Designing Open and Distance Learning for Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A toolkit for educators and planners

Everyone remembers a good teacher. Good teachers are the key to educational expansion and improvement. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to expand the number of primary and secondary teachers. In all African countries, there is an equally important need to improve the quality of teaching. To achieve this, it is clear that new approaches to teacher education are essential. Existing institutions of teacher education will continue to play an important role, but, alone, they will not meet the goals of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. It is fortunate that, just as the twin needs to improve the quantity and quality of teachers become imperative, so new forms of education and training are becoming available. The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), which can offer training and support of a type and at a cost hitherto impossible to consider, and thus, must be fully explored given the scale and urgency of demand. In doing so, however, it will be necessary to build on existing and well-tested strategies, including the best models of open and distance learning. This toolkit is the third in a series of recent publications by the Africa Region Human Development Department of the World Bank to share knowledge and experience on how distance education and ICTs can support education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes the rigorous process by which new forms of distance-education programs for teacher education can be planned and implemented. The best models of established programs are considered along with the potential for incorporating, as the means become available, new modes of communication. Most forms of teacher education, particularly those concerned with qualification upgrading and ongoing professional development, will have to be based in schools. The authors demonstrate how school-based programs, appropriately resourced and supported, have the potential not only to raise significantly the number and quality of teachers, but also to improve classroom practice and school organization, generally. The guidance and advice, which is drawn from many years of experience in design and implementation, and embraces a range of case studies from across the region, will be of considerable value to those preparing new policies and programs of teacher education and to those seeking to improve existing programs

Pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences: Courses based on the active learning model and environment

An active learning environment is a technology-enriched and interactive physical space convenient for applying cooperative, active and engaged learning. It allows focus on engaging experiences for students and faculty. This study investigated pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences in courses in an active learning environment. Eighty pre-service teachers participated in two separate courses designed according to active learning strategies in an active learning classroom. Findings indicated that participants’ perceptions about the courses were positive for cognitive awareness, respectability, individual responsibility, cooperation and active participation. Further, their perceptions and experiences regarding the active learning model and environment were positive. Participants also expressed their views about using an active environment in the learning process and instructors conducting courses in these environments

Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World: Lessons From Exemplary Leadership Development Programs

Presents eight case studies of effective school leadership training programs and provides the key characteristics of high-quality training to help states and districts address long-standing weaknesses in the way principals are prepared for their jobs

Los Angeles Unified School District Arts Education and Creative Cultural Network Plan

This paper describes the 2012-2017 plan for funding arts education in the Los Angeles Unified School District. This mission for this project is as follows: The Visual and Performing Arts are an integral part of the District's comprehensive curriculum and are essential for learning in the 21st century. All LAUSD students, from every culture and socioeconomic level, deserve quality arts learning in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts as part of the core curriculum

A Three Part Dissertation: Evaluating A High School District Extended-period Mathematics Program Using Frequent, Unannounced, Focused, And Short Classroom Observations To Support Classroom Instruction Utilizing Classroom Observations To Inform Teaching And Learning: A Policy Advocacy Document

Dissertation Organization Statement This document is organized to meet the three-part dissertation requirement of the National Louis University (NLU) Educational Leadership (EDL) Doctoral Program. The National Louis Educational Leadership Ed.D is a professional practice degree program (Shulman, Golde, Bueschel, & Garabedian, 2006). For the dissertation requirement, doctoral candidates are required to plan, research, and implement three major projects, one each year, within their school or district with a focus on professional practice. The three projects are: Program Evaluation Change Leadership Plan Policy Advocacy Documen

Sustainable eLearning in a Changing Landscape: A Scoping Study (SeLScope)

The report begins by exploring the concept of sustainable e-learning - defining it and establishing its characteristics in the context of Higher Education. To ensure a sound and systematic process, the review is informed by a five-phase methodological framework for scoping reviews by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Examples and perspectives on the concept of sustainable e-learning are summarised and key factors impacting on sustainability are abstracted. highlights potential gaps and suggests directions for further research on the topic

Assessing Professional Development Needs of Elementary Teachers Implementing Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

A descriptive study was conducted to identify authentic professional development needs of elementary teachers preparing, implementing, and maintaining inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classrooms in Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to contribute information of identified professional development needs of elementary teachers to current research on responsible inclusive education. Data were collected from 325 elementary teachers randomly assigned to the sample using a 65-item survey designed for this study. Three subsections of the survey, Assessing Professional Development Needs of Teachers Implementing Inclusion in Grades PreK-8, assessed the perceived needs of conditions, areas, and foundations of effective professional development by determining the discrepancies between observed and desired scales. Demographic factors included years of teaching experience, level of education, level of experience working with students with disabilities, current stage of involvement with an inclusive programs, and amount of formal or college course work in special education. The data were analyzed with an analysis of variance to determine significance between and within groups and a post hoc test determined specific significant groups. The factors that determined the most significance were level of experience working with students with disabilities and current stage of involvement with an inclusive program. Conclusions of the study reveal the need for professional development based on professional growth stages and relevant to present working conditions and events

Blended Learning in a Corporate Training Environment

Classroom-based training by itself is becoming too costly and difficult to manage. Organizations that embrace a blended learning model of training increase employee learning by utilizing a combination of technology and face-to-face classroom facilitation. It is the responsibility of the training manager to design a blended learning program that is cost effective, strategically efficient, and yields motivated, skilled, and productive employees. In this project, this researcher provides data that leadership can use to make an informed decision on training strategies using the blended learning format. A PowerPoint presentation contains definitions and discussions about various electronic learning platforms, instructional design, and adult learning theory

Recommendations to Improve Active Learning Implementation at the National Security Space Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The purpose of this research study was to provide recommendations to university leaders to improve active learning implementation at the National Security Space Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The problem is that 80% of the faculty at the National Security Space Institute faced a forced transition into active learning with no pre-evaluation, coordination, or effective training with the faculty. (NSSI, n.d.). A study conducted to identify and provide recommendations will help improve active learning implementation at the National Security Space Institute. This is an applied research study using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This research study addresses the central question of “How can this research study improve active learning implementation at the National Security Space Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado?” There were three forms of data collection: interviews, a focus group, and a survey. The first approach to data collection was qualitative semi-structured interviews with faculty department heads. A focus group with civilian administrators and active-duty leadership was the second data collection approach. The third data collection approach, which was quantitative, involved a survey administered to the faculty. The qualitative data were analyzed using coding, pattern, and theme categorization. The quantitative data was analyzed using Excel for descriptive statistics such as frequencies, averages, and percentages