an online professional development seminar, with a modified version of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey that measures educators’ self-assessment of their combined knowledge of various educational domains. Descriptive statistics indicated the percentages of faculty members who agreed with statements concerning the usage of CMC tools. The data indicated that 22 (91.7%) of the surveyed professors agreed or strongly agreed that they could appropriately select and use CMC technologies as a result of the online professional development seminar. The surveyed participants used all of the CMC tools, but they primarily used the discussion board. The qualitative portion of this research involved an expert sampling of six additional faculty members, who were asked to participate in a concurrent focus group. The focus group transcript was analyzed according to themes. “Confidence and experience” emerged as one of the themes, which supported the quantitative survey data that showed the online professional development was effective at giving the professors the confidence and experience to teach with CMC tools. However, focus group members indicated a need for more subject-specific training, which they believed could be resolved through online mentorship. The data collected only applies to this small case study, so the findings are only relevant within this specific instance. Future studies are suggested to be conducted on a larger scale and should explore the role of mentorship to fulfill the need for subject-specific online professional development.”