Institutional Perspectives on Faculty Development for Digital Education in Canada - Volume 46 - professional development, online learning, Canada

Oct 15, 2026

Digital education in postsecondary settings continues to expand, increasing the need for strong professional development that equips faculty to teach effectively in online and blended environments. This study analyzes open-ended comments from the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association annual survey of Canadian postsecondary institutions from 2017 to 2019 to understand faculty training and support practices. Findings show wide variation in onboarding, extensive PD practices, and challenges such as culture change, work security concerns, and unclear expectations, along with institutional hopes for capacity building through targeted investments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Digital education and faculty professional development during COVID-19

Gaps in Canadian data and survey-based evidence

| | | | --- | --- | | Volume 46 (2) | Summer/été 2020 | Institutional Perspectives on Faculty Development for Digital Education in Canada Perspectives institutionnelles sur le développement du corps professoral pour l'éducation numérique au Canada Charlene A. VanLeeuwen, Royal Roads University George Veletsianos, Royal Roads University Olga Belikov, Simon Fraser University Nicole Johnson, Canadian Digital Learning Research Association Abstract As digital education at the postsecondary level continues to grow, robust professional development that prepares faculty to teach in online and blended settings is necessary. In this study, we analyzed openended comments from the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association’s annual survey of Canadian postsecondary institutions (2017-2019) to deepen our understanding of faculty training and support for digital education as articulated by higher education institutions. We found that: a) digital education orientation or on-boarding processes for faculty vary widely; b) institutions employ an extensive array of professional development practices for digital education; c) institutions report culture change, work security, and unclear expectations as challenges in providing digital education training and support; and d) institutions articulate aspirations and hopes around professional development investments in order to build digital education capacity. These findings have significant implications for research and practice, which we describe in this article. Keywords: professional development, online learning, Canada, faculty development; faculty training Résumé Alors que l'éducation numérique au niveau post-secondaire continue de se développer, un solidedéveloppement professionnel qui prépare les professeurs à enseigner en ligne et dans des environnements hybrides est nécessaire. Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé les commentaires ouverts de l'enquête annuelle de l’Association Canadienne de Recherche sur la Formation en Ligne sur les établissements d'enseignement supérieur canadiens (2017-2019) afin d'approfondir notre compréhension de la formation des professeurs et du soutien à l'éducation numérique tel qu'il est formulé par les CJLT/RCAT Vol. 46 (2) établissements d'enseignement supérieur. Nous avons constaté que les processus d'orientation oud'intégration des professeurs à l'éducation numérique varient considérablement ; 1) l'orientation de l'éducation numérique ou les processus d'intégration des professeurs varient considérablement ; 2) les établissements emploient un large éventail de pratiques de développement professionnel pour l'éducation numérique ; 3) les établissements signalent le changement de culture, de la sécurité au travail et desattentes floues comme étant des défis à relever pour fournir une formation et un soutien à l'éducation numérique ; et 4) les établissements articulent leurs aspirations et leurs espoirs autour des investissements dans le développement professionnel afin de renforcer les capacités en matière d'éducation numérique. Ces résultats ont des implications importantes pour la recherche et la pratique, et nous les décrivons dans cet article. Mots clés : développement professionnel, apprentissage en ligne, Canada, développement du corps professoral ; formation du corps professoral Introduction In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, where postsecondary institutions in Canada rapidly transitioned to remote teaching and learning, we see a renewed and heightened interest in professional development (PD) to prepare and support faculty teaching in digital education contexts. Digital education refers to teaching and learning activities which make use of digital technology as part ofinperson, blended, and fully online learning contexts. The large-scale shift to remote forms of teaching and learning reflects an extraordinary time in higher education. However, an investigation of the perspectives of higher education stakeholders in C

FAQs

What does the study examine about faculty professional development for digital education in Canada?

It analyzes open-ended comments from the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association annual surveys (2017–2019) to understand how institutions prepare and support faculty for digital education teaching.

What variations did the researchers find in faculty training approaches?

Institutions differed widely in digital education orientation and onboarding processes, and they used a broad range of professional development practices for digital education.

What challenges and aspirations do institutions report regarding digital education training and support?

Institutions report challenges including culture change, work security concerns, and unclear expectations, while also expressing aspirations and hopes for building digital education capacity through professional development investments.

Oct 15, 2026

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