McREL's Online Learning Communities show promising results
June 5, 2006
Denver
—
A new research study reports that McREL's Online Learning Communities program, a Web-based professional development program, has positive influences on teacher collaboration and the development of a professional community - two important conditions needed to improve instruction and raise student achievement.
Research shows that collective learning and peer support are key characteristics of effective teacher professional development. But creating these conditions can be difficult for small, isolated rural schools and districts. McREL created the Online Learning Communities program (originally titled the Rural Technology Initiative) in order to provide isolated rural educators with high-quality, yet affordable, teacher professional development.
Online Learning Communities provide teachers with intensive training and collegial learning opportunities in an array of areas. The particular focus of the learning communities studied was McREL's manual, Classroom Instruction that Works, which identifies nine research-based instructional strategies that improve student achievement. Twice a month, teachers learned these strategies through online classes. Between classes, they participated in threaded online discussions with one another and McREL experts to share their experiences and receive further guidance on how to apply these strategies in their classrooms. At the same time, school leaders participated in monthly classes designed to help them become more effective instructional leaders.
The study, which was conducted by the Central Region Educational Laboratory at McREL, found that those teachers who participated more in the program reported greater improvement in their instructional practices. Participating principals also reported a positive influence on their leadership practices, and both teachers and administrators were very satisfied with the content and delivery of the professional development program.
The study was conducted in accordance with federal standards for scientifically based research. McREL researchers chose seven pairs of schools, which were "matched" according to rural status, demographic profiles, and technology environments, to participate in the study. Within each pair, one school was randomly assigned to a treatment group and one to a control group.
Between April 2004 and May 2005, the treatment group participated in the Online Learning Communities program. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention teacher surveys, administrator interviews and surveys, and focus groups. Researchers also analyzed the online threaded discussions for their level of sophistication.
"These findings demonstrate that teachers can, in fact, receive high-quality professional development through the Web," said Howard Pitler, McREL's Director of Educational Technology. "As a result, educators in even the most remote locations can receive the kind of intensive, ongoing professional learning opportunities that they need to help their students succeed."
McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2005, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 45 states in the U.S. and 3 foreign countries.
