Supporting Emergency Remote Teaching via a Responsive Professional Development Support System

Abstract

This chapter outlines the design and implementation of an emergency remote teaching (ERT) online support system at a Japanese university. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors, holding the unique position of overseeing professional development and technology, immediately began preparing a training program for teachers to accommodate shifting to online teaching. The authors developed a holistic continuing professional learning and development (CPLD) support system in order to prepare over 70 lecturers for the transition. The approach employed was based on core principles of Drago-Severson’s learning-oriented model of adult learning (Leading adult learning: supporting adult development in our schools. Corwin Press. https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/leading-adult-learning/book230518, 2009), alongside the concepts of distributed leadership (Spillane J, Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2006) and leadership-as-practice (Raelin JA, Leadership-as-practice. Taylor & Francis, New York, 2016). By conducting ongoing needs analysis throughout the semester, the support team was able to establish a dynamic, responsive system capable of evolving as needs arose. Teachers were surveyed to collect their feedback, and their suggestions for improvement were implemented. The lessons learned here may serve as a foundation for the development of dynamic CPLD programs that prioritize educators’ needs.