Content Area Experts Research Articles

Opening Spaces for Teacher Educator Knowledge in a Faculty Development Program on Blended Learning Course Development

Mandates for technology integration (TI) in teacher education courses continue to gain momentum. However, most teacher educators are not trained in the practices of instructional technology and, when mandated or strongly encouraged to do TI, they can face challenges and even crises of practice and identity. Like other teacher educators facing the seemingly inevitable advancement of TI in teacher education, we were excited, yet cautious, about a program for faculty development on blended learning course development (FDBL). This article reports the self-study of our experiences and the subsequent designing and offering of our courses in a blended learning format. We situate our systematic account of our practice within larger research considerations of how self-study of teacher education methodology can shed light on digital practices. This self-study provides a rich description of how teacher educators can integrate technology as a prolonged and iterative endeavor as opposed to a one-time project that does not fit in with their practice. Three major themes emerge from our study: (1) authentic pedagogical problems and content-area expertise, (2) learning theories and pedagogical beliefs, and (3) design iterations vs. summative evaluation. These three themes provide touchstones for teacher educators to consider when incorporating technology in their situated practice while remaining true to their content area and learning theory commitments. This self-study illustrates the ways in which the characteristics of self-study methodology actually facilitate teacher educators’ authentic engagement with TI.

Minority Language Issues in Chinese Higher Education: Policy Reforms and Practice among the Korean and Mongol Ethnic Groups

The purpose of this study is to compare Korean and Mongol minorities in the People’s Republic of China in terms of their native language preservation and educational experiences at the higher education level, and to investigate differences and similarities between Korean and Mongol minorities’ language issues. Content area experts on Chinese minority education from China, South Korea, and the United States were interviewed for this study. Findings include suggestions for helping to formulate government educational policies regarding issues related to language in Chinese minority education at the higher education level. This information is helpful to better understand and educate others in school and home settings where Chinese ethnic minority students reside. The advancement of Chinese minority education knowledge related to higher education will significantly strengthen and empower individuals, families, and communities throughout the People’s Republic of China.

An Informatics Framework to Support Surveillance System Interoperability in Minnesota

ObjectiveTo create an informatics framework and provide guidanceto help Minnesota’s public health surveillance systems achieveinteroperability and transition to standards-based electronicinformation exchange with external health care providers using thestate’s birth defects registry as an initial pilot program.IntroductionThe Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) needs to be ableto collect, use, and share clinical, individual-level health dataelectronically in secure and standardized ways in order to optimizesurveillance capabilities, support public health goals, and ensureproper follow-up and action to public health threats. MDH programs,public health departments, and health care providers across the stateare facing increasing demands to receive and submit electronic healthdata through approaches that are secure, coordinated, and efficient;use appropriate data standards; meet state and federal privacy laws;and align with best practices. This framework builds upon existinginformatics models and two past studies assessing health informationexchange (HIE) conducted by the MDH Office of Health InformationTechnology (OHIT) to provide MDH surveillance systems with anoutline of the key elements and considerations for transitioning tomore secure, standards-based, electronic data exchange.MethodsDevelopment of the informatics framework incorporatesinformation gathered in several phases. The first phase involvesadditional analysis of data collected from the MDH InformaticsAssessment of Interoperability and HIE1that was conducted in 2015to evaluate the current state of interoperability and HIE readinessacross the agency. The second phase involves a comprehensiveenvironmental scan and literature review of existing standards,practices, models, toolkits, and other resources related to electronicHIE and interoperability. The third phase involves gathering additionalinformation on programmatic needs, workflows, and capabilitiesthrough key informant interviews. Key informants include programmanagers, staff, and content-area experts from select MDH programs,the state’s central information technology organization (MN.IT), andexternal health care provider organizations including hospitals.Minnesota’s birth defects registry, the Birth Defects InformationSystem (BDIS), was selected as the pilot program because it wasidentified in the 2015 MDH Informatics Assessment as having a highlevel of interest in implementing an interoperable and standards-driven approach to electronic health data exchange. The BDIS is alsoexploring options for being designated as an eligible public healthregistry for Meaningful Use. As a pilot program for this project,the BDIS assists in the development and implementation of theinformatics framework.ResultsThe 2015 MDH Informatics Assessment identified and evaluated21 MDH programs with information systems that accept and manageclinical, individual-level health information. Among these 21 MDHprograms, wide variations exist regarding information system size(range, 400 to 10,000,000 individuals), staffing numbers (range, 0.2 to21 FTEs), budgets (range, $20,000 to $1,876,000), and other keycharacteristics. Despite these variations, programs identified similarbarriers and needs related to achieving interoperability and electronicHIE. Areas of need include management and information technologysupport to make interoperability a priority; policies and governance;additional application functionality to support HIE; and additionalskills for the workforce. Results from the environmental scan and keyinformant interviews will be incorporated with additional analyses ofthe 2015 MDH Informatics Assessment to inform the development ofan agency-wide informatics framework to support MDH programs inachieving interoperability.ConclusionsMDH surveillance systems are calling for practical guidance tohelp implement and maintain a more efficient and effective wayto electronically collect, use, and share health data with externaland internal stakeholders. This informatics framework provides anoutline of the key elements and considerations for achieving greaterinteroperability across MDH surveillance systems. Additionalresearch is required to assess how system interoperability and HIEcan improve data quality and advance population health goals.

