Designing an Online Professional Learning System, iWRITE, to Promote Teacher Engagement and Children’s Literacy

• In Event: Using Iterative Development to Design Equitable and Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Interventions

Abstract

Objective. We used an iterative approach to design effective professional learning (PL) for Head Start teachers to support children’s early literacy skills through quality writing opportunities.
Theoretical Framework. Our PL system, iWRITE, leverages key features of adult learning theory (Knowles et al., 2014) and evidence-based practices in PL (e.g., Snell et al., 2020) and educational technology (Koehler et al., 2005) to create engaging online PL for early educators.
Methods/Data Sources. Our iterative approach to developing the iWRITE learning modules includes five phases; revisions were employed after each phase. Phase 1: Module content was developed by the research team and systematically reviewed by a panel of expert researchers and early educators. Phase 2: Ten preschool teachers engaged in Think Aloud interviews (Barnum, 2002) as they navigated one iWRITE module and accompanying exemplar videos highlighting effective writing practices. Phase 3: 18 Head Start teachers engaged with the iWRITE modules that contained exemplar videos, practice-based learning experiences, and virtual, asynchronous coaching for one month to address questions of usability and engagement. Teachers completed a survey after each module to provide feedback on content and navigation; thematic coding was used to synthesize open-ended responses. Website analytics tracked teacher usage to record accessed content (e.g., pages, videos). Teachers submitted assignments online which were scored for fidelity. Phase 4: The pilot study engaged 54 Head Start teachers and 497 4-year-old children. Outcome data from teachers and children and fidelity data of teachers’ engagement were gathered to identify the effects of the PL. Phase 5: An exit survey was used to identify barriers and opportunities to engagement; thematic coding of open-ended survey responses was employed.
Results/Conclusions. Results of the panel review confirmed content was essential. Think aloud responses confirmed participants appreciated videos that (a) were short but focused, (b) represented diverse teachers, and (c) included subtitles and voiceovers that pointed to the target learning principle. Phase 3 analytics showed teachers completed one module per month and fully watched videos fewer than 4 minutes in duration. Surveys revealed that teachers “strongly agreed” that the online system was easy to navigate and contained sufficient content to support teachers’ uptake of new approaches. Phase 4 used ANCOVA to identify that teachers who participated in iWRITE demonstrated significantly higher final scores (6.4 points higher, d=.9, p<.001) for the writing subscale of ELLCO and on the ELLCO total (d=1.4, p=.001) than control teachers (Gerde & Bingham, 2023). ANCOVA analysis revealed that children in classrooms of teachers who optimally engaged in the iWRITE had higher writing outcomes (e.g., letter writing F=7.92, p=.005, spelling F=12.73, p=.0005) than children in classrooms of teachers who did not. iWRITE system analytics noted that 64% of teachers optimally engaged. Exit interviews identified opportunities to enhance engagement through increased social connections (e.g., learning community, in-person coaching) and interactive gaming design elements (e.g., motivational badge system, “like” options).
Significance. Findings inform the design of effective PL approaches for modern teachers and the need to partner with end users to create PL that is engaging and usable.

Authors

• Hope K. Gerde, Texas A&M University

• Gary E. Bingham, Georgia State University

• Ryan Bowles, Michigan State University