Forbes school of business think tanks exploring teaching, learning & relationship building in a virtual learning community (original) (raw)
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Virtual University Think Tank: A Mixed-methods, Inductive, Exploratory Analysis
2016
This paper builds on the knowledge base from, among other things, a presentation made at UNMMI in 2014 and on findings presented at UNMMI in 2015. The study relies on research gleaned from a virtual collegial think tank developed as a means of establishing and sustaining community and develop-mental networks among faculty at a large online university. The research examined demonstrates the effectiveness of an existing mentoring program. Social based knowledge manage-ment, inclusive of mentoring, is examined in the context of a virtual faculty community. Bandura’s (1977) theory of social learning, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory, and Bon-well and Eison’s (1991) active learning are considered as theo-retical foundation on which mentoring and relationships are examined. Best practices for mentoring and relationship build-ing are considered with emphasis on their impacts on creativity and innovation in high tech organizations. Findings of a recent study are considered. ...
Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 2009
Online learning is in its infancy compared to other types of learning in the history of academe. Because of its limited history, there is much to be discovered about the ontological, axiological, and epistemological aspects of this technology-driven learning environment. While literature is saturated with online student experiences, and the differences between online and traditional teaching and learning, one area has been relatively unexplored: the relationship between the virtual instructor and his or her institution. This paper discusses findings from a recent dissertation study that, in part, sought to operationalize the construct of collegiality for online instructors. The literature and the study suggest that fostering this connection from the virtual faculty to their institution is incredibly important and it is argued that to do so a Virtual Community of Practice and Faculty Learning Communities should be developed and nurtured.
Building Community in Online Faculty Development
2019
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine current best practices building community in online faculty development (FD). Ongoing participation in pedagogical FD is critical to teaching today due to changing technologies, pedagogical strategies, and increasing numbers of at-risk students. However, competing demands make prioritizing FD challenging. As a result, many institutions are implementing online asynchronous FD offerings. Little research exists on online offerings specifically for faculty with needs and motivations different from students. Particularly, it is important to look at social construction of knowledge through community in online asynchronous FD. This study supplemented the scant literature by interviewing 27 online FD designers from 25 institutions in 14 of US states. This included 14 public and seven private doctoral-granting institutions and four commercial enterprises providing online FD as a service. Next, a four-week online FD course was built to explore the designer recommendations. Thirty-one faculty from 10 US states participated. Pre-and postcourse surveys, course submissions, and post-course interviews were collected. Results indicated successful building of community. Five themes were identified. 1) Participants need opportunities for deliberate practice that incorporate application, feedback, and reflection. 2) Participants seek to customize their experience to their unique backgrounds and needs. 3) Participants desire a learner-centered experience that elicits and values their contributions. 4) Community vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
The purpose of this study was to investigate three constructs that affect online faculty: initial preparation, collegiality, and continued professional development. An increasing number of colleges and universities are responding to the demand for greater learning flexibility and, consequently, offering online and hybrid courses at an increasing rate. Institutions should prepare their online faculty for a new teaching role and a new teaching environment. This study explored what activities and experiences adequately prepare online faculty for their new role in this new environment. In addition, institutions should seek to develop collegial relationships with their online faculty. This study discovered what experiences develop collegial relationships with online faculty. Finally, although faculty members teach from locations around the world, they should have opportunities for professional development. The varying locations provide a challenge for institutions and this study’s findings inform institutions what types of professional development activities meet the needs of online faculty. The end result of the operationalization of these constructs is for a virtual community of practice to be developed and sustained through the experiences and activities that operationalize them. After an extensive review of literature, a clear understanding of these three constructs remained elusive; however, the need to understand them was evident. This Delphi study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data from 30 experienced online faculty members who taught online for multiple institutions in the form of electronic surveys. These online faculty members were asked first to list activities and experiences that are important in these three construct areas, and then rank them in subsequent surveys to discover which activities and experiences were the most important in each area. The findings suggest that online faculty members have different perspectives about their careers, and those perspectives affect their wants and needs in these construct areas. However, what was found is that online faculty members desire adequate preparation, efforts to promote collegiality, and professional development opportunities from the institutions for which they work.
Virtual Learning Communities in Organizations and Institutions of Higher Learning
Handbook of Research on Learning Outcomes and Opportunities in the Digital Age
Organizational learning theory, adult learning theory, and basic human performance work in community psychology and anthropology inform this chapter which examines Virtual Learning Communities (VLC) in different types of organizations. Specifically, examples of VLC use in a corporate setting and an institute of higher learning are examined. The chapter reviews key components necessary for success when using VLC, as well as VLC effectiveness versus their limitations. Learnings obtained from experience with and research on VLCs are also discussed. The chapter ends by exploring the major implications for practitioners in adult learning, human resource development, and related disciplines. www.igi-global.com/chapter/construction-of-the-definite-integral-concept-using-open-sourcesoftware/177016?camid=4v1a Contextualized MALL in Target and Non-Target Countries: Mobile Activity Evaluation Anat Cohen and Orit Ezra (2019). Mobile Technologies in Educational Organizations (pp. 170-191). www.igi-global.com/chapter/contextualized-mall-in-target-and-non-targetcountries/227228?camid=4v1a Role of Educational Leaders in Supporting Beginning Teachers in Al Ain Schools in the UAE Salam Omar Ali (2019). Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in Modern Education Delivery (pp.
Supporting Online Faculty through a Sense of Community and Collegiality
Online learning, 2014
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.
Virtual Professional Communities: Integrative Faculty Support to Foster Effective Teaching
Journal of Instructional Research, 2019
Enrollment in traditional and online courses and degree programs continues to rise (NCES, 2019), resulting in the need for more faculty. Due to the high volume of students enrolled, more faculty are needed; however, because of budgetary restraints, institutions of higher education (IHEs) rely heavily on contingent, adjunct faculty (Barnes, 2017; Stenerson, Blanchard, Fassiotto, Hernandez, are a consideration of IHEs (Anft, 2018). Therefore, the increased reliance on adjunct faculty mandates that institutions seek additional strategies that result in effective teaching, student retention, and are uniquely relevant to this faculty population. which teaching contracts to accept and the hours of availability, many adjunct faculty are working partor full-time elsewhere. The pay for adjunct faculty is less, yet many of the expectations are the same, and the preparation to teach a new course is extremely time-consuming. Some IHEs reported adjunct faculty turnover (Ramasamy, 2017). To minimize turnover and retain quality adjunct faculty, IHEs offer professional development (PD) opportunities adjunct faculty may not be able to participate in traditional PD offerings, such as Communities of Practice (CoPs) due to their circumstances with timing and location. "…professional development needs and circumstances of adjunct teaching faculty can enhance scholarly approaches to university The remote nature of the online adjunct faculty position warrants the need for various means of communicating what PD offerings are available and offer alternative modes of collaborating.
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.
Community Building in a Virtual Teaching Environment
Advances in Social Work, 2016
Center (VAC) to deliver online MSW programming to students located around the country. USC's platform is a significant innovation in offering online education and has transformed the traditional educational model for both students and faculty. This research explores the experiences of faculty teaching via the VAC. Twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with USC faculty of different ranks. Inductive data collection using a grounded theory approach with thematic analysis examined experiences teaching in an online program, revealing the strengths and challenges associated with geographic diversity and community-building. Findings warrant the development of innovative practices to build community and to facilitate collaboration among geographically diverse faculty and students in a virtual education program.
Virtual Community of Practice: Connecting Online Adjunct Faculty
2018
There is an increasing trend in higher education to hire adjunct faculty to teach online courses. While faculty at a traditional campus location can meet to collaborate with their peers, globally dispersed faculty, specifically adjuncts, who are teaching online may not be afforded this opportunity. To respond to this concern, the researchers conducted a grant-funded mixed-method study. The researchers created a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) to determine whether participation increased sense of belonging among online adjunct faculty. Findings revealed an increase in connection among peers. The results from this study are noteworthy, and research in this area should continue. The landscape of higher education is changing to include more online offerings and more adjunct faculty. The current trend shows an increase in adjunct faculty teaching online courses at institutions across the country (Magda, Poulin, & Clinefelter, 2015), with many of them possibly never visiting their university's campus. According to the