Global higher education learning outcomes and financial trends: Comparative and innovative approaches

The cost of higher education continues to escalate at an alarming rate. Public and private funding sources from around the world are increasingly under pressure to reduce allocations toward higher education while at the same time raising outcome expectations. This financial outlook is projected to continue well into the future, and in many instances it is deemed unsustainable in the long run. Within this context, we examine good and best practices of higher education finance models in select international contexts. A primary objective of this paper is to examine exemplary models of learning outcomes and higher education financing models that can reduce or at least help level off this unsustainable trend. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with 60 content area experts with in-depth knowledge as administrators of seven case study higher education institutions. We conclude with recommendations to assist policy makers, government planners, and higher education administrators in their attempts to meet the financial challenges of today and in the future.

Making Sense of Principal Leadership in Content Areas: The Case of Secondary Math and Science Instruction

ABSTRACTWe drew upon sense making and leadership content knowledge to explore how high school administrators’ understanding of content areas informed their leadership. We used math and science to illustrate our interpretations, noting that other content areas may pose different challenges. We found that principals’ limited understanding of these content areas prompted them to reframe challenges in ways that did not require them to possess content-area expertise. Principals relied upon their ability to hire classroom teachers and secure external professional development providers to improve instruction. We conclude the article by noting how the findings expand upon existing understandings of instructional leadership.

Peer Mentoring Second Language Teachers: A Mutually Beneficial Experience?

AbstractStudies have shown that there are not enough qualified foreign language and English as a second language teachers in this country. To increase the number of new second language teachers who remain in the profession, and to promote their use of best teaching practices, the ACTFL has identified mentoring as a national research priority. The importance of mentoring is further reflected in the new national standards established by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for teacher education programs. To address CAEP standards for advanced licensure programs and meet the needs of new second language teachers, a peer mentoring project was initiated. Using a mixed methodology, the researchers investigated the perceived benefits of a partnership between 27 mentors in an advanced licensure second language teaching program and 27 mentees, many of whom were practicing “lateral entry” second language teachers who had not yet completed second language teacher training. The results suggested that, when both parties shared content area expertise and worked together in a nonjudgmental, supportive manner, the partnership was mutually beneficial. The results also suggested that the relationship can be facilitated when both partners share certain commonalities, including age and amount of previous teaching experience.

Building Teachers’ Data-use Capacity: Insights from Strong and Developing Coaches

Coaching has become a central strategy in district and school efforts to build teacher capacity to interpret and respond to student learning data. Despite their popularity, there is limited research on the implementation of these initiatives. This article begins to addresses this gap by examining the elements of a coach’s practice that appear to build teachers’ skills and knowledge to use data to guide instructional decisions. Drawing on sociocultural learning theory and interview and survey data collected in four middle schools—two with “strong” coaches and two with “developing” coaches—we find that coaching to build data-use capacity appears to rely less on the official title or model (i.e., data coach vs. instructional coach) and more on the diversity of coach practices as well as content area and interpersonal expertise. Further, administrators play an important role in shaping the work of a coach through their mediation of political dynamics in a school. The article concludes with implications for coaching practice, as well as suggestions to guide future research and theory development.

