<p>Cyber-supported Professional Learning Experiences that Build Technology and Engineering Educators’ Practice</p>

Abstract

Educational changes due to school reform and the introduction of new national standards create a need for professional learning experiences for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educators that are results-driven, easily accessible, and aligned with identified best practices (National Research Council, 2009; National Staff Development Council, 2001). This need, specifically addressing technology and engineering educators, generated the development and delivery of the Transforming Teaching through Implementing Inquiry (T2I2) project. Within the T2I2 development stage, learning objects were created to introduce, reinforce, and broaden technology and engineering educators’ conceptual content and pedagogical content knowledge to inform and impact their personal teaching practice. To deliver this instruction, a cyber infrastructure was created to support content development, assessment, community building, and cyber-coaching.
 This field study followed the methodology established within T2I2’s two-year pilot study (Ernst, Segedin, Clark, & DeLuca, 2014), selecting participants from the identified five-state region (IL, KY, OH, NC, and VA) and requiring these participants to complete T2I2 learning objects and accompanying written and video artifacts. Submitted artifacts were analyzed using the non-parametric Wilcoxon-signed-ranks Test, providing evidence that suggested that the field study teachers demonstrated proficient abilities to contribute to a learning community; manage, monitor, and adjust learning environments, and increase their self-assessment. The combined pilot and field test studies provide evidence to support expanding the development and use of the T2I2 model for science educators for a more interdisciplinary approach to STEM professional learning experiences.