Teaching Online Made Me a Better Teacher: Studying the Impact of Virtual Course Experiences on Teachers Face-to-Face Practice

Source: Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, Volume 25, No. 4 (Summer 2009).

Anecdotal accounts from teachers have long suggested the possibility that virtual teaching experiences have a positive impact on face-to-face teaching practices, a so-called “reverse impact” phenomenon. Survey and focus group data were collected as part of a statewide evaluation of a virtual school. The data offered an opportunity to explore this impact.
Findings from a study of teacher perceptions indicate that three quarters of teachers who teach in both virtual and traditional environments felt that virtual experiences improved their practice in face-to-face classrooms. The authors discuss three types of impact reflected in teacher comments and discuss tentative implications for teacher preparation programs and for bolstering the rationale for using technology in education.