Abstract
The State University of New York Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) < http://suny.edu/toep > is an online professional development model that encourages faculty and instructional support staff to explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of emerging technologies through hands-on Discovery Learning Activities. TOEP is focused on creating peer-learning communities by providing a venue to experiment with the evolving landscape of social media and the latest web-based technology tools. The concept of lifelong learning and how it relates to technology change serves as a guiding principle of this project. This research examines the reflective summary posts shared by participants in the project's online community to understand their perspectives about their experiences with TOEP. Our findings show that participants felt that they gained knowledge from the experiences of peers in the community. Many faculty stated that they integrated technology into their courses while they were participating in the project, or they expressed explicit plans to do so in the future. Many participants also expressed a desire to continue to learn about emerging technologies after their formal participation concluded.
Highlights
The State University of New York’s Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) is an online professional development model that encourages faculty and instructional support staff to explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of emerging technologies through hands-on Discovery Learning Activities
The most common finding to emerge from the data was evidence that participants implemented instructional technologies they learned about through TOEP
Responses were grouped under this finding to the extent that the individual provided a clear example of instructional technology integration into their classroom or indicated a clearly laid out plan to implement one or more technology-mediated strategies in a future class
Summary
The State University of New York’s Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) is an online professional development model that encourages faculty and instructional support staff to explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of emerging technologies through hands-on Discovery Learning Activities. TOEP is focused on creating peer-learning communities by providing a venue to experiment with the evolving landscape of social media and the latest web-based technology tools. It is a platform to experiment with cutting-edge technologies and provides knowledge regarding the effective integration of freely available tools into teaching to engage students and improve learning outcomes. Technology-mediated channels are accessible and readily available; they connect people regardless of time and place and enhance creativity It is easier than ever for students to create media-rich, compelling resources and for faculty to develop activities and supplements to course materials to increase student engagement. Students benefit because faculty model effective ways to use and apply these tools in scenarios
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