Open, Distance, and eLearning for Continuing Professional Development: A Reflective Case Study
Keywords:
Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL), self-directed learningAbstract
Traditionally, continuing professional development for teachers has taken the form of in-person workshops in which senior teachers, and teacher trainers, model desired classroom practice. With increasing use of technology in classrooms and increasing use of blended and online provision through open schooling to address the shortage of secondary school spaces and teachers, modelling best practice should now logically include continuing professional development offered through these means. Moreover, the pace of development in technology, particularly the recent explosion of applications based on generative artificial intelligence, means that the notion of ‘continuing’ professional development takes on a new urgency. This case study, based on recent work in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific undertaken by the Commonwealth of Learning, outlines some of the principles of and lessons of experience from the use of open, distance and e-learning approaches for the continuing professional development of teachers. It suggests that there is a need to offer professional development opportunities in manageable bite-size chunks from a menu of options, enabling self-directed and just-in-time learning. Educators can immediately apply new knowledge to improve their practice while also accumulating skills over time.
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