Examining Perceptions of Higher Education Faculty Who Teach Online


Book Description

With the advent of computer-aided technologies and the Internet, students can access courses offered across a broad spectrum of fields and for a variety of degree levels. Institutions of higher learning have recognized the need to keep pace with competing institutions by offering courses online. As colleges and universities continue to meet the demands of students seeking enrollment in online courses, the need for recruiting, hiring, and developing faculty who are trained to teach within an online format continues to increase as well. Quality instruction cannot exist without systems of support to advance and improve faculty (Khan & Chishti, 2012). The need to employ teachers who teach effectively in an online environment continues to influence the decisions of chief academic officers and other stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to explore various aspects of online instruction by examining the perceptions of higher education instructors who teach online. The research addressed three questions: What are faculty perceptions of online instruction? In what ways does participation in a faculty development intervention influence faculty members & rsquo; decisions to alter their online instruction? What do participants in a faculty development intervention identify as challenges to implementing new strategies to their online instruction? Data were gathered through survey research which collected quantitative data. The results of this research indicate faculty members who taught online felt competent in their instructional skills and would consider implementing new strategies in their instructional practices. However, the participants regarded a lack of student participation and motivation as a challenge to implementing new strategies learned in the instructional intervention. The research questioned the influence of a prescribed faculty development on instructors & rsquo; decisions to implement new strategies into their instructional decisions. The research has implications for stakeholders in higher education as the proliferation of online programs continues. The results of the research indicate when faculty participate in prescribed faculty development designed to meet their specific instructional needs, faculty are more apt to positively receive the instruction and favorably view the implementation of new strategies into their instructional practices.




Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education


Book Description

This book is to explores a variety of facets of online learning environments to understand how learning occurs and succeeds in digital contexts and what teaching strategies and technologies are most suited to this format. Business, health, government and education are some of the core sectors of society which have been experiencing deep transformations due to a generalized digitalization. While these changes are not novel, the swift progress of technology and the rising complexity of digital environments place a focus on the need for further research and novel strategies. In the context of education, the promise of increased flexibility and broader access to educational resources is impelling much of higher education’s course offerings to online environments. The 21st century learner requires an education that can be pursued anytime and anywhere and that is more aligned with the demands of a digital society. Online education not only assists students to success-fully integrate a workforce that is increasingly digital, but it helps them to become more comfortable with the use of technology in general and, hence, more prepared to be prolific digital citizens. The variety of settings portrayed in this volume attest to the unlimited opportunities afforded by online learning and serve as valuable evidence of its benefit for students’ educational experience. Moreover, these research efforts assist a more comprehensive reflection about the delivery of higher education in the context of online settings.




Online Learning in Higher Education


Book Description

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in the perception of online education effectiveness between community college academic administrators and faculty members. The perceptions of academic administrators, full-time faculty, and part-time faculty were examined to have a better understanding of how online education in community colleges in Arkansas might affect higher education in the future. The study included academic administrators and faculty members in community colleges in Arkansas. Prior research indicated that there would be differences in the perceptions of academic administrators and both full-and part-time faculty regarding online education in community colleges. However, the results of this study indicated that there was only one significant difference in perceptions among the academic administrators, full-and part-time faculty for four out of the five research questions. The only significant difference was the perception of academic administrators and full-time faculty regarding learning outcomes for online courses and face-to-face courses. The results of this study are important to continue the support and growth of online education in community colleges to meet the growing demand of higher education. It will provide suggestions to help create high quality, effective online courses and programs and to improve faculty experiences teaching online courses that will benefit community colleges in Arkansas.




