A new primarily distance education Master's degree program was focused on the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) for integrating appropriate digital technologies in mathematics and science classes. In this mixed-method multiple case study, we documented in-service K-8 teachers' perceptions of their TPACK…

The purpose of this study was to field-test several conferencing technologies in regional schools to determine whether the technologies are appropriate for the needs of the university supervisor, trainee teachers and supervising teachers in practicum placements. The study also explored the potential of technology for other related purposes. Four…

For the past decade, general and special teacher education faculties have incorporated technology-mediated online learning and distance education coursework into preparation programs with relative ease. However, supervising and supporting students' clinical experiences from a distance, which is the other critical component of effective teacher…

With teacher shortages in both general and critical needs areas and constricting operating budgets, it is important for Colleges of Education to develop methods of providing alternative certification programs to reach larger segments of the population. One method of increasing the scope of potential preservice teachers is through the development…

Rural school districts struggle to attract, retain, and support highly qualified mathematics teachers. A series of four online professional development courses in the form of integrated mathematics content and pedagogy courses was designed to meet the professional development needs of rural middle school mathematics teachers. Changes in teachers'…

Virtual Schooling (VS) for K-12 school students using distance technologies has increased rapidly in the 21st century with the growth of online learning and virtual schools in more than 44 states in the USA and as e-learning in over 20 clusters of rural schools in New Zealand. Although VS requires a special set of teaching methods, teacher…

The number of students taking online courses in K-12 has increased exponentially since the inception of virtual schools in 1996. However, K-12 virtual schooling is a relatively new concept for those involved in teacher education. As teacher education departments build pre-service preparation programs, in-service professional development…

Nine New Zealand secondary schools participated in the OtagoNet project, using videoconferencing technologies to deliver courses to multiple sites. This paper reports findings from a study conducted between 2001 and 2004 to evaluate the effectiveness of OtagoNet. It was found that videoconferencing technology had a significant impact on pedagogy…

The authors share findings, insights, and implications from "Going Virtual! The Status of Professional Development for K12 Online Teachers," a 2007 report supported by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL, now known as iNACOL). The authors conducted a national survey of 259 K-12 online teachers, administrators, and professional…

Online teachers' perceptions of online teaching standards published in 2006 by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the National Education Association (NEA). Interviews with two teachers from each of the four online schools were studied following an online survey of 49 online teachers from these schools. Overall, participants reported…

This article explores results from a research project studying teacher learning and faculty teaching in two online courses for teachers in a master's degree program. We focus on the interactions among students in online small-group discussions. We argue that three aspects of the online courses impact the way students enter into discussions online,…

This study investigated the impact of a project-based graduate practicum experience that was facilitated online. The study investigated the effects of the online practicum experience by: (a) using quantitative data to assess the learning and professional growth of the practicum participants in comparison to a group of teachers that did not…

This article describes a graduate distance education course at North Carolina State University, which combined science content and pedagogy with video game design. The course was conducted entirely in a synchronous, online, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) through the ActiveWorlds[TM] platform. Inservice teachers enrolled as graduate students in…

There has been an increase in the number of online universities, degrees, and coursework over the last decade. Institutions of higher learning are beginning to embrace online instruction more than ever before. However, the motives behind enrollment and the benefits of online instruction have not always been clearly understood. The purpose of this…

In this study we examined the effects of online follow-up and online peer interaction following a face-to face professional development workshop on attitudes towards that professional development and completion of a professional development task. School librarians were invited to work online on a three page plan outlining interventions a library…