Benefits of engaging in virtual professional development

Benefits of engaging in virtual professional development

With in-person professional learning off the table for most of 2020, many organisations and providers of professional learning have had to change and adapt under challenging circumstances. An example of this, is our recent Teachers In Action 2020 virtual conference. Hosting professional development online was a good challenge for us and we’ve received lots of feedback letting us know it was a successful event.

Whilst our face-to-face events are a great way to learn practical skills and games hands on, in the excitement of it all, it can sometimes be challenging to also adequately cover theoretical aspects such as demonstrated links to Curriculum or undertake critical analysis and reflection of what is being presented and learned. Most of the feedback we received suggests the online format provides presenters and delegates opportunities to connect more deeply with the theory and evidence of what we are aiming to achieve in our teaching, as well as connect more deeply with others on a professional level.

Some of the reported benefits of delivering Teachers In Action virtually include:

• Opportunities for professional learning to be gained out of school hours from the comfort of teachers’ homes
• Teachers from all over Australia and anywhere in the world could attend
• The Meeting Hub made it easy to connect with fellow delegates, arrange meetings or follow up
• The Virtual Exhibition space with live chat function meant delegates could instantly talk to exhibitors and ask questions
• Session handouts could be easily downloaded with delegates being able to pick and choose what information was most useful
• For session hosts and presenters, instant ICT help was available as opposed to calling for someone to provide assistance and waiting for them to come to the room

Not to mention the hassle-free parking, and freshly brewed, home-made coffee!

More quotes from delegates below (…we can’t make this up! Thanks to those who provided feedback!)

“Awesome job guys! The platform worked really well and I’ve looked at notes from heaps of presentations that I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t virtual.”

“I think I got more out of this conference than usual. Usually, I can only attend one day or not at all. This allowed me to do so many PE sessions and I am learning so much!!

“I think the learning for many has been deeper in some ways than the face-to-face conference.”

“Terrific conference, well done! Got so many new ideas, so much learning and made lots of new connections.”

“Good to tune in from the Middle East!”

In addition to Teachers In Action, our online suite of professional learning opportunities continues to grow, with eLearn courses and in-school professional learning workshops delivered to HPE teachers virtually – all designed to help build your professional development hours from home and support your professional growth as HPE teachers.

Teachers, we’re here for you. Please get in touch should you need advice or help to deliver quality HPE now and into the future.