Allen and Seaman (2007) stated in a Sloan Consortium report that nearly two-thirds of post-secondary institutions provided distance education courses in a variety of degree programs. Concerns have arisen about the effectiveness of online graduate programs compared to more traditional approaches in higher education settings. This research study investigated the effectiveness of an online Educational Technology Leadership (ETL) master’s program to advance graduates’ leadership in the use of online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and technology professional development in PK-12 schools. A review of the literature indicated agreement that leadership is vital to continuous school improvement and the quality of teachers directly impacts PK-12 student learning (Podmostko, 2001). Furthermore, building the leadership of technology using teachers appeared to be of significant interest to ensure all PK-12 students receive high quality instruction using 21st century technology tools. A convergent mixed methods research design was selected for this study. All graduates of the online ETL master’s program were invited to participate in a Likert-style online survey with open-ended questions. Also, 60 graduates’ electronic portfolios were examined. The survey and open-ended questions were completed by 110 of 271 possible participants (41%). The research results indicated ETL online program graduates exhibited leadership in personal use and campus implementation of online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and technology professional development. Moreover, graduates expressed interest in expanded career options in leadership roles as administrators, district technology coordinators, and technology professional development providers. The study’s implications included a need for higher education faculty to collaborate with and support candidates beyond graduation to ensure transference of program components into PK-12 environments. ETL faculty should consider providing opportunities for ongoing collaboration, leadership development, and support for ETL graduates such as online professional development, web conferencing, Web 2.0 interactive sites, conference participation, presentations, and networking with individuals employed in leadership roles.
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.
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 Authors
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Diane R. Mason (Ph.D.) is Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership and Technology, at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas where she teaches administrative leadership and technology coursework for Master’s and Doctoral candidates enrolled in fully online programs. She obtained a Ph.D. through the University of New Orleans. Research interests include technology and administrative leadership, online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and technology professional development. Additionally, she is currently involved in an international electronic portfolio research initiative for the Coalition for Inter/National Electronic Portfolio Research.
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L. Kay Abernathy (Ed.D.) is Associate Professor and Coordinator, Educational Technology Leadership, Lamar University. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include leadership in Web 2.0 tools, online learning, technology professional development, and implementation of electronic portfolios in PK-12 schools. A special project focuses on research within the Cohort VI of the Coalition for Inter/National Electronic Portfolio Research.
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Sheryl R. Abshire (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership and Technology at Lamar University. She teaches graduate students enrolled in educational administration and technology programs. As a graduate of the University of New Orleans with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration, her research interests include school law, school funding, Web 2.0, online learning, administrative and technology leadership and technology professional development. Additionally, she is engaged in an international research project with the Coalition for Inter/National Electronic Portfolio Research.
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Cynthia Cummings (M.Ed.) is a clinical instructor, Educational Leadership and Technology, at Lamar University. Her areas of research interest include technology leadership with an emphasis on the use of Web 2.0, online learning, and technology professional development in PK-12. In addition, she is currently conducting research on the use of electronic portfolios in PK-12 schools as a part of the Inter/National Electronic Portfolio Research project.
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Xinyu Liu (Ph.D.) is Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering Department at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006. His research and teaching interests include micro-manufacturing and application of statistical tools in experimental design, quality improvement, etc. He is currently involved in the data analysis component of the international electronic portfolio research project with colleagues in the Educational Leadership and Technology Department, Lamar University.
