Practice-Based Professional DevelopmentPractice-Based Professional Development

Daniel C. EdelsonDaniel C. Edelson

GEODE InitiativeGEODE Initiative

School of Education and Social PolicySchool of Education and Social Policy

Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

BackgroundBackground

Systemic science education reformSystemic science education reform• Curriculum design & implementationCurriculum design & implementation• Professional development design and implementationProfessional development design and implementation• Organization and leadership development design and Organization and leadership development design and

implementationimplementation

““Design and implementation” = engineering approach to Design and implementation” = engineering approach to researchresearch

ContextContext

Environmental and Earth system science educationEnvironmental and Earth system science education• Project-basedProject-based• Integrated science content and practicesIntegrated science content and practices• Use of technology to support inquiry (e.g., GIS)Use of technology to support inquiry (e.g., GIS)

Urban and NationalUrban and National• High school, middle school (and postsecondary)High school, middle school (and postsecondary)• Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Center for Learning Technologies in Urban

SchoolsSchools• Chicago High School Transformation ProjectChicago High School Transformation Project• GEODE InitiativeGEODE Initiative

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CommitmentsCommitments

Professional development must be directly linked to the work of Professional development must be directly linked to the work of teaching. teaching. • In our case that means a specific curriculum they are using. In our case that means a specific curriculum they are using.

Should address both the big ideas that teachers need Should address both the big ideas that teachers need and and the daily the daily challenges they face. challenges they face. • E.g., both why technology matters and how to manage E.g., both why technology matters and how to manage

technology activities in different facilities. technology activities in different facilities.

Based on an understanding of the teacher population and its Based on an understanding of the teacher population and its needs, especially career stage. needs, especially career stage. • E.g., differentiated for new teachers and experiencedE.g., differentiated for new teachers and experienced

Commitments, cont’d. Commitments, cont’d.

Must be designed with a clear set of learning goals and a process for Must be designed with a clear set of learning goals and a process for maintaining alignment between the design and the goalsmaintaining alignment between the design and the goals• We use an amalgam of backwards design and traditional We use an amalgam of backwards design and traditional

instructional design approaches to the process. instructional design approaches to the process.

Must be designed using a research-based learning model.Must be designed using a research-based learning model.• We use the same “Learning-for-Use” learning cycle model that we We use the same “Learning-for-Use” learning cycle model that we

use for student materialsuse for student materials• Motivate teachers based on clear usefulness of what they are learning.Motivate teachers based on clear usefulness of what they are learning.• Construct knowledge through a variety of direct and indirect Construct knowledge through a variety of direct and indirect

experiences. experiences. • Reflect on what they are learning. Reflect on what they are learning. • Apply what they are learning by doing the work of the teaching as part Apply what they are learning by doing the work of the teaching as part

of the professional development. of the professional development.

What does this look like?What does this look like?

Teachers do the activities from the curriculum (role-play Teachers do the activities from the curriculum (role-play student)student)

Teachers observe students and teachersTeachers observe students and teachersTeachers reflect on the learning challenges for their Teachers reflect on the learning challenges for their

studentsstudentsTeachers plan for implementation within the PDTeachers plan for implementation within the PDTeachers role-play teachingTeachers role-play teachingTeachers reflectTeachers reflectTeachers interact with each other and with PD Teachers interact with each other and with PD

facilitators/coaches on an ongoing basis during the facilitators/coaches on an ongoing basis during the implementation.implementation.

Impact of Online Professional Development Impact of Online Professional Development (IOPD) Project(IOPD) Project

Study funded by NSF Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) Study funded by NSF Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) ProgramProgram

Randomized trial (48 hours of PD)Randomized trial (48 hours of PD)• All: 2-day summer orientationAll: 2-day summer orientation• Face-to-face: 4-day summer workshopFace-to-face: 4-day summer workshop• Moderated online: 2-day summer orientation + moderated Moderated online: 2-day summer orientation + moderated

online workshops with faclitator encouragement and feedbackonline workshops with faclitator encouragement and feedback• Unmoderated online: 2-day summer orientation + moderated Unmoderated online: 2-day summer orientation + moderated

online workshopsonline workshopsOutcome measures:Outcome measures:

• Teacher attitudes (self-report), content (assessed), teaching Teacher attitudes (self-report), content (assessed), teaching practices (self-report and sampled observations) practices (self-report and sampled observations)

• Student learning and attitude outcomesStudent learning and attitude outcomes

Thinking About Online PDThinking About Online PD

Is online a challenge or an opportunity?Is online a challenge or an opportunity?

Is online a challenge or an opportunity?Is online a challenge or an opportunity?

O: Proximal to teachingO: Proximal to teachingO: OngoingO: OngoingC: Limits of medium for social interactionC: Limits of medium for social interactionC: Invisibility of othersC: Invisibility of othersO: Persistence of PD and products. O: Persistence of PD and products. O: Unique capabilities of technology for learning interactionsO: Unique capabilities of technology for learning interactionsO: Cheap to implement at large scale or across geographic O: Cheap to implement at large scale or across geographic

distancedistanceC: Expensive to create ($$ and expertise)C: Expensive to create ($$ and expertise)O: Compatible with teachers’ schedulesO: Compatible with teachers’ schedulesC: Competes with other teacher commitmentsC: Competes with other teacher commitmentsC: Not a captive audienceC: Not a captive audience

What will we find?What will we find?

1.1. Design and implementation of online PD is hard (harder?). Design and implementation of online PD is hard (harder?). 2.2. Outcomes? Outcomes?

• Stay tuned…Stay tuned…

The GEODE InitiativeThe GEODE Initiativehttp://www.geode.northwestern.eduhttp://www.geode.northwestern.edu

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. ESI-9720687, ESI-0227557, ESI-0455582, REC-9720383.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.