Ed Tech PD Framework

Screen Shot 2014-06-09 at 6.05.58 PMWelcome to Ed Tech Professional Development at HCT

Continually emerging technology in the 21st century has created an even stronger need among the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) to provide staff with high quality Professional Development (PD) sessions to support the latest HCT initiatives of mobile learning, applied learning and educational technology in general. The site provides a system level educational technology PD framework which will be implemented by the central EdTech team with the help of the college level EdTech professionals.   Here you will find information and registration details on system-wide certification courses alongside conferences, workshops and other programs tailored to provide staff ongoing professional development in the use of Educational Technology at HCT. System-wide certification courses offered at HCT align to the Ed Tech Professional Development Framework.

Staff in the HCT system have different levels of expertise. Some staff have high levels of IT proficiency, generally belonging to the CISAC, Ed Tech and Engineering departments. On the other hand, there are staff who have average levels of IT proficiency such as those in the Foundations, Education, Business and Health departments. The PD offered have been catered to meet these expectations.

About the Ed Tech PD Framework

System-wide certification benefits include:

  • common learning outcomes and assessment strategies which ensures consistency and maintains overall system quality.
  • nationally and internationally benchmarked.
  • used by faculty as evidence of PD in the annual employee performance management system (EPMS).
  • serve as a “Recognition of Prior Learning” to gain credits in future studies.
  • part of a central registry, which aids in tracking and auditing for accreditation purposes.

The framework is based primarily on the TPACK model which describes the areas of knowledge faculty need in order to effectively use technology in the classroom.  All staff entering the HCT system are expected to be proficient in all three learning domains as shown in the diagram below, but with differing backgrounds and levels of expertise in teaching and learning this can vary. In addition, being proficient in using technology doesn’t mean the pedagogy, content and technology are being effectively integrated.

 

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The framework also draws on theories from the SAMR Model (Ruben R. Puentedura, 2009) and best practices from the HCT’s LBD strategy.

 

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SAMR Model

Being proficient in using technology doesn’t mean the pedagogy, content and technology are being effectively integrated. With the continual introduction and review of educational innovations, there is always a need for faculty to develop their pedagogical and technological skills in order to create engaging lessons, elevate the learning process and prepare the students for the 21st century work environment.

Considering this, the HCT needs to prioritize the delivery strategy and target certain groups of faculty that fall under the following broad categories:

  • Pedagogical Skills Training: Certain faculty have high technical proficiency or content knowledge in their respective fields but need assistance in being effective “teachers” in the true sense. Pedagogical training is required in areas such as “Applied Learning”, “Learning Approaches”, “Classroom Management”, “Assessment Strategies”, “Cultural Sensitivities in the UAE context” and “Teaching Strategies for second language English learners”
  • Technology Training: Certain faculty have strong pedagogical training as part of their teaching qualifications, but require technology training in areas such as mobile device usage, learning management systems (LMS), HCT Portal applications and various operating systems.
  • Creating Digital Learning Objects and Content Skills Training: Faculty that fall into this category have been able to move up to the modification or redefinition stage of the SAMR model. In the modification stage the user of technology has redesigned the tasks being presented to the students. While in the redefinition stage the user has created new activities and is effectively combining pedagogy, content and technology. (Ruben R. Puentedura, 2009). Even though these faculty members are using technology successfully, there is a need to support them and encourage them to further develop their skills. This could include becoming mLearning Champions and/or EdTech professionals. Possible training for these faculty members could include App creation, advanced multimedia application use, creation of eTextbooks and online course creation.

 

“The combination of well-designed PD and experience using the new technology in the classroom can foster the development of the faculty and offer the right environment for them to move from the substitution stage to the redefinition stage of the SAMR model. Many faculty members are well versed in the use of new technology in the classroom, especially iPads, but are still considered to be in the augmentation stage. In other words, although new technology is being used, but the presentation of the materials or the way the students are being engaged has not changed. Professional development opportunities need to be offered to support the faculty and allow them to learn and practice utilizing the technology in an effective manner. “

Ed Tech Team

Read more about the program...

• The smallest unit of training is a “module”.

• Some modules have pre-requisites.

• Each module is linked to one or more of the learning domains mentioned above.

• A number of modules make up a certification.

• Each certificate requires approximately 40 hours to complete which could include a combination of face-to-face, online or blended learning scenarios.!

• Certifications can have three levels (Introduction, Intermediate, Advanced)

• All certifications are competency based which means participants need to demonstrate and show evidence that learning has taken place.

• Participants that are successful will gain a "certificate of competency" with a transcript that details the modules passed and the competencies gained. Those who don't meet the competencies will be given a "certificate of attendance” and will be given further opportunities to complete the missing competencies.

• Faculty that have received previous training prior to the new certifications don't need to redo the entire course. If they provide sufficient evidence that they meet the competencies and complete the assessments, they will be given the certification.

• Program Manager: The ETAC Chair will be the program manager for the Ed Tech Professional Development Framework and will review and approve any new modules or certifications.

• Certificate Coordinator: One of the Central Services (CS) Ed Tech team members will take responsibility for setting the course descriptors, course outlines and assessments strategies for each module in the certificate. Modules will be reviewed on a regular basis as staff needs and technology changes.

• Module Development team: This team is made up of members from the CS Ed Tech Team and/or College Ed Tech teams and/or faculty members that are specialists and champions in a particular module. The team will be responsible for the development of the materials and assessments and setting up of a Blackboard course for a particular module.

• Instructor: Can be a CS EDTech member or College Ed Tech member or faculty. Instructors are responsible for the delivery of the module, grading assessments and issuing of the certificates. Instructors need to attend an orientation session presented by the Module Development Team for a particular module. Instructors can gain credit for the module that they plan to teach by displaying the competencies and taking the assessments without necessarily sitting the entire course (Recognition of Prior Learning)

• Quality Assurance Team: A designated committee will review and evaluate the certificates to ensure consistency. In addition, the certificate outcomes and effectiveness will be reported to HCT PD system.

• Blackboard will be used to handle the registration and keep track of grades.

• Course information and notifications will be pushed via the Mobile Learn app.

• Mobile apps will communicate with Blackboard’s WebDav server - Bb Learn WebDav.

This serves as a central repository which stores course content and participant submissions.

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