Systematic review of knowledge, confidence and education in nutritional genomics for students and professionals in nutrition and dietetics

This review examines knowledge and confidence of nutrition and dietetics professionals in nutritional genomics and evaluates the teaching strategies in this field within nutrition and dietetics university programmes and professional development courses internationally. A systematic search of 10 literature databases was conducted from January 2000 to December 2012 to identify original research. Any studies of either nutrition and/or dietetics students or dietitians/nutritionists investigating current levels of knowledge or confidence in nutritional genomics, or strategies to improve learning and/or confidence in this area, were eligible. Eighteen articles (15 separate studies) met the inclusion criteria. Three articles were assessed as negative, eight as neutral and seven as positive according to the American Dietetics Association Quality Criteria Checklist. The overall ranking of evidence was low. Dietitians have low involvement, knowledge and confidence in nutritional genomics, and evidence for educational strategies is limited and methodologically weak. There is a need to develop training pathways and material to up-skill nutrition and/or dietetics students and nutrition and/or dietetics professionals in nutritional genomics through multidisciplinary collaboration with content area experts. There is a paucity of high quality evidence on optimum teaching strategies; however, methods promoting repetitive exposure to nutritional genomics material, problem-solving, collaborative and case-based learning are most promising for university and professional development programmes.

Program Enhancement: Responding to the Call for Special Education Teachers to be Highly Qualified

The alignment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 states that special education teachers are expected to have content area expertise in every content area that they teach and for which they are the teacher of record. The academic content requirements put in place by NCLB and IDEA have created the need to rethink pre-service education for special educators. This article will describe higher education efforts to improve special education teacher training and ultimately the educational experiences for students with exceptionalities. In addition, a brief description of the efforts of an institution of higher education (IHE) in northeast Ohio to better prepare preservice special education teacher candidates to meet highly qualified teacher (HQT) standards by enhancing their current intervention specialist high incidence program will be provided.

Risk Factors for Neck and Upper Extremity Disorders among Computers Users and the Effect of Interventions: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

BackgroundTo summarize systematic reviews that 1) assessed the evidence for causal relationships between computer work and the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSDs), or 2) reported on intervention studies among computer users/or office workers.Methodology/Principal FindingsPubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science were searched for reviews published between 1999 and 2010. Additional publications were provided by content area experts. The primary author extracted all data using a purpose-built form, while two of the authors evaluated the quality of the reviews using recommended standard criteria from AMSTAR; disagreements were resolved by discussion. The quality of evidence syntheses in the included reviews was assessed qualitatively for each outcome and for the interventions.Altogether, 1,349 review titles were identified, 47 reviews were retrieved for full text relevance assessment, and 17 reviews were finally included as being relevant and of sufficient quality. The degrees of focus and rigorousness of these 17 reviews were highly variable. Three reviews on risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome were rated moderate to high quality, 8 reviews on risk factors for UEMSDs ranged from low to moderate/high quality, and 6 reviews on intervention studies were of moderate to high quality. The quality of the evidence for computer use as a risk factor for CTS was insufficient, while the evidence for computer use and UEMSDs was moderate regarding pain complaints and limited for specific musculoskeletal disorders. From the reviews on intervention studies no strong evidence based recommendations could be given.Conclusions/SignificanceComputer use is associated with pain complaints, but it is still not very clear if this association is causal. The evidence for specific disorders or diseases is limited. No effective interventions have yet been documented.

What If They Believed Us? How Well Prepared Are Art Educators to Deliver on the Promises of Art Education?

This article raises questions about the breadth and depth of content-area expertise in initial licensure programs for art teachers, K–12. An analysis of some of the promises made in the name of art education suggests that art teachers need a high level of expertise and deep understanding of art in order to deliver on these promises. To consider the odds of teacher preparation reflecting that depth, a study of art teacher preparation in the state of Maryland is used as an example of what may be the case in that state and may also reflect preparation elsewhere. Course requirements in the content area of art for all of Maryland's state-approved and nationally accredited programs for undergraduate and graduate certification are reported. The article concludes by posing ten questions to institutions of higher education, national accreditation agencies, and national leadership concerned with policy in art education.

