Do the Rich Get Richer Studying Differences in Online Professional Learning Participation by School Demographics

• In Event: Instructional Technology SIG Poster Session 1: Instructional Technology in K–12 Settings

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic many forms of learning, including teacher education, have shifted online. However, with this shift comes the concern that more advantaged populations might benefit more from online learning. In this study, we examined the school demographics of educators in four pre-COVID 19 education professional learning Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs; N = 1,315) and how they related to these educators’ course engagement. Findings suggest that these educators are more likely to work in districts with higher socioeconomic status (SES) student populations (d = 0.23). However, educators from lower SES districts were more engaged, as measured by patterns of activity in the course platform, and were more likely to complete the courses (d = 0.61).

Authors

• Ella Anghel, Boston College

• Joshua Littenberg-Tobias, GBH

• Justin Fire Reich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology