Building Community in Online Faculty Development (original) (raw)
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In this qualitative study, we examine the experiences of seven tenure-track and non-tenure track current/future online faculty through the conceptual lenses of sense of community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) and collegiality (Gappa, Austin, & Trice, 2007). We found: (1) participants reported that their sense of community and collegiality around online course development and teaching was lacking, (2) participants' communities for online teaching, if available, primarily focused on technical support, and (3) participants desired greater community and collegiality for philosophical and psychological concerns with the medium of online teaching. We conclude with recommendations for practice for online faculty professional growth.
Professional Development: Designing Initiatives to Meet the Needs of Online Faculty
Journal of Educators Online, 2015
The increasing prevalence of online courses mandates an examination of the similaritiesand differencesin the faculty training and development needs of those teaching online. With institutions facing increasingly limited resources, there is a need to prioritize faculty development initiatives that will encourage faculty participation. An examination of interest, attendance and completion rates of faculty development initiatives targeting online faculty revealed no distinct preferences in relation to the focus or format of programs offered. The authors recommend offering flexibility and diversity in faculty development initiatives to accommodate the disparate needs of a remote, heterogeneous faculty population; as such, a sample needs assessment is offered to help guide faculty development programming to support online teaching.
2017
Institutions of higher education are struggling to meet the growing demand for online courses and programs, partly because many faculty lack experience teaching online. The eCampus Quality Instruction Program (eQIP) is an online faculty development program developed to train faculty in designing and teaching fully online courses. The purpose of this article is to describe the eQIP (one institution's multipronged approach of online faculty development), with a specific focus on how the overall success of the program is evaluated using surveys, analytics, and social network analysis. Reflections and implications for improving practice are discussed. Highlights • The program of online faculty development is demonstrated. • Faculty participation, perception, and concern of the program are examined. • Faculty appreciation for online professional development for online course design, development, and delivery is discussed. • Lessons learned and future improvements for the program are outlined.
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education
To design and deliver meaningful professional development programs for faculty who teach online, the unit responsible for these activities should have a clear idea of what content participants might find most beneficial to their practice, as well as what can improve instructor and student satisfaction. Using an online survey, this study explored the perceptions of 314 faculty members at a mid-southern university as they relate to the online environment and institutional factors, personal factors, and student engagement and active learning. Faculty reported high levels of satisfaction with the accessibility of their courses and the technical support they receive, but reported lower levels of satisfaction with the effectiveness of online communication tools. The results also revealed a significant difference in how faculty rated their satisfaction with student engagement and active learning based on their level of experience, indicating that alternative approaches to faculty development might be necessary for those new to online teaching and learning.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2010
This manuscript begins with a synthesis of research on communities, communities of practice (CoPs), and the potential for their development in online forums, while specifically discussing the value of virtual CoPs for educational professionals in higher education. Working within constructivist and sociocultural frameworks, this manuscript addresses how online forums for faculty support can be beneficial in ways distinct from face-to-face environments. Further, this paper presents an argument for the hybridisation of faculty development by suggesting that online forums for collegial interaction are viable and culturally sensitive complements to traditional face-to-face faculty support, socialisation, and mentoring programmes. In conclusion, resources that can assist in designing a hybrid model of faculty development are offered.
Faculty Development for Online Instruction in Higher Education
2017
This paper presents a review of the literature about the current state of professional development for online instructors in U.S. institutions of higher education. Professional development requirements and experiences for instructors who create online courses vary widely among higher education institutions. Throughout the literature, many have proposed varied recommendations for overcoming identified barriers that threaten successful professional development programs. Factors investigated in this review included reasons for faculty professional development, challenges and barriers, best practices, essential elements, current practices and program models, and faculty perceptions. Faculty Development for Online Instruction in Higher Education Professional development for instructors who teach online exists in various formats, ranging from in-house workshops to online certification courses (such as those from the Online Learning Consortium or Quality Matters). Yet the majority of onlin...
Faculty Development for Online Educators: An Action Research Project
This study examined attitudes and perceptions about faculty development of online instructors at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). The purpose of this study was to determine how FIDM could increase participation in available faculty development training opportunities and improve the orientation course currently in development. A total of 184 student evaluations of teaching were analyzed, 35 instructors were surveyed, and 10 instructors were interviewed in order to answer the research questions. The results of this study indicate that instructors want professional development that is convenient and provides specific skills that can be applied to their online courses. Students want instructors to be more responsive to their needs in their online courses. Instructors responded positively to the new faculty orientation course in development and felt that it should be required of all new instructors. According to interview responses, formal incentive programs currently being considered may not result in increased participation by faculty in available training options.