Views on blended learning professional development training: A case study of an Egyptian school of education

• In Event: New approaches to training and professional development for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in higher education

Proposal

Altruism is the act where an individual promotes someone else’s welfare, even at the cost to oneself. Altruistic behavior could play an essential role in facing the global unprecedented and unpredictable issues resulting from the constant change in the ecosystem. Education is one of the possible mechanisms that can play a chief role in safeguarding the path towards altering the current egocentric actions towards the environment since the resources of overpopulated countries could be easily depleted (Ellis, 2018). According to El-Wahaidy, 2018, overpopulation negatively impacts the plans to reach sustainable development. Providing learning opportunities and quality education could ensure ceasing the current behaviors towards depleting our environment. In Egypt, the population has reached 101,172,280. This places the country as the 14th on the Worldomete’s list of countries’ populations (Maged, 2019). These demographic changes have distinct impacts on several levels such as the increase of the illiteracy rate, according to the 2017 census (El-Wahaidy, 2018). Nowadays, educators are required to play a major role in this predicament. However, the instructors need to go through professional development workshops and programs which ensure that they would be able to change the learners’ attitude towards altruism. Since resorting to technology to address such problems could be obliging on facing the problem of overpopulation, blended learning education could help in educating Egyptian learners, especially those living in remote areas. People living in governorates away from the capital could have a good chance of getting quality education in a cost-effective manner by being provided access to qualified instructors that are not available in their hometown (Means, 2013). Therefore, qualifying the instructors who are altering their regular classes to blended learning education is vital. This paper focuses on the role of professional development workshops held for the instructors working at a higher education institution aiming at implementing blended learning education.

An Egyptian school for continuing education affiliated to a higher education institution, offered a blended learning course for continuing education students. It was expected that the meetings prior launching the course and the well-prepared content which was placed on a special server would ensure successful implementation of blended learning courses. However, due to the students’ complaints, it was decided, after the first week, that the planned blended courses would proceed but through using the flipped classroom instructional strategy. On the other hand, it was decided that the instructors would attend professional development workshops on implementing blended learning prior to the following term.

Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted to know the views on the effectiveness of the workshops provided to instructors. A qualitative method is used to have a deeper perspective on the addressed issue by recording the participants’ views and feelings regarding the implementation of blended learning in the Egyptian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the top-management, the trainers who conducted the workshops and the first group of instructors who were assigned to teaching blended learning courses. The snowballing technique was used in choosing the participants. While the data analysis method used is content analysis where themes are identified to answer the case study research questions.

The research focused on the following questions; (1) How do the instructors perceive the efficacy of the workshops held post the first round? ; (2) What is the role of the professional development workshops in building a community of inquiry among the instructors?; (3) How did the institution implement blended learning education in their classrooms?
The two theoretical frameworks in this case study are the community of inquiry and the diffusion of innovations. Garrisons,et al., (2013) identifies the elements of learning communities and the importance of engaging the faculty in professional development while Evertte, (2003), emphasizes the role of the institution and the phases of diffusing an innovation throughout the different phases of attempting to explain the factors of successful diffusion of innovations with special focus on the adoption phase. Community of inquiry theory helps in identifying the social presence, cognitive interaction and the teaching management techniques that professional development provided for the educators. In addition, diffusion of innovation theory will help in understanding the phases that the institution went through for implementing blended learning as an educational innovation in the Egyptian context.

The initial results revealed the instructors’ satisfaction regarding the workshops. The content seemed relevant to their needs as educators to meet the learners concerns towards blended learning. In addition, the feedback provided by the trainers on the assessments seemed to help in identifying different strategies to address learners’ concerns prior implementing the blended learning courses. Moreover, the instructors declared that the professional development events encouraged them to build a community of inquiry that would aid them to proceed with professional development which would be reflected on their learners. It reportedly enhanced their cognitive, and social presence through discussion where they shared their insights and examined case studies on blended learning in a safe learning environment on the institution and top management level, the assistant director of the department chosen in this case study explained the process of implementing blended learning in their institution; there is a focus on enhancing their curriculum to meet the learners needs during the online sessions. Finally, more professional development events will be facilitated to meet educators' needs to provide an interactive learning experience during the online sessions.

The practical implications of these results may aid in having a deeper understanding of the previous implementations of blended learning education. Blended learning education could be implemented on a broader scope in Egypt. This educational strategy can alter the learners’ attitudes towards the possibility of receiving an education in an environment that would cater for a huge number of learners who are all seeking opportunities for receiving better quality education. However, educating the instructors prior the implementation and following scientific techniques on diffusing such innovation in the educational system in Egypt may provide unceasing opportunities for the vast Egyptian population to be educated citizens. Facilitating education may aid in changing the patterns of behavior in the Egyptian society. It is not a far-fetched dream that the Egyptian population would be sharing in facing global issues, especially when the ecosystem is involved. The practical implications can also be related to higher education institutions of overpopulated countries may refer to these results in order to understand previous experiences’ reasons for success and failure in implementing new educational innovation, and in understanding the vitality of professional development for its educators. The study also suggests several strategies to facilitate effective professional development events where educators have the chance to build a community of inquiry, and where other higher education institutions would consider while diffusing blended learning as an educational innovation in overpopulated countries.

Author

• Nada Ammar Ezzatlo, The American University in Cairo