Making the shift to virtual professional learning

• Published in: Technology, pedagogy and education Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 105 - 116
• Main Authors: Morrison, Laura, Hughes, Janette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.01.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Best Practices; College Faculty; Doctoral Students; Electronic Learning; Elementary Secondary Education; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Graduate Students; makerspace; making; Online instruction; Online learning; Professional education; professional learning; Qualitative research; Shared Resources and Services; Technology Uses in Education; Canada; Ontario Canada
• ISSN: 1475-939X; 1747-5139
• DOI: 10.1080/1475939X.2022.2156918

This qualitative research involved the development of 12 weeks of twice-weekly virtual maker professional learning (PL) sessions for K-12 and post-secondary educators at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sessions were developed by four researchers from a maker lab in Ontario, Canada that moved entirely online in March 2020. The research question driving the study was: what are best practices related to virtual maker professional learning? Findings and implications related to this question include: a) technical issues should be anticipated and addressed in advance of each session; b) simple, hands-on activities are most effective for online maker professional learning; c) collaboration are pivotal to a rich online maker professional learning experience; d) using free, virtual tools is imperative for equitable access and learning; and e) adaptability is key when working with a diversity of learners/teachers from varied subjects and divisions.