JSET

JSET Articles Index

Volume 19 Number 3

Live, Interactive Paraprofessional Training Using Internet Technology: Description and Evaluation
Robert L. Morgan, David E. Forbush, Jon Nelson
Utah State University

Abstract

Recent federal mandates have increased training requirements of special education and Title I paraprofessionals. State and local education agencies face challenges in meeting the mandates, such as locating and selecting from available training options, deploying local experts to deliver training, and funding development and delivery efforts. One alternative is to deliver a live, Internet-based course with real-time video and audio. In a 10-week course, an instructor interacted with groups of 16 to 20 paraprofessional participants at three remote sites. Site coordinators managed instruction and assisted participants at each site. In this article, authors describe the curriculum, instructional format, and technology, then summarize course evaluation data, and finally, examine the capacity of the delivery system in relation to training mandates.

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