This paper begins with the introduction of online education development in U.S. higher education. It examines the challenges of online learning, highlighting that online education often yields poorer outcomes, with lower completion rates and fewer educational learning outcomes. It identifies key determinants impacting online learning outcomes: student agency, the level of interaction within online courses, and digital literacy. The study emphasizes the importance of professional development (PD) for online instructors, especially in community colleges.

Critical pedagogy serves as the conceptual framework for the PD, advocating for educational systems that empower students and teachers to challenge oppressive structures and to contribute to educational equity. It stresses the need for instructors to be facilitators of learning, promoting active dialogue and collaborative knowledge construction. The paper discusses scaffolding strategies, promoting student agency, enhancing interaction, and integrating technology-enhanced learning (TEL) as essential components of PD for online instructors.

The paper concludes by arguing for the necessity of humanizing online education, aligning it with the principles of critical pedagogy to create more inclusive and empathetic online classrooms. It suggests that as online education evolves, there is a responsibility to ensure that PD programs reflect these humanizing principles, contributing to a more equitable and reflective education system.