The impact of virtual learning on teachers’ professional development

Gillespie, H., Boulton, H., Hramiak, A., and Williamson, R. 2007 Learning and Teaching with Virtual Learning Environments. Learning Matters.



There are two main area of professional development needed if virtual learning is to be effective in school. Firstly, teachers need to develop the technical skills needed to use a virtual learning environment. I essence these skills are not specific to using a particular VLE but they are general ICT skills, which can be transferred between learning platforms. However, it is not enough just to know the technical skills: as a teacher you also need to develop the appropriate pedagogical skills. So in addition you need to learn strategies to include virtual learning in your teaching and learning plans, both in the context of a long-term plan and at the lesson-planning level. Below is a list of some of the technical and pedagogical skills that you need to develop as a teacher in order to use virtual learning effectively.

Technical skills:

1.web browser navigation;

2.making and updating files of content (text, images, videos, MP3, etc);

3.adding and organizing and operating virtual learning tools;

4.setting up discussion boards and other communications tools;

5.constructing quizzes, surveys and tests;

6.managing user of the VLE.

Pedagogical skills:

7.organising the introduction of the VLE to learner;

8.planning virtual learning opportunities in face-to-face teaching sessions;

9.using virtual learning to develop non-classroom beads learning opportunities;

10.choosing and using appropriate content and communications tools;

11.making the most of online learning opportunities;

Clearly these two sets of skills cannot be learned in isolation and programmes of professional development need to include both these aspects to be effective.


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