The Relationship Between Student Evaluation of Instruction Scores and Faculty Formal Educational Coursework

Context: Emphasis is placed on athletic training educators' content area expertise and not on their formal training in educational concepts. Objective: The purposes of this study were to identify the amount of educational coursework completed by ATEP faculty and investigate the relationship between ATEP instructors' student evaluation of instruction scores and their formal educational coursework completed. Design: Survey design that included demographic and questionnaire components. Setting: Self-administered questionnaires Participants: The population for the study was athletic trainers working as full-time faculty in Florida ATEPs (n = 19; mean age 39.2 ± 8.03; mean teaching experience 8.84 ± 5.79 years). Data Collection: Faculty participants completed a demographic questionnaire. Students in a non-laboratory based and non-clinical education course taught by the faculty member completed the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality questionnaire. Analysis: Correlations and independent samples t-tests were analyzed. Results: Faculty completed 9.25 ± 7.39 education courses. The study found positive correlations of moderate/large effect sizes between 7 of the 9 Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) subscales as well as the total SEEQ score, and the number of education courses taken by faculty. The positive correlation between the “Assignments/Readings” subscale and the number of education courses taken by faculty was significant. Independent samples t-tests demonstrated that when faculty had taken more than 10 courses related to education, their students rated them significantly higher on the “Learning/Academic Value” and “Assignments/Readings” subscales than faculty who have taken 10 or fewer courses. Conclusion(s): There is a lack of uniformity among ATEP faculty regarding the quantity of formal educational coursework. The results of this study provide some evidence that a positive relationship exists between educational coursework and some student evaluation of instruction subscale scores.

The Meaning(s) of Teacher Leadership in an Urban High School Reform

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning of teacher leadership from teachers’ perspectives. The authors examine teachers’ practice of and talk about legitimate sources of power and influence in the context of an urban high school reform. Design: This is an interpretive study of teacher leadership situated in one small high school within a large urban high school (comprised of six small school communities) in a Midwestern city. The school was engaged in a technology-driven, project-based reform requiring team teaching and high levels of teacher involvement in curricular, pedagogical, and other organizational decision making. Researchers conducted monthly observations and two to three in depth-interviews with each participant and collected and analyzed relevant documents during the 2007-08 school year. Participants included all seven teachers in the focus school, the small school administrator, and a district-level administrator. Findings: Data revealed a cultural logic that afforded some teachers more authority than others. Three of the seven teachers were repeatedly identified as being the leaders (despite other teachers actively influencing organizational activities). Analysis of teachers’ talk about teacher leadership and related interactions revealed patterns falling into three categories: organizationally legitimized roles, institutionally legitimized content area expertise, and gendered leadership roles. Significance: Because leadership is a cultural construct itself, this study brings to the foreground the meaning(s) of teacher leadership from teachers’ perspectives and how these meanings reward or eclipse actual leadership practices. This is especially salient for researchers and leaders interested in the role of teacher leadership in nurturing democratic school communities.

Interventions for treating osteoarthritis of the big toe joint.

Osteoarthritis affecting of the big toe joint of the foot (hallux limitus or rigidus) is a common and painful condition. Although several treatments have been proposed, few have been adequately evaluated. To identify controlled trials evaluating interventions for osteoarthritis of the big toe joint and to determine the optimum intervention(s). Literature searches were conducted across the following electronic databases: CENTRAL; MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; and PEDro (to 14th January 2010). No language restrictions were applied. Randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised trials, or controlled clinical trials that assessed treatment outcomes for osteoarthritis of the big toe joint. Participants of any age or gender with osteoarthritis of the big toe joint (defined either radiographically or clinically) were included. Two authors examined the list of titles and abstracts identified by the literature searches. One content area expert and one methodologist independently applied the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria to the full text of identified trials. To minimise error and reduce potential bias, data were extracted independently by two content experts. Only one trial satisfactorily fulfilled the inclusion criteria and was included in this review. This trial evaluated the effectiveness of two physical therapy programs in 20 individuals with osteoarthritis of the big toe joint. Assessment outcomes included pain levels, big toe joint range of motion and plantar flexion strength of the hallux. Mean differences at four weeks follow up were 3.80 points (95% CI 2.74 to 4.86) for self reported pain, 28.30 degrees (95% CI 21.37 to 35.23) for big toe joint range of motion, and 2.80 kg (95% CI 2.13 to 3.47) for muscle strength. Although differences in outcomes between treatment and control groups were reported, the risk of bias was high. The trial failed to employ appropriate randomisation or adequate allocation concealment, used a relatively small sample and incorporated a short follow up (four weeks). No adverse reactions were reported. The reviewed trial presented a high risk of bias, which limited conclusions that could be drawn from the presented data. The inclusion of only one trial indicates the need for more robust randomised controlled trials to determine the efficacy of interventions for this condition.

