Although Warrior (2002) did not offer any professional frameworks or pathways to professional status the report did cover some of the elements that I believe are immediately transferable from the educational profession to that of an elearning profession (IMHO these are very closely linked).
Being a professional is about taking the responsibility to not just gain the pre-requisite academic qualifications but also combines knowledge with practice. The very notion that a professional must ‘practice what they preach’ echoes directly into my own work environment and professional attitude. Carr (1982) comments that ‘quality is synonymous with meeting professional standards through a system of supervision, inspection and control’. So what standards should be set for the elearning profession?
Having a set of standards that need to be met and maintained engenders the attributes and values required of a professional. Professional development is the process that practitioners need to complete in order to improve their professional competencies. This can be achieved through individual motivation to engage with a CPD programme by attending regular training courses or conferences to renew skills and competencies.
My initial attempt to provide definitions as required for this activity is listed below:
Definition of profession:
An occupation which operates under the guidance of an association or institute to clearly define codes of conduct and practice. Often a profession is held by a graduate or higher qualification with the necessary skills and knowledge of a specialist area.
Definition of professional:
A professional is more than just a person who is paid for what they do. Normally referred to as an expert in a specialized knowledge field which belongs to a professional organisation or governing body and delivers a service to clients. It is assumed a professional is fully up-to-speed and current with own knowledge and skills.
Definition of elearning:
Learning facilitated and supported through the use of information and communications technology. It can cover a spectrum of activities from the use of technology to support learning as part of a ‘blended’ approach, to learning that is delivered entirely online.
Definition of elearning professional:
A skilled occupation with the knowledge and experience to deliver learning through the medium of various electronic technologies. It is assumed that an elearning professional has graduate or higher qualifications and the competency to employ a variety of modern learning techniques.
References
Carr, W. (1989) Quality in Teaching. Lewes: The Falmer Press.
Warrior, B. (2002) ‘Reflections of an educational professional’ (online),Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, vol. 1, no. 2. Available from:http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/johlste/0030_warrior_vol1no2.pdf(accessed 6 August 2010).
Thanks for this. I have not written anything on warrior yet apart from the forum post so not in light of your work I think I will. We are supposed to be collecting evidence eh and it might be useful later. All this hoarding.... like a garden shed... full of things that may come in handy one day!
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Hi Lesley, my shed is full of old junk perhaps some of it will be useful one day!
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