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The education landscape at all levels is changing at a dramatic rate due to the influx and ongoing expansion of technology. Professors in higher education are faced with the challenge of not only incorporating technology into their courses, but utilizing effective instructional practices that blend technology and content to maximize learning. This article identifies various professional development strategies that have been used to establish a meaningful technology training program for professors in higher education. It also highlights the qualities of an effective online instructor that equips professors with the knowledge and skills necessary to strategically integrate technology into their teaching. The strategies and techniques discussed have had positive results with professors significantly enriching the delivery of content to make it interesting, interactive, and meaningful, while encouraging students in their classes to interact, collaborate, create, and communicate more effectively.

Ncpea publications

This manuscript has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and endorsed by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of education administration. In addition to publication in the Connexions Content Commons, this module is published in the NCPEA Handbook of Online Instruction and Programs in Education Leadership, ISBN 978-1-4507-7263-1. In addition, at the end of this manuscript, author Shinsky provides readers a PowerPoint presentation entitled, Implementing an Effective Technology Training Program in Higher Education: 10 Do's and Dont's

    Editors

  • Janet Tareilo, Stephen F. Austin State University
  • Brad Bizzell, Virginia Tech

    Associate Editors

  • Beverly Irby, Sam Houston State University
  • Rosemary Papa, Northern Arizona University
  • Thomas Valesky, Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Theodore Creighton, Virginia Tech

    About the Author

  • John Shinsky is a professor of Educational Leadership at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.

Introduction

The implementation and use of technology is changing education on a daily basis. Students are using technology to access information from a broad base of resources that were never available in the past. This influx of access to information is requiring faculty and staff in higher education to respond to a student population that views technology as a natural part of their world. However, many instructors in higher education are not as comfortable with the use of technology and the understanding of how to effectively integrate it into their instruction. This paper addresses this problem by focusing on two key areas, using effective professional development strategies and highlighting what good online professors do when teaching. There are an array of methods and techniques for technology training; however, the strategies emphasized in this paper were derived from an ongoing effort to build a support structure that best met the needs of the faculty members who are presently working at our university. In addition, it was important to create a foundation for training that would be sustainable over time. The intent was to establish a culture that valued professional development, emphasized the importance for the training, and built in support structures that were available, responsive, respectful, and created a community of learners. This work is extremely important because it focuses on the faculty and staff needs, with the intent of empowering them to learn in a safe and supportive environment that enhances teaching and promotes learning for students. It also equips the faculty with the 21 st century skills that best prepare their students to survive and flourish in a global society that is undergoing significant transformation.

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Source:  OpenStax, Ncpea handbook of online instruction and programs in education leadership. OpenStax CNX. Mar 06, 2012 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11375/1.24
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