Classroom Technology

USC Brings Its Own Brand to Online Offering for Teacher Prep

By Stephen Sawchuk — October 08, 2013 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Of new entrants to the online teacher-preparation market, among the most visible is the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Since 2009, more than 3,600 prospective teachers have enrolled.

To an extent, its success is the product of a series of fortuitous events. One was the arrival, in 2000, of Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher, who wanted to move USC’s small, somewhat marginalized undergraduate teacher education program to the graduate level and expand it. USC’s stated mission for teacher preparation is to improve urban education nationally and globally, and at just 50 teachers a year, “we were clearly not even meeting local needs,” Ms. Gallagher said.

Then, she was introduced to John Katzman, the founder of a technology company that came to be known as 2U. He pressed her to consider an online iteration of the newly formed Masters of Arts in Teaching degree.

Online Teacher Preparation
Online Teacher Prep Proliferates, But For-Profits Dominate Market
Education Researcher Moves Into Certification Business
USC Brings Its Brand To Online Offering For Teacher Prep.
Bank Street College Aims to Retain ‘Essence’ in Virtual Program

Ultimately, a partnership emerged: Mr. Katzman agreed to invest in the building of a customized, online platform for Rossier and to endow a faculty position, while Rossier would continue to select high-quality candidates. Faculty advising the project insisted on a platform that would be fully interactive and that could record online interactions for future research.

Enrollments Rising Steadily

The ambitious endeavor was nevertheless a gamble for a research institution.

“What we really brought to the partnership was our brand, and USC’s behind it,” Ms. Gallagher said. “We are investing our reputation.”

Enrollments have risen steadily. In fact, they have helped to shield Rossier from the steep decline in enrollments in teaching programs in California. The online MAT has also affected other traditional structures: Full-time faculty who teach in the MAT program and aren’t located in Southern California work under contracts based almost entirely on their teaching duties.

It also has injected transparency into whether what’s taught lines up with the program’s goals. “Everyone can share with each other how they’re helping students learn,” said Melora Sundt, the vice dean of academic programs at Rossier. “MAT faculty are much more comfortable with the review of their own instruction and feedback.”

The changes here have not always been comfortable for all. Some view the program’s rapid expansion as overly corporate.

“People will say, ‘It’s about the money.’ I always say, well, it better be—we’re a private institution,' " Ms. Sundt said. “It is about our mission, but it feels yucky to some faculty members that you also have to consider the financial model for the program.”

On the other hand, participating faculty say teaching online has led them to experiment.

“Oftentimes as professors it’s hard to relinquish control, and this format forces you to,” said Corinne E. Hyde, an assistant professor of clinical education. “If you get up in front of these students and lecture them, they’re going to be on Facebook in 15 minutes. You’re forced to really be on your toes, grab their attention, and hold it.”

Related Tags:

Coverage of policy efforts to improve the teaching profession is supported by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, at www.joycefdn.org/Programs/Education. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Classroom Technology Teachers Spend 2 Hours a Day on TikTok. What Do They Get Out of it?
For some teachers, TikTok is the bane of their existence. For others, it's a go-to source of inspiration, delivered with a dash of humor.
5 min read
The TikTok app logo appears in Tokyo, on Sept. 28, 2020.
Many teachers watch TikTok videos to pick up new teaching strategies, but rarely post their own content.
Kiichiro Sato/AP
Classroom Technology Reports Technology and Student Well-Being: 10 Charts
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed educators to learn about their views and experiences regarding the impact of technology on students.
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center Most Teens Think AI Won't Hurt Their Mental Health. Teachers Disagree
Teens and educators have wildly different perspectives on what AI will mean for young people’s mental health.
7 min read
Brightly colored custom illustration showing a young male looking at a phone. His mind is being completely distorted in the process with a pixelated digital texture.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center Kids Turn to TikTok for Mental Health Diagnoses. What Should Schools Know?
Nearly two-thirds of educators say students “sometimes” or “frequently” use social media to diagnose their own mental health conditions.
8 min read
Brightly colored custom illustration of a young depressed female sitting inside of a chat bubble and looking at a laptop with her head in her hand while there is another chat bubble with the ellipsis as if someone is typing something to her. Digital and techie textures applied to the background.
Taylor Callery for Education Week