Developing online educators can be enhanced by applying models of skill acquisition and online learning practices with mentoring for skill development. These practices and processes are rooted in understanding the foundational role of self-direction in online professional development.

The transition to online learning has highlighted the pervasiveness of the digital divide as more than inequitable access to computers and internet (Hohlfeld et al. 2017). Even when students have laptops and physical connectivity, their participation depends on teachers who position them as mathematically competent (Berry 2018; Langer Osuna 2017)…

Interactive video has become a versatile, easy to use instructional tool that can help teacher educators engage students in active learning, conduct formative assessments and model pedagogical practice. This paper describes how faculty in the Department of Teaching and Learning at a large southeastern university use web-based interactive video…

Skilled, ethical use of social media can advance social justice, impact policy, engage and educate the community, and elevate social workers. To assure that MSW students develop these skills, we created an assignment that required students to use a professional social media profile to advocate for a cause or policy based on findings from a needs…

The online role play simulation as described in this article addresses critical skills as identified by practitioners and includes background materials, buyer and seller profiles, a sale/no-sale decision matrix, as well as a grading rubric, thereby facilitating a variety of selling scenarios. Both the buyer and the seller have integral roles in…

The forces of globalization and technological advances are driving a need for skilled workers. In many countries, there is a "skill gap" that must be acknowledged. Individuals must increasingly embrace lifelong learning to remain competitive in turbulent times. This paper provides an introduction to the skills gap issue. In addition, the…

Case-based instruction (CBI) offers a promising method for promoting problem-solving skills in learners. However, during CBI, the instructor shoulders major responsibility for shaping the learning that takes place. Research indicates that the facilitation techniques used during case discussions influence what gets covered, and to what extent,…

Virtual classrooms and virtual activities have waxed and waned, with most focusing on fostering learning in the cognitive domain and, realistically, most becoming rapidly discontinued. But social virtual realities (SVR) are uniquely "social," so what about interpersonal skills? This article describes the authors' experiences exploring SVR as a…

In this regular feature of "Educational Technology," Michael F. Shaughnessy and Susan M. Fulgham present their interview with Ryan Watkins, Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the George Washington University and the author of 10 books and more than 95 articles. In this interview, Watkins discusses the following topics:…

Over the last decade, WebQuests have grown in popularity in educational environments. In order to effectively implement a WebQuest in the classroom, best pedagogical practices must be employed; however, these best WebQuest practices should reflect the exigent 21st century skills students need to be successful, productive members of the global…

This article describes the development and implementation of an open-access organic chemistry question bank for online tutorials and assessments at University College Cork and Dublin Institute of Technology. SOCOT (structure-based organic chemistry online tutorials) may be used to supplement traditional small-group tutorials, thereby allowing…

Fierce competition, globalization, and technology innovation have forced software companies to search for new ways to improve competitive advantage. Web-based learning is increasingly being used by software companies as an emergent approach for enhancing the skills of knowledge workers. However, the current practice of Web-based learning is…

The future professional world of today's students is becoming a life-long learning process where they have to adapt to a changing market and an environment full of new opportunities and challenges. Thus, the development of a number of personal and professional skills, in addition to technical content and knowledge, is a crucial part of their…

The website "Active Listening" was developed within a larger project--"Interactive Web-based training in the subtleties of communication and active listening skill development." The Active Listening site aims to provide beginning counseling psychology students with didactic and experimental learning activities and interactive tests so that…

Distance education is growing rapidly at the collegiate and secondary levels. Online courses, which deliver information via a computer, are a form of distance education that has been both praised and condemned. Those skeptical of online courses maintain that learners have to deal with technology problems, low motivation, isolation, and lack of…