Web-Based Instruction for Education Faculty

Abstract

Research on organizational behavior has shown that the success or failure of an innovation rests ultimately on the people who implement it. This study was a systematic assessment of faculty needs for the incorporation of Web-based instruction into the teacher education curriculum. The needs assessment model involved defining optimal performance, assessing actual practice, and identifying the gap separating the two. The purpose of the study was to understand the technological and pedagogical requirements necessary to prepare education faculty for the paradigm shift envisioned by leading educators and driven by information technology. It took an in-depth look at exemplary practices in the field, such as the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, the recipient of 1998 AACTE Best Practice Award in Systemic Change in Technology.