Using Technology to Make Professional Development Effective and Cost-Effective: The JOINT Online Course Program for Japanese Language Teachers

Abstract

There have been significant challenges and difficulties for non-profit organizations in the development of online distance professional development programs due to the lack of institutional support and funding. By overcoming these challenges and difficulties, the Alliance of Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ), has developed and launched the JOINT (Japanese Online Instructional Network for Teachers) program for the Japanese teachers scattered around the world. The course curriculum implemented learner centered learning with a mixture of individual, pair, and group activities during a 4- to 6-week course, and it included the components of instruction, collaboration, and communication. The technology was carefully selected so that these components were effectively structured and organized, and, in addition, the program was developed and managed cost effectively. The paper discusses and illustrates the structure of the JOINT program, especially the technology framework and technology tool selections, with examples from its Content Based Instruction course.

Keywords

• Technology
• Professional
• Effective
• Japanese
• Program
• distance
• institutional
• Alliance
• group activities
• framework
• Instruction