Training Teacher Candidates to Teach in Online Learning Environments: An Analysis of Online Teaching Projects
Abstract: The skills required to teach within an online learning environment are complicated and at least one Midwestern state requires entry-level teachers to be competent in online classrooms. A teacher-training program in that state instructs teacher candidates to use a Learning Management Systems (LMS) to develop a thematic unit. This study investigated the effectiveness of preparing teacher candidates for online teaching. Through a survey, interviews, and a review of student projects, the researchers evaluated this aspect of the teacher-training program. Despite slight differences in how professors taught their classes, the researchers concluded that although the pre-service teachers believed they were ready to teach online after the course the instructional effectiveness of the candidates’ final projects was poor which suggested they might not be ready to teach students online. They attributed this weakness to the lack of a prerequisite curriculum methods course.