Professional Development in the Online Classroom

Authors

  • Heather Kanuka University of Alberta
  • Norma Nocente University of Alberta

Abstract

Many professionals wishing to participate in continuing professional education experience barriers as they try to juggle work, family, and their professional development activities. As a result, providers are under pressure to change the style, method, and administration of their professional development programs in an effort to meet the needs of today's busy professionals. Struggling with this issue, providers of professional development have begun to look at technology-mediated distance learning as a solution, with the World Wide Web being the technology of choice. This article reports on online participants' perceived satisfaction with a Web-based course in mandatory and credentialed continuing professional education. In addition, some course takers who chose not to participate in the online learning option were surveyed. Implications are twofold. First, the findings indicate that the Web is an excellent medium for facilitating credentialed and mandatory professional development where the main purpose is to update the participants with new and changing information. Second, computermediated conferencing should be explored as an extension of Web-based professional development.

Résumé

Nombre de professionnels désireux de suivre un programme de formation permanente sont tiraillés entre leurs obligations professionnelles et familiales et le besoin de faire progresser leur carrière. Afin de répondre aux besoins actuels de ces professionnels, les fournisseurs doivent procéder à des ajustements à leurs programmes de développement professionnel, sur les plans du genre, de la méthode et de l'administration. Soucieux de trouver une solution à ce problème, les fournisseurs de programmes de développement professionnel se tournent dorénavant vers la technologie, plus précisément vers la formation à distance par Internet. Le présent article fait état du niveau de satisfaction rapporté par des participants qui ont suivi un cours par Internet, dans le cadre d'un programme de formation obligatoire menant à une attestation professionnelle. En outre, certains étudiants qui avaient choisi de ne pas suivre le cours par Internet ont également été sondés. Les résultats de l'étude peuvent être divisés en deux volets. Dans un premier temps, les données révèlent que l'Internet constitue un excellent médium quand il s'agit de faciliter les efforts de développement nécessaires à l'obtention d'une attestation professionnelle, dans les cas où le but principal du programme est d'informer les participants des nouveautés et des changements survenus dans leur domaine. Dans un second temps, il y aurait lieu de se pencher sur l'utilisation des visioconférences sur Internet en tant que prolongement du développement professionnel par Internet.

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Published

2002-05-01

How to Cite

Kanuka, H., & Nocente, N. (2002). Professional Development in the Online Classroom. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 16(1), 34–55. Retrieved from https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae/article/view/1898

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2002)

Section

Articles

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