Faculty development to promote effective instructional technology integration: A qualitative examination of reflections in an online community

Abstract

The State University of New York’s Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) is an online professional development model that encourages faculty and instructional support staff to explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of emerging technologies through hands-on Discovery Learning Activities. TOEP is focused on creating peer-learning communities by providing a venue to experiment with the evolving landscape of social media and the latest web-based technology tools. The concept of lifelong learning and how it relates to technology change serves as a guiding principle of this project. This research examines the reflective summary posts shared by participants in the project’s online community to understand their perspectives about their experiences with TOEP. Our findings show that participants felt that they gained knowledge from the experiences of peers in the community. Many faculty stated that they integrated technology into their courses while they were participating in the project, or they expressed explicit plans to do so in the future. Many participants also expressed a desire to continue to learn about emerging technologies after their formal participation concluded.