TEL Communities

Learning to teach online: a systematic review of the literature on K-12 teacher preparation

This systematic literature review of 26 studies considers the need for teachers to provide online learning opportunities for K-12 students. It uses the TPACK framework to aggregate the types of knowledge and skills required to teach online, and examines both the extent to which these elements are addressed in existing programs and are based on empirical research. The TPACK theory stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. It was developed to explain the set of knowledge that teachers need to teach their students a subject, to teach effectively, and to use technology.

The research questions are:
    ‘What are the types of knowledge and skills teachers require to effectively teach online?
    To what extent are the types of knowledge and skills required by teachers to teach online suggested by the literature based on empirical research?
    To what extent are the identified types of knowledge and skills required by teachers to teach online addressed in teacher learning programs?’ (p.334)

The TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) provides a lens for looking at teacher knowledge in the field of technologies for online learning, including MOOCS, Open Educational Resources, social media, digital making and creativity. It also helps to clarify changing relationships between teachers and students, between students themselves, and between students and content.

For example:
‘In an online environment, teachers must effectively convey content-specific ideas and concepts without face-to-face interaction, but rather, through text, synchronous and asynchronous video, or digital audio. The knowledge and skills required to do this were categorized under the TCK domain. TPK, the understanding of how technologies are used for instruction, includes the ability of an online teacher to apply his or her PK to the virtual platform. The knowledge and skills categorized under this domain include an online teacher’s capacity for selecting the appropriate media to enhance interaction and learning among students. PCK is the unique knowledge required by teachers to transform specific content into attainable knowledge for students. PCK in the online environment includes the knowledge and skills for creating opportunities for students to interact with the content. The intersection of all core and intersection knowledge domains results in a teacher’s TPACK’ (p.335).

There were three key findings:
    ‘The knowledge and skills based on empirical research came from only two studies: DiPietro et al. (2008) and Rice and Dawley (2009).
    Of the nine programs examined that were designed to prepare teachers to teach online, only one addressed at least six of the seven knowledge domains of TPACK.
    Programs to prepare teachers to teach online varied greatly, without uniformity in content or learning experience.’(p.341)

These findings suggest that, ‘many of the reported skills and types of knowledge required for effective online teaching are not based on empirical evidence and are often adaptations of face-to-face teaching practices.’ (p.345).  There is a clear need for further empirical research on preparing teachers for virtual teaching and how face-to-face pedagogic strategies may transfer to online teaching. This is especially important given the increasing prevalence of one-to-one devices in classrooms, which create ‘hybrid’ teaching environments.

‘It seems likely that, in the near future, all teachers will be required to teach in both environments, and be able to seamlessly switch between environments to maximize the affordances of each. This type of knowledge is effectively articulated in the TPACK framework… By considering virtual teaching best practices alongside of face-to-face instruction, affordances of both should become evident.’ (p.346)

Key ideas
- The authors identify a need for further empirical research on preparing teachers for virtual teaching and how face-to-face pedagogic strategies may transfer to online teaching given the increasing prevalence of one-to-one devices in classrooms, which create ‘hybrid’ teaching environments.
- ‘It seems likely that, in the near future, all teachers will be required to teach in both environments, and be able to seamlessly switch between environments to maximize the affordances of each.’

References:
DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R. E., Black, E. W., & Preston, M. (2008). Best practices in teaching K-12 online: Lessons learned from Michigan virtual school teachers. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7, 10–35. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org 

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. The Teachers College Record, 108, 1017–1054. Retrieved from http://www.tcrecord.org/ Rice, K., & Dawley, L. (2009).

Moore-Adams, B.L., Jones, W.M. and Cohen, J., 2016. Learning to teach online: a systematic review of the literature on K-12 teacher preparation for teaching online. Distance Education, 37(3), pp.333-348.

Rice, K., & Dawley, L. (2009). The status of professional development for K-12 online teachers: Insights and implications. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 17, 523–545. Retrieved from http:// www.aace.org/pubs/jtate/ Shulman, L. S. (1986).