PS1-20: VDW Operational Committee: Current Activities and Future Directions

Background/Aims: The Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) is the HMO Research Network (HMORN) approach for facilitating multisite research while protecting the privacy of members and proprietary corporate information. A valid and sustainable VDW is critical to the success of the HMORN, and is needed for HMORN’s inclusion in many of the most important public health initiatives planned for the next few years. Methods: In November 2007 the HMORN Governing Board approved the VDW 5-Year Strategic Plan, including creation of a VDW Operational Committee (VOC), reporting to the Assets Stewardship Committee (ASC) and providing coordinated oversight of the development, maintenance, and enhancement of the VDW. The seven members of the VOC are investigators and analysts representing HMORN’s major consortia projects: CERT, CVRN and CRN. Results: In 2008, the VOC accomplished two major short term goals: Creation of a comprehensive data quality checking system, implemented by seven content area expert Working Groups (WGs) consisting of 23 investigators and 23 programmer\analysts. The content areas of the WGs are enrollment and demographics, pharmacy, utilization, tumor, vital signs, laboratory, and census. The WGs assessed data availability and completeness for their content area and reported findings to the VOC and ASC, including recommendations for changes and enhancements. WG reports will form the basis for ongoing VDW documentation that will be used to standardize HMORN VDW descriptions for grants and proposals; Development of a budget, staffing plan and priorities for 2009. The 2009 priorities include development of VOC standard operating procedures for creating new data content areas and changing current data areas/definitions, documenting policies for use of the VDW, promoting use of the VDW, and creation of additional WGs for death (new VDW content area), informatics, implementation, and data documentation. The documentation WG will oversee issues such as data dictionaries, data checking documentation, programming resources, a clinical concepts library, user guides, and incorporating updated VDW information in the HMORN Collaboration Toolkit. Looking forward, the VDW 5-year Strategic Plan includes streamlining IRB approval for multisite research and enhancing HMORN informatics capabilities. Conclusions: The newly created VOC has made substantial progress in helping make the HMORN VDW an even more valuable and useful resource for the network.

Device preview: Touch-user interface books for overcoming reading difficulty

Purpose. To provide a rationale for the newly developed paper-to-digital book product, touch-user-interface (TUI) technology for improving reading comprehension for students with disabilities and developmental constraints.Method. TUI technology, enabling students to touch portions of the pages to actualise corresponding digital files, was theoretically and practically analysed by the author, a content-area expert in (a) reading fluency and comprehension and (b) learning disabilities, for judgment of product utility. Product function was juxtaposed with current reading research depicting learner challenges to fluency and comprehension.Results. TUI technology provides design solutions in-line with meeting student challenges with reading difficulty, namely that traditional paper book pages with ‘too much’ text block reading comprehension due to low fluency (reading rate is too slow for the brain to make sense of text causing a ‘bottleneck’ effect) inhibiting understanding. It is proposed that with a TUI book, with media-rich paper, less text can be used and informational equivalence achieved with the digital material activated via touch points on paper pages tethered to a computer. The audio, video and graphics meaning-based symbols systems can replace some text.Conclusions. TUI technology function needs to be evaluated in applied research in classroom settings across exceptionality and development.

Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Body Image Satisfaction Scale (ABISS): Implications For The Strength And Conditioning Professional

The present research sought to develop and validate a novel instrument for the assessment of body image dissatisfaction and negative health behaviors in adolescent males. Additionally, this research was focused on providing a useful tool for the strength and conditioning professional to use when assessing clinical adolescent populations who may be at risk for body image disorders related to their sport performance. A comprehensive search of relevant medical and socio-behavioral databases was conducted for years 1990-2005 yielding 293 useable studies (244 empirical and 49 theoretical) for inclusion in a content analysis. Search terms included'body image,'‘adolescence,’‘satisfaction,’and ‘males.’ Statistically relevant interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social factors were coded and classified. The most statistically relevant factors were formulated into questions and subscales to form the overall pilot instrument. The instrument was piloted with a sample of 27 adolescent boys and was adjusted and revised based on feedback. The initial instrument was reviewed by a panel of five content area experts. Each of the 28 scale questions were evaluated for relevance and readability. Four out of five experts (80%) had to approve the question for it to be included in the scale. Content, face, discrepant, and convergent validity was established using the objective measures evaluated by the expert panel. Each of the final 28 questions was determined to be appropriate and valid to be included in the scale. Nine questions were omitted based on the evaluation and inclusion criteria. Initial pilot reliability was judge to be somewhat acceptable for the body image scale with a Cronbach's α = .66. Final reliability of the Adolescent Body Image Satisfaction Scale [ABISS] after the modification of 9 items was judged to be acceptable with a Cronbach's α = .82. Following the adjustments made to the ABISS during the pilot study, the instrument was used to study 330 adolescent males. Based on subjective as well as objective feed back, the ABISS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to measure the psychobehavioral attributes of adolescent males pertaining to body image satisfaction. Strength and conditioning professionals should be aware of the psychological attributes of their athletes and clients as much as their physiologic attributes. Having an understanding of how adolescents view their bodies and the image of it will assist professionals in designing appropriate, health-promotive strength programs, while at the same time monitoring for signs of body image dissatisfaction, which can lead to negative health practices (e.g., performance-enhancing drug use, exercise addictions, disordered eating). The ABISS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess for the aforementioned features, but should be further validated with other populations.

Persuasion by Causal Arguments: The Motivating Role of Perceived Causal Expertise

We examined how perceived causal expertise affects the processing of causal persuasive arguments. In Study 1, participants received strong or weak causal arguments from a content-area expert who was high or low in causal expertise. Participants in the high causal expertise condition processed the causal arguments carefully: they were more persuaded by strong compared to weak causal arguments. In Study 2, participants received a high or low causal confidence prime and then read a message from a source who was high or low in content-area expertise. The message contained strong or weak, causal or non-causal arguments. Participants who received both the causal confidence prime and the high content-area expertise information processed the causal arguments carefully: they were more persuaded by strong compared to weak causal arguments. These findings demonstrate that causal and content-area expertise can increase motivation to attend to causal arguments. Implications for the persuasion literature are discussed.

Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents: Rethinking Content- Area Literacy

In this article, Timothy and Cynthia Shanahan argue that "disciplinary literacy" — advanced literacy instruction embedded within content-area classes such as math, science, and social studies — should be a focus of middle and secondary school settings. Moving beyond the oft-cited "every teacher a teacher of reading" philosophy that has historically frustrated secondary content-area teachers, the Shanahans present data collected during the first two years of a study on disciplinary literacy that reveal how content experts and secondary content teachers read disciplinary texts, make use of comprehension strategies, and subsequently teach those strategies to adolescent readers. Preliminary findings suggest that experts from math, chemistry, and history read their respective texts quite differently; consequently, both the content-area experts and secondary teachers in this study recommend different comprehension strategies for work with adolescents. This study not only has implications for which comprehension strategies might best fit particular disciplinary reading tasks, but also suggests how students may be best prepared for the reading, writing, and thinking required by advanced disciplinary coursework.

Evaluation of Online, On-Demand Science Professional Development Material Involving Two Different Implementation Models

This report presents pilot-test results for a science professional development program featuring online, on-demand materials developed by the National Science Teachers Association. During the spring 2006 semester, 45 middle school teachers from three different school districts across the United States participated in a professional development program designed to facilitate content knowledge and skills in the area of Newtonian force and motion. Participants from one of the school districts experienced a full-day instructor-led workshop along with two web-based seminars with a content-area expert. This was followed by a 4-week period of time in which they had access to self-directed, online, on-demand instructional materials that included activities, information, simulations, examples, and practice with immediate feedback over the targeted outcomes. Participants from the two other school districts only had access to the online materials with no instructor-led experience. This report documents positive gains in achievement as well as levels of confidence in teaching the material within all of the professional development groups. Data about the use of specific features within the online material are included, as well as completion rates and attitude survey results. Recommendations for future study are also included.