Jonathan Brinkerhoff

Effects of a Long-Duration, Professional Development Academy on Technology Skills, Computer Self-Efficacy, and Technology Integration Beliefs and Practices

Abstract A variety of barriers relating to resources, institutional and administrative policies, skills development and attitudes can hinder the effectiveness of technology professional development resulting in underutilized technology resources and lack of integration of those resources within instruction. Multiple methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a long-term professional development academy intended to address those barriers and promote increased use of technology in the academy participants’ instruction. Results revealed significant gains in participants’ self assessed technology skills and computer self efficacy, with little or no change to self assessed technology integration beliefs and practices despite interview data indicating participants felt their teaching had changed as a result of their academy participation. This article suggests the design of the academy was successful in addressing some but not all of its intended objectives. Suggestions for the design of long-term technology professional development are discussed.

Effects of Overviews and Computer Experience on Learning from Hypertext

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of overview mode and computer experience in a hypertext learning environment. College students read a hypertext unit that included a structured overview, an unstructured overview, or no overview. The study examined the effects of overview mode and computer experience on achievement, attitude and instructional time. Results indicated that participants with high computer experience learned more from the hypertext program than those with low computer experience. Furthermore, participants who received either the structured or unstructured overview spent significantly more time using the hypertext program and had significantly more positive attitudes than participants who did not receive an overview. However, overview mode did not influence achievement.