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.