Professional and Organizational Learning Services
CSC's multimedia professional learning resources and opportunities facilitate professional dialogue and the sharing of effective practices while overcoming the challenges of distance, time, and cost. Content can be either adapted from another modality (e.g., taking a face-to-face course online) or developed specifically for a new project. A blended approach using multiple modalities over a sustained period of time is highly recommended. Some of the most popular approaches are described below.
Webinars are virtual seminars provided by an expert presenter to a diverse community of learners focused on a specific topic. From the comfort of their own office or home, participants can view the seminar and ask questions. Webinars can also be archived for future reference.
Web conferences are highly interactive learning sessions hosted by an expert facilitator for a diverse community of learners focused on a specific topic. From the comfort of their own office or home, participants engage in meaningful dialogue through oral discussion and online interaction. As with webinars, web conferences can be archived for future reference.
Web meetings provide the ability to share ideas, revise documents, or prepare presentations using a one-stop online meeting space. Web meetings allow committees, panels, and other groups to collaborate online through oral and web-based interaction.
Webcasts and podcasts are educational sessions broadcast over the Internet and often available in DVD format. They allow educators to:
- View presentations on various topics (e.g., from conferences and symposia).
- Access experts and spokespersons in relevant fields of education (e.g., recorded interviews).
- View and share examples of best practice (e.g., classroom activities).
Online learning programs can be developed with or without live learning opportunities (face-to-face or web conferencing). Such learning modules can be enhanced through the use of video, independent or group activities, wikis, social networks, message boards, or blogs. Online courses are very convenient for busy, self-directed learners and professionals.
Interactive websites and social networks can be developed to provide information to a wide audience of busy educators, overcoming various accessibility barriers. Such interactive websites are built collaboratively to ensure user-friendly access to meaningful content, and to create rich online communities of practice and professional learning communities that enable multiple users to share and learn from each other. These sites provide current, "just-in-time" opportunities to mobilize knowledge around the themes and issues faced by the community. CSC provides a full range of support for these sites, including monitoring and facilitation services and building communication strategies to promote the sites' use by key stakeholders.
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