Abstract
This chapter explores the experiences of the #Openteach project team in develo** a flexible and evidence-based approach to support professional learning for those who teach online. It offers advice and guidance, derived from our analysis of the scholarly literature, talking with our students (teachers) and based on our own reflections upon our work in the project with hundreds of learners who were eager to teach in more engaging and successful ways online. The project had several phases, including a needs analysis of effective online teaching, the publication of a review of the literature, and a pilot evaluation report. The #Openteach course ran in March 2020 and focused on five key aspects of teaching online: social presence, facilitating discussion, collaboration online, live online teaching, and supporting online students. Data were generated via online focus groups and online questionnaires. Our findings suggest that walking in the shoes of the online learner has a powerful impact on teachers and allows them to bring empathic approaches to bear in their professional practice. We conclude with consideration of whether a larger scale adoption of the open, flexible, and online approach to professional learning can better support access to CPLD for all educators.
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Farrell, O., Brunton, J., Shé, C.N., Costello, E. (2022). Professional Learning for Open Online Educators: The #Openteach Story. In: Forbes, D., Walker, R. (eds) Develo** Online Teaching in Higher Education. Professional and Practice-based Learning, vol 29. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5587-7_2
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