Educators' Perspectives on the Impact of Edcamp Unconference Professional Development

• In Event: 54.045 - Innovative Professional Development From Around the Globe: Storytelling, Networks, and Blended Learning

Abstract

Edcamps are a voluntary, informal, democratic form of unconference professional learning. This paper reports on participants’ perceptions regarding the impact of Edcamps on teaching and learning. Data were gathered from a survey, individual interviews, and focus groups (N=105). Participants overwhelmingly reported that their Edcamp experiences caused changes in their educational practices and in student learning. The impact of Edcamp participation was often described in terms of student engagement, experiences, and dispositions, rather than traditional measures of student achievement such as test scores. The participants experienced various obstacles and supports as they sought to utilize what they had learned at Edcamps. In light of these results, the Edcamp model and its implications for other forms of teacher learning are discussed.

Authors

• Jeffrey Paul Carpenter, Elon University

• Jayme Nixon Linton, Lenoir-Rhyne University