Distance education, combining the use of correspondence texts, broadcasting and limited opportunities for face-to-face study, has been used in at least a hundred teacher training programmes over the last 25 years. Distance Education for Teacher Training is the first comparative review of the use of distance education and open learning for the training and upgrading of teachers. The book contains case studies using a broadly common format both to describe and analyse distance teacher training programmes in eleven countries across five continents. The case studies describe the methods used to examine how far the craft of teaching can be studied at a distance. Using a standardised microeconomic framework, they provide unique data on the comparative costs of training teachers by distance and conventional methods. The authors then draw general conclusions about the advantages and drawbacks of using distance education or open learning, about the conditions for success, and about comparative effects and costs. Distance Education for Teacher Training will be of value to all concerned with teacher education, whether in developing or industrialised countries, and to those working in and planning for distance education and open learning.

How can open and distance learning and information and communications technology (ICT) provide us with more - and better - teachers? Open and distance learning is increasingly used in teacher education in developing and developed countries. It has the potential to strengthen and expand the teaching profession of the twenty-first century and to help achieve the target of education for all by 2015. Teacher Education Through Open and Distance Learning examines the case for using open and distance learning and ICT to train our educators. It describes and analyses the ways in which these methods and technologies are used for: *initial teacher training and continuing professional development *training principals and school managers *training those who provide non-formal adult and community education *communities of practice and sharing of knowledge and ideas within the teaching profession It also discusses the policy-making, management, technology, costing, evaluation and quality assurance aspects of this work. The contributors are outstanding practitioners in the field. The first review in over a decade, Teacher Education Through Open and Distance Learning draws on wide-ranging and international experience to summarise the strengths and weaknesses of new approaches to the education of teachers. It offers invaluable guidance to policymakers, planners, headteachers and teachers.

A new reality of teaching and learning through technology is continually on the rise creating the need for governments, organizations, teachers, students, and families to adapt. Students are realizing the need to become more autonomous, parents are having to become more present, and teachers are assuming new roles in virtual education. Although this new era of education is marked by innovation at all levels, most of these changes have not been thoroughly planned or structured, thus creating a difficult experience for all the educational stakeholders. Impact of Digital Transformation in Teacher Training Models conducts a critical discussion on teacher preparedness in the digital transformation of teaching practices. It promotes practitioner reflections on the role of institutional policies, teacher digital literacy, the digital divide, and how the ongoing digital transformation of society will induce the need for a paradigm shift in teacher training models. Covering topics such as emergency remote education, emerging pedagogies, and massive open online courses, this book is an essential resource for policymakers, government officials, education administration, pre-service teachers, educators, researchers, and academicians.

The third edition of this award-winning Handbook continues the mission of its predecessors: to provide a comprehensive compendium of research in all aspects of distance education, arguably the most significant development in education over the past three decades. While the book deals with education that uses technology, the focus is on teaching and learning and how its management can be facilitated through technology. Key features include: Comprehensive coverage that includes all aspects of distance education, including design, instruction, management, policy, and a section on different audiences. Chapter authors frame their topic in terms of empirical research (past and present) and discuss the nature of current practice in terms of that research. Future research needs are discussed in relation to both confirmed practice and recent changes in the field. Section one provides a unique review of the theories that support distance education pedagogy. Section six includes a unique review of distance education as a component of global culture. This book will be of interest to anyone engaged in distance education at any level. It is also appropriate for corporate and government trainers and for administrators and policy makers in all these environments. Recipient of the 2013 IAP Distance Education Book Award

This book provides a focused and comprehensive overview of gradual development and reforms in teacher education in India. It discusses historical development, policy perspectives, quality concerns, current practices, and trends of teacher education in India. It highlights the prevailing social image of teachers and the teaching profession, as well as the emerging problems and issues faced in teacher development programs, indicating the need to focus upon the transformative changes. Each chapter provides an in-depth research-based analysis and reflects on a specific theme: education policies and commissions, curricular reforms, ICT integration, and the digital revolution. It offers alternative practices by drawing a comparison with developed nations. It is an indispensable resource for teacher educators, school administrators, curriculum designers, policymakers, and researchers in teacher education.

Regardless of the field or discipline, technology is rapidly advancing, and individuals are faced with the challenge of adapting to these new innovations. To remain up-to-date on the current practices, teachers and administrators alike must constantly stay informed of the latest advances in their fields. Teacher Training and Professional Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications contains a compendium of the latest academic material on the methods, skills, and techniques that are essential to lifelong learning and professional advancement. Including innovative studies on teaching quality, pre-service teacher preparation, and faculty enrichment, this multi-volume book is an ideal source for academics, professionals, students, practitioners, and researchers.

The Quarterly Review of Distance Education is a rigorously refereed journal publishing articles, research briefs, reviews, and editorials dealing with the theories, research, and practices of distance education. The Quarterly Review publishes articles that utilize various methodologies that permit generalizable results which help guide the practice of the field of distance education in the public and private sectors. The Quarterly Review publishes full-length manuscripts as well as research briefs, editorials, reviews of programs and scholarly works, and columns. The Quarterly Review defines distance education as institutionally-based formal education in which the learning group is separated and interactive technologies are used to unite the learning group.

"This book creates the argument for more sufficient online teacher preparation in higher education and is geared toward all members of higher education including faculty, administrators, and educational affiliates"--Provided by publisher.

Australia is a vast sparsely populated land and from an early date this created problems in terms of providing educational facilities. As part of the solution the nation has had a long tradition of using distance education methods to provide an education for its isolated primary and secondary school students. Western Australia epitomises the problems inherent in having a large land area with a highly urbanised population and a small but scattered rural one. Initially, the State established a Correspondence School in 1918. There have been various developments since then, culminating in the establishment of the Schools of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE) in 1995. Since then the staff at SIDE have investigated and developed ways of providing their students with innovative educational materials in an effort to ensure that the best possible services are provided. Despite its innovative nature, very little research has been conducted on SIDE. The research project reported in this book is one contribution to rectifying the deficit. It had three main aims. The first was to develop an understanding of the emergence of SIDE. Secondly, an understanding of the key functions of SIDE was sought. The third aim was to develop an understanding of the issues which present themselves for those working at SIDE. Implications for policy, practice and future research in relation to the education of children in geographically remote regions through distance education are deduced, and not just in relation to the state of Western Australia, but internationally.