A Systematic Review of Asynchronous Online Learning Opportunities for Paraeducators. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Knowles, Christen L.; D'Agostino, Sophia R.; Kunze, Megan G.; Uitto, Denise J.; Douglas, Sarah N.
• Is Part Of: Journal of special education. Volume 56:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 178
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: paraeducator training -- professional development -- online learning; Special education -- Periodicals; Children with disabilities -- Education -- Periodicals; 371.905
• DOI: 10.1177/00224669221085306
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4669

Abstract

Due to a variety of factors, many paraeducators receive little to no opportunities to advance their professional skills. Asynchronous online learning opportunities offer a flexible way for districts to provide paraeducators opportunities to advance their knowledge, although little is known about what online resources are available, their features, or their overall quality. A review was conducted of 19 freely available online learning opportunities to evaluate features, alignment with federal legislation and professional standards, active engagement features, and usability. Results indicated that features and quality indicators varied across resources and half of the resources required active user engagement. Limitations, suggestions for future development, and future research directions are discussed with an emphasis on factors related to online delivery.