Faculty Professional Learning: An Examination of Online Development and Assessment Environments - Teaching through Multi-User Virtual Environments - page 66

Chapter 6
Faculty Professional Learning:
An Examination of Online Development
and Assessment Environments

Olga M. Alegre
University of La Laguna, Spain

Luis M. Villar
University of Seville, Spain

ABSTRACT

The model Faculty Electronic Professional Learning and Portfolio (FEPLP) is viewed as cyclic with
six basic entry points: quality management of academic development, professional development pro-
grammes, e-mentoring for new faculty teachers, development teaching and assessment competences in
a blended environment, web-supported faculty assessment strategies, and review of an e-portfolio. This
computer-mediated model includes a range of multiple representations of teaching competences that seek
to provide for different professional development programmes for faculty in higher education, increases
e-mentoring interactions, and provides a more closely reflection on campus e-learning experiences. The
authors also investigated future staff developments including further competence module and online
course development inspired by this model.

INTRODUCTION

cyclic with six basic entry points: quality man-
agement of academic development, professional
development programs, e-mentoring for new
faculty teachers, development teaching and as-
sessment competences in a blended environment,
web-supported faculty assessment strategies, and
review of an e-portfolio. All these elements ensure
quality as the foundation of everything a faculty
teacher does. Quality assurance becomes the core
of monitoring new faculty personnel, assessing
and improving teaching responsibilities. We deal

We describe a Faculty Electronic Professional
Learning and Portfolio model (FEPLP) (see Figure
1). We state that significant changes in quality
professional development are likely to take place
only after changes in faculty professional learning
(FPL) outcomes are evident, that is, once faculty
have experienced professional change in academic
learning competences. The model is viewed as

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61692-822-3.ch006