The Excellent Online Instructor


Book Description

The Excellent Online Instructor is a guide for new and seasoned faculty who teach online, those responsible for training and developing online instructors, and administrators who must evaluate online faculty performance. This comprehensive resource describes the qualities of and explains how one can become an excellent online instructor. Written by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt—noted experts in online instruction—the book Includes models based in adult learning principles and best practices Offers guidelines to test instructors' readiness to teach online Contains ideas for overcoming faculty resistance Reveals how to develop an effective mentoring program Shows how to establish a long-term faculty development effort Praise for The Excellent Online Instructor "Palloff and Pratt have a profound understanding of the online educational milieu, its complexities and challenges as well as the potential it opens up to serious educators dedicated to exploiting its full value. Practical and down-to-earth strategies are at the core of what the authors offer the reader in this engaging book." —Michael J. Canuel, CEO, LEARN Quebec "This book examines best practices for effective online teaching and instructor engagement and provides a concise plan for faculty development and effective training methods. Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have provided another essential resource for the field of online teaching and learning that is a must-read for anyone working with faculty or teaching online in either higher education or K–12." —Kaye Shelton, dean, Online Education, Dallas Baptist University "Whether you are guiding departmental faculty or looking to improve your own online skills, Palloff and Pratt provide practical steps, tools to organize your processes, best practices to emulate, and valuable resources to help you achieve excellence online." —Lynn Olson, dean, Graduate and Professional Studies, St. Joseph's College Online




Teaching Online


Book Description

Teaching Online: A Practical Guide is a practical, concise guide for educators teaching online. This updated edition has been fully revamped and reflects important changes that have occurred since the second edition’s publication. A leader in the online field, this best- selling resource maintains its reader friendly tone and offers exceptional practical advice, new teaching examples, faculty interviews, and an updated resource section. New to this edition: new chapter on how faculty and instructional designers can work collaboratively expanded chapter on Open Educational Resources, copyright, and intellectual property more international relevance, with global examples and interviews with faculty in a wide variety of regions new interactive Companion Website that invites readers to post questions to the author, offers real-life case studies submitted by users, and includes an updated, online version of the resource section. Focusing on the "how" and "whys" of implementation rather than theory, this text is a must-have resource for anyone teaching online or for students enrolled in Distance Learning and Educational Technology Masters Programs.




Faculty Perceptions of Online Teaching at a Mid-sized Liberal Arts University in the Pacific Northwest


Book Description

"Faculty resistance to online teaching is a problem that can affect institutions looking to increase online learning options for students. Prior research has identified a number of encouraging and discouraging factors that may affect faculty motivation to teach online. Given limited institutional resources, it would be difficult for an institution to address all of the factors identified in prior research. Furthermore, faculty at liberal arts colleges have not been studied as a specific population of interest in prior research. Therefore, to increase acceptance and participation in online teaching at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), this study employed a convergent, parallel mixed-methods research design to investigate faculty perceptions of online teaching among faculty not currently teaching online. The Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) provided a theoretical lens to examine the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on an individual's willingness to engage in an innovative practice, i.e. online teaching. Latent qualitative content analysis examined faculty perceptions of online teaching and identified six themes in the dataset. Using descriptive statistics, an examination of 21 quantitative factors identified 17 factors reported by more than 50% of respondents to influence their decision to teach or not teach online. Merged analysis found strong agreement between the two datasets, with only minor areas of divergence. Study participants perceived online learning as attractive to students but they wanted any online courses carefully regulated, in part because online learning was seen as contrary to their teaching values. Participants were influenced by personal preferences but also the desire for robust faculty resources, and more effective technology and infrastructure. Overall, the three constructs of the DTPB were evident in the dataset and results were generally consistent with prior research."--Boise State University ScholarWorks.




Health Behavior Change E-Book


Book Description

Engagingly written by experts with worldwide reputations in the field, Health Behavior Change presents an exciting method which can be used to helps patients change their behaviour in both hospital and community settings. The method is applicable to any behaviour, such as overeating, physical inactivity and smoking or with patients struggling with the consequences of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Using brief, structured consultations with the client, the practitioner encourages the patient to take charge of decision-making concerning their health. It relies upon partnership between professional and patient rather than dominance of one over the other and is carried out in a spirit of negotiation rather than confrontation. The text clearly outlines the fundamental principles behind the method while applying it to practice. Problems of resistance and lack of motivation are explored and practical strategies to manage them are suggested. The patient is at the centre throughout. Short case examples and dilemmas from clinical settings ground the method in the reality of practice. Well accepted method. Reflects professionals' current concerns with health promotion and effective use of time. Highly respected authors. Community focus. Genuine international market. Particularly relevant to US practice. US spellings throughout. text revised and updated throughout to reflect developments in the field e.g. new studies that have been conducted since the first edition published improved appearance with addition of a second colour and more modern page design to increase appeal chapter summaries added to aid assimilation more material relating to obesity




Faculty Perceptions of Their Training to Teach Online at a Florida State College


Book Description

Institutions of higher education are using distance education to meet the high demand of those seeking a college education. This is especially true for state/community colleges. There are many factors which influence the quality of distance courses, including, but not limited to, technology, pedagogy, and course structure. One of the main assumed factors is the level of training faculty receive prior to teaching online. This research describes a case study of a Florida state college and seeks to explore the faculty perceptions of the training they received in order to prepare for teaching online. This particular training program focuses on the learning platform. An in depth literature review is provided in order to examine the history of online education, the importance of student engagement, as well as a description of best practices for online course development. Results are organized around Moore's Theory of Transactional Distance and show the importance of faculty motivation to teach at a distance. A few emerging themes of online teaching influences appeared, including the importance of collaboration, comfort with technology, prior experience with distance education, enjoyment of teaching online, and fear of cheating.




Resistance, Reluctance, and Revelation: Examining Faculty Perceptions of Online Learning Options at a Faith-based University


Book Description

Despite the growth of online education and its seemingly fixed place in higher education, online education is still opposed, or at least viewed with suspicion by many faculty (Allen & Seaman, 2013). Faculty opposition of online education can be expressed in myriad ways, most prominently through shared governance, which can directly limit or completely block online education from occurring at an institution. This case study revolved around a non-profit, Faith-Based university (FBU) that is a newcomer to the inclusion of online coursework. This study sought to investigate the rationale faculty may have towards their support or opposition to online education by using mixed methods to bring to light the beliefs faculty have about online education. In examining the beliefs faculty at FBU have towards online education, this study also prompted faculty to reflect on whether their beliefs about online education have changed since the inclusion of online coursework at FBU, and if so, what factors may have contributed to the evolving beliefs. Data collected from 54 survey respondents and 12 faculty interviews helped to capture these beliefs. The findings showed that faculty, on average, felt that the impact of online education on the quality of educational experience would be slightly diminished at the undergraduate level but slightly enhanced at the graduate level. Faculty who indicated evolving beliefs or opinions about online education cited various catalysts. These catalysts fell into 3 categories: external factors- related to economic viability, changes in the higher education environment, and access; information and opinions gather from trusted sources- which would include literature, colleagues, and professional organizations; and personal experience- which stemmed from a direct personal involvement in teaching and/or learning experiences within the online environment. Findings were examined through the theoretical framework of Rokeach's (1989) model of belief systems. This model may suggest that beliefs about teaching and learning are closely connected to one's identity and are thus highly resistant to change. Accepting and implementing new or different methods of teaching and learning, such as the teaching and learning occurring in online education, might require a major reorganization of beliefs about oneself.




Engaging the Online Learner


Book Description

Engaging the Online Learner This updated edition includes an innovative framework the Phases of Engagement that helps learners become more involved as knowledge generators and cofacilitators of a course. The book also provides specific ideas for tested activities (collected from experienced online instructors across the nation) that can go a long way to improving online learning. Engaging the Online Learner offers the tools and information needed to: Convert classroom activities to an online environment Assess the learning that occurs as a result of collaborative activities Phase in activities that promote engagement among online learners Build peer interaction through peer partnerships and team activities Create authentic activities and implement games and simulations Praise for Engaging the Online Learner "The Phases of Engagement framework provides a road map for creating community at each phase of an online course. This book is an invaluable guide to innovative practices for online learning." Judith V. Boettcher, coauthor of The Online Teaching Survival Guide "Engagement is the heart of online learning. The authors have developed an encyclopedia of tried-and-true learner engagement activities that are authentic and ready to use." Donald P. Ely, professor emeritus, instructional design, development and evaluation in the School of Education, Syracuse University