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Concerns about quality, accreditation, and misperceptions dominated the discussion of Web-based professional development programs for teachers featured on a recent EdWeek online chat. With the rapid proliferation of online courses, “there is no commonly agreed upon stamp of approval to guarantee the quality,” says Barbara Treacy, managing project director at EDC’s Center for Online Professional Education, which designs and delivers Web-based professional development programs for educators and administrators across the country.

Treacy was a featured guest on the EdWeek chat, which aired live on Wednesday, November 16. She was joined by Peggy Gaskill, the head of the master`s degree program in education at Walden University, which offers college degrees online to students nationwide. In addition to offering tips on how to gauge a course’s value and credibility, the two panelists discussed current research on the effectiveness of online learning, issues of accreditation and standards in this young field, and ideas for overcoming bias against distance learning programs.

Despite concerns, Treacy remains enthusiastic about the value of online courses. “There`s lots of evidence that online professional development does provide robust and intense interaction, and that it provides lots of important and rich opportunities for collaboration,” she said. “I find it helpful to invite skeptical administrators or other decision makers or stakeholders into a live course to see and experience for themselves the warmth, humor, and engagement in an online course.”

“High quality online professional development has to meet the same high standards as any effective professional development course or program,” says Treacy. When assessing online programs, the panelists advise consumers to consider carefully whether the content is well designed, regularly updated, and aligned to state and local standards; the professional credentials of program designers and instructors; and opportunities for interactive feedback from the instructor and other participants.

Supporting Children & Families
Improving the lives of young children and families is a commitment throughout EDC, expressed in our work with schools, caregivers, health agencies, and community groups. While some of our work involves direct service to children, we also engage

Promoting Health
At EDC, we view health as the presence of physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply the absence of illness. If people are healthy, they can take full advantage of every opportunity to learn, work, and enjoy their lives. Our work in health promot

Improving Schools
During our 45-year history, EDC has evolved from a curriculum development laboratory specializing in science and mathematics to a global organization focused on learning and human development for people of all ages. That broadened perspective has helped

Building Communities
Not all learning takes place within the walls of a school, or even a classroom. The larger community—the people, the culture, the physical environment, and even the virtual environment within which we each live—are powerful teachers as well. When schools

Integrating Work & Learning
The ways we prepare young people for work—and the work itself—have changed tremendously during EDC`s 45 years. The growth of technology, its impact on our schools and workplaces, and the surge in various growth industries continually create new opportunit

Job Opportunities
For the past 45 years, EDC employees have worked together to improve education and health around the world. In the last decade, the number of employees has grown exponentially, doubling in size more than two times. Today, over 850 EDC employees work in

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