The Evolving Role of Graduate Faculty: Perceptions of Online Teaching and Learning

1. The Evolving Role of Graduate Faculty: Perceptions of Online Teaching and Learning Vesna Beck, EdD Sharon Santilli, EdD Nova Southeastern University

2. Purpose of the Study To collect data on graduate faculty perceptions and experiences in several different areas: • Overall use of WebCT technology and tools • Faculty training • Time spent on course preparation and delivery • Course interaction • Perception of instructor role • Authenticity of student work

3. Purpose of Study (cont’d) • To add to the growing body of research about online teaching and learning. A review of the literature revealed very little on the perceptions and experience of faculty • To corroborate the notion that online teaching needs to be defined and rewarded in new ways

4. Study Population The initial population for the study included 63 doctoral faculty from NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services who taught WebCT courses to 701 students in the winter 2004 term. 47 faculty responded to the survey.

5. Design of Study • Data were collected using an 11-question survey that focused on faculty’s use of technology; time spent in online instructional activities; perceptions of faculty role; and assessment of student work. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to interpret the data.

6. Design of Study (cont’d) • The investigators chose to collect data electronically because that was the most efficient way to reach faculty who are located around the country. • The surveys were returned anonymously as E-mail attachments; they were collected by a third party so that identifying E-mails could be removed before the surveys were given to the investigators.

7. Design of Study (cont’d) • The survey instrument consