The teaching profession is in wide agreement about the importance and potential of professional development. The school calendar has long featured a spattering of inset days and twilight sessions, and the options seem ever-expanding.
Even before the pandemic rocketed online learning into focus, professional development via the internet had been growing in popularity. This is hardly surprising given the convenience it provides in terms of timing and flexibility.
But does online professional development work? And if teachers’ time is limited, is it a viable option for something as essential as this?
The effectiveness of online learning
The key question is whether online learning can be effective at all.
In fact, one study which focused on courses in higher education found that online and face-to-face courses are similarly effective. Its authors highlight the advantage of carefully structured and designed online courses as well as higher reported levels of engagement and satisfaction.
While that study focused on higher education, another study specifically examined teachers’ professional development workshops, both online and in-person. They found that there was no significant difference on teachers’ learning, self-efficacy beliefs or their pupils’ learning.
So it seems like, at least in a few instances, online CPD can be effective – a relief to those of us who work in the field! But just because it can be doesn’t mean it will be.
Research also points to crucial elements of online courses that play a role in their effectiveness.
The key ingredients
It’s natural that school leaders and teachers would want to invest time and money in the best available CPD. If online can be just as good as in-person, what should the key indicators be?
First, learners’ interaction and collaboration play a role. A study with trainee teachers showed that groups with some sort of live interaction (‘synchronous’), either in-person or online, outperformed groups without it (‘asynchronous’). It appears some sort of real interaction is important, but whether this happens online or face-to-face is not.
Beyond this, the EEF has helpfully summarised the research into effective CPD in a convenient guidance report. It offers three main recommendations for any programme of CPD:
- Focus on observable, evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective (‘mechanisms’).
- Build teachers’ knowledge and motivation, while offering clear strategies and habits.
- Adapt the programme to the needs and context of the particular school.
These recommendations are as valid for online professional development as for the in-person variety.
This means you can choose the style and model of professional learning that you prefer and works best for you. If you like the flexibility of online courses, go for it. If you prefer a collaborative meeting with colleagues over tea and cake, that’s perfect. If you like getting to ‘meet’ educational celebrities during a webinar, tune in.
Ultimately, effective CPD is better defined by these characteristics than by its mode of presentation.
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