scholarly journals ROLES OF FACULTY IN TEACHING ASYNCHRONOUS UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Libby V. Morris ◽  
Haixia Xu ◽  
Catherine L. Finnegan

Although the availability of web-based education and the number of totally asynchronous courses have grown exponentially in the last decade, the literature on online instruction offers limited empirical guidance to faculty teaching in this environment. Much of the literature is anecdotal and prescriptive, and much more research needs to be done to situate research in practice settings. This study examines faculty roles in the online environment through the perceptions of faculty teaching online and through the archival analysis of their courses. Data were collected through document analysis of ten online courses and from interviews with thirteen instructors in the humanities and social sciences. Using Berge’s typology of online facilitator roles, this study examined the relationship between roles as perceived and enacted by faculty, identified wide variations in faculty roles and participation between experienced and novice instructors, and explored the relationship between faculty workload and perception of facilitation in the online environment. Directions for future research are suggested.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virgil E. Varvel ◽  
Michael Lindeman ◽  
Iris K. Stovall

The Illinois Online Network (ION) is a faculty development partnership between all forty-eight community colleges in the state of Illinois and the University of Illinois. The goals of the ION program are to help faculty to develop and deliver courses in a completely online format, and also to produce online courses that incorporate best practices for engaging students in discussion and critical thinking. ION accomplishes its goals with a variety of programs, such as the Making the Virtual Classroom a Reality series of online faculty development courses. Evaluation surveys indicate that ION activities have had an impact on the satisfaction and confidence of faculty teaching online courses. This paper examines the programs and resources that ION provides, the effectiveness of the program as a whole, and the lessons ION has learned about providing a large-scale faculty development program.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna R. Kearns ◽  
Barbara A. Frey ◽  
Christinger Tomer ◽  
Susan Alman

The literature suggests that personal information management is a serious challenge for many computer users. Online faculty are especially challenged because of the large number of electronic files necessitated by teaching online. Those who have experience in this environment may offer valuable insights regarding information management challenges and practices. Faculty who teach online courses as part of the WISE (Web-based Information Science Education) Consortium responded to a survey that questioned the ways they manage email, computer desktop, Web-based information and learning management systems. The authors concluded that “filter failure” rather than information overload is the key issue in information management. The study concludes with a list of recommendations for faculty to manage their personal information.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik W. Black ◽  
Joe Greaser ◽  
Kara Dawson

Limited empirical research exists regarding the prevalence of academic dishonesty in the online classroom. This limited evidence supports the notion that factors contributing to academic dishonesty in the traditional classroom also apply to online courses. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between factors known to contribute to academic dishonesty in traditional courses with undergraduate students’ perceptions of cheating in online courses. 1068 undergraduates enrolled in online courses completed a survey exploring factors known to contribute to academic dishonesty in face-to-face classes and their perception of their peers’ level of cheating in online courses. Researchers employed bivariate correlations and multiple regression on data obtained from these students. Results suggest factors known to contribute to academic dishonesty in face-to-face classes have little influence in online courses, and results suggest that future research needs to consider whether students who engage in online learning have different ideas about what constitutes cheating.


Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Jones

Community colleges offer a variety of distance learning opportunities and continue to invest in technologies that better serve their students. This case study focuses on the experiences of Big State Community College and its progression from a few faculty teaching online courses to a distance learning program that supports greater than 25% of institutional enrollments. It explores the challenges of ensuring that Big State Community College’s evolving distance learning program promotes student success and is of a quality that reflects positively on the institution.


2016 ◽  
pp. 1132-1146
Author(s):  
Kay A. Persichitte ◽  
Suzanne Young ◽  
Tonia A. Dousay

In this chapter, the authors distinguish between blended and online learning settings, discuss a variety of types of learner assessment, describe contemporary trends, challenges, and recommendations for the effective assessment of learning in blended and online courses, and offer several recommendations for future research. The content targets teachers, instructional designers, administrators, and program managers of K-12 blended and online learning settings. Suggestions are offered for using web-based communication tools for feedback and assessment in blended settings. The authors conclude with a discussion of implementation topics associated with assessment in these learning environments that deserve additional attention and consideration.


Author(s):  
Deborah G. Wooldridge ◽  
Sandra Poirier ◽  
Julia M. Matuga

Higher education institutions must innovate and develop new modes of learning, both formal and informal, that meet the demands of the knowledge-driven economy. There is a growing demand for education and a push for non-traditional ways of delivering knowledge and learning. This chapter begins by identifying the technological changes that are affecting all societies and how these changes will specifically impact postsecondary education. The topic of course delivery is viewed as a cultural issue that permeates processes from the design of an online course to the evaluation of an online course. This chapter will examine and review key components of and tools for designing high impact online courses that support student learning and provide suggestions for faculty teaching online courses to assist in creating high-quality online courses that support teaching and, consequently, facilitate opportunities for student learning.


Author(s):  
Julia Khanova

Online education is growing rapidly and outpacing research efforts in this area. Online teaching in particular has received little research attention. Grounded in existing literature and empirical research, this chapter aims to describe the key dimensions of the faculty experience of preparing and teaching online courses. The differences between online and traditional teaching are highlighted, emphasizing time/effort cost, technology and support needs, as well as the relationship between online teaching technology and pedagogy. The shift in faculty role is discussed. Special attention is given to using various Web resources for online teaching and the impact of this trend on library services. Real-life examples and direct quotes from faculty who teach online are used to illustrate each of the themes and suggest directions for future research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Little ◽  
Eugene Cordero

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the relationship between hybrid classes (where a per cent of the class meetings are online) and transportation-related CO2 emissions at a commuter campus similar to San José State University (SJSU). Design/methodology/approach – A computer model was developed to calculate the number of trips to campus for a student body similar to SJSU. Different scenarios considered the theoretical effectiveness of implementing a hybrid course system to reduce CO2 emissions. Findings – Increases in hybrid courses resulted in decreased student trips to campus and associated CO2 emissions. The utility of such a relationship is demonstrated through a case study where the required increase in online class meetings needed to eliminate the need for an overflow parking lot is studied. Finally, preferential scheduling of online meetings can further reduce trips to campus. Research limitations/implications – A limitation of the model is that student schedules are random. Future research could use actual student schedules to better model how online course delivery will affect trips to campus. Practical implications – As today’s universities struggle with financial pressure, online course delivery is being offered as a way to cope. This analysis provides an additional metric to evaluate online courses and includes other potential financial savings. Social implications – Transportation contributes to local air pollution and emissions of heat-trapping gases. As universities move toward more sustainable behaviors, reducing automobile trips to campus can be seen as a priority. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to model the relationship between hybrid courses and CO2 emissions at an urban university. This information will be valuable to the SJSU community, as well as many other institutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alec Sithole ◽  
Davison M Mupinga ◽  
Joachim S Kibirige ◽  
Fidelis Manyanga ◽  
Brian K Bucklein

Research on online education has predominantly focused on issues related to student attraction, attrition, retention, and motivation, among others. Little attention has been paid to online instructors and yet, the quality of online education requires educators who understand the expectations of online instruction. Using an online survey, this study examined the expectations and challenges for online instructors and the suggestions for improving online instruction. Based on the data collected from seventeen faculty who teach online courses at four mid-western universities in the US, facilitation, instructor presence, and technical support stood out prominently among the expectations. The major challenges for online instructors were: large class sizes, academic dishonesty, lack of connection with students, too many emails, and lack of student self-discipline. The study recommends viable professional development for online instructors as a pre-requisite to teaching online courses.


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