Share Paper: Relative Uses, Impact, and Possibilities For Teachers’ Uses of Formal, Informal, and Independent Learning to Integrate Technology

  1. Sara Dexter, University of Virginia, United States
  2. Emily Barton, University of Virginia, United States
  3. Melissa Anderson Morgan, University of Virginia, United States
  4. J. Patrick Meyer, University of Virginia, United States
Wednesday, March 23 10:45 AM-11:15 AM Scarbrough 2

Abstract: Formal, informal, and independent professional learning opportunities have distinct characteristics, meeting different teacher needs. In a quasi-experimental design with matched comparison sites, leaders in treatment schools were guided to provide high-quality formal professional development to teachers as part of participation in a technology leadership development project. Teachers in treatment and comparison schools responded monthly about their opportunities to learn. For treatment teachers, results indicated significantly greater participation in and perceived impact of these opportunities, as well as an increase in the reflective nature of informal and independent learning. We discuss implications from these findings for increasing the amount and effectiveness ...