Workshop 2: How to blend CPD for educators and transform learning – a step by step guide

TITLE: HOW TO BLEND CPD FOR EDUCATORS AND TRANSFORM LEARNING –
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Description

This half-day workshop has the objective of taking the workshop participants through a step-by-step process to develop or redevelop continuous professional development (CPD) trajectories for educators (teachers, school leaders, etc.) into blended CPD trajectories, with a combination of in-person (also called face-to-face) and remote (also called distance-based) CPD. 

Following the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation (ADDIE) process, the participants will go through the ADDIE phase of a blended CPD trajectory. The focus of the workshop will be on the design phase. Through the application of a CPD design matrix, workshop participants will try out the approach and put together a trajectory of CPD activities, and organise these activities into a blend of in-person and remote activities. The CPD design matrix allows one to visualise the blended CPD trajectory, to co-create it with peers, and to adapt it.

During the workshop, reflections will be shared, and tips provided on three important cross-cutting themes in blended CPD trajectories: diversity, gender and inclusion, motivation and engagement, and cost-effectiveness, scalability and sustainability.

The workshop facilitators will present various case studies to illustrate how these principles cut across the CPD development phases. In addition, workshop participants will be invited to share their experiences and will engage in discussions on the cross-cutting themes. Throughout the workshop, participants will gain practical insights into how blended CPDs can transform learning.  

Requirements for participants

There are no specific requirements for workshop participants. Nevertheless, to make the workshop more relevant and practical, participants are invited to come prepared and to join the workshop with a concrete CPD initiative in mind that answers a specific learning outcome.

 Downloaded material

Guide on blended CPD for educators has been published and all materials can be downloaded from the website here: www.blend-on.org

Facilitators

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Dr Jef Peeraer holds a PhD in Education Sciences and has more than 15 years’ experience in education for development in Asia and Africa in a variety of advisory and leadership roles. His focus is on education change processes, in general, and school leadership and teacher professional development, in particular, with expertise in technology for educational transformation. Currently based at the head office of VVOB – education for development, he supports country teams in the formulation and implementation of programmes. He also coordinates VVOB's flagship programme on school leadership through the African Centre for School Leadership.

Loran Pieck works as a strategic education advisor at VVOB – education for development. In this capacity, she works with ministries of education to collectively strengthen the professional development of teachers and school leaders, with a strong focus on equity. She has over seven years’ experience in education programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. She started her career with VVOB in South Africa as a monitoring and education advisor. Currently, she guides public institutions in Rwanda to design and deliver blended professional development programmes for educational leaders, focusing on effective school leadership and educational mentorship and coaching.

Stefaan Vande Walle has over 20 years’ experience in designing, implementing and evaluating education programmes. He has expertise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, the professional development of teachers and school leaders, and technology-enhanced learning. Since 2022, he has taken up the position of global strategic education advisor at the head office of VVOB – education for development in Brussels.  In this capacity, he provides technical support on VVOB’s portfolio of programmes in basic education, including its Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) programmes in Uganda and Zambia. He has been working for VVOB since 2008, having held various technical and managerial positions in its country offices in Cambodia, South Africa and Rwanda. Before joining VVOB, he worked as a researcher at the University of Leuven. He holds master’s degrees in Geography (University of Leuven), Project Planning (University of Nijmegen) and Online and Distance Education (Open University UK).   

Ayanda Sithole is a skilled specialist in e-learning who specialises in blended learning modalities. Over the years, she has contributed to several initiatives in the South African education sector that aim to provide teachers with the necessary tools and training to enhance their instruction. She is passionate about creating engaging and effective learning experiences that help users achieve their goals. Ayanda, a live performance and motion picture graduate with honours, has used her training to investigate user-focused solutions to deliver online learning experiences.  As a member of the South Africa Blend Team, she oversaw the design of the Learning and Teaching Mathematics online learning environment. Among the new innovations she oversaw was the peer learning environment known as the social learning page. This area was created for peer learning and sharing, as well as the creation of online programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Ayanda believes that creating user-focused blended learning designs is crucial if we are to develop online learning that is both meaningful and impactful. 

Dr Taskeen Adam is a co-director at Open Development and Education, a senior research lead at EdTech Hub and a research associate at the University of Johannesburg. She specialises in topics such as tech-supported teacher professional development, virtual learning environments and open education. She completed her PhD on addressing injustices through massive open online courses (MOOCs) at the University of Cambridge. Her research highlighted the fact that historical injustices, cultural imposition and economic dependence continue to play a pivotal role in digital education. Alongside her academic pursuits, she pioneered Khwela (a regional online course platform) and Solar Powered Learning in South Africa, as well as Mobile Education for Smart Technology in India. Prior to her career shift to EdTech, she worked as an electrical engineer.

Jane Nantayi Sebuyungo is an experienced design manager and a leader in the non-profit and development sector. She has played a key role in designing, managing and implementing teacher professional development programmes, and designing innovative radio and blended teacher continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. She has a deeper understanding of gender responsiveness, youth entrepreneurship and girls’ education. With over 20 years’ experience in the sector, she has a deep understanding of design methodologies, user-centered design principles and project management techniques. She has expertise in collaborating with key government and partner institutions, and has translated these principles and techniques into strategic practical action. She is a coach and mentor, and is dedicated to delivering high-quality results. She is a teacher, a facilitator and a passionate lover of learning. She is intrinsically motivated to making education a joyful and rich experience for learners and teachers in a system-led approach.

Lawrence Ofei joined Right to Play as training officer in 2018 and has been the training and capacity-building specialist since 2020. He joined Right to Play with over 20 years’ experience working in Ghana’s educational sector in various capacities, including as a professional teacher, programme manager, and training and capacity-building expert. His areas of interest include instructional design for teacher continuous professional development (CPD) in both in-person and blended formats, and learning activity or play design for learners and teachers. In 2020, he led his team in Ghana to design learning content to engage learners and teachers during the COVID-19 lockdown. He has led the design of a blended CPD programme for teachers on five literacy skills that is currently being piloted with over 1 000 teachers in seven districts from the Volta, Northern and Greater Accra regions of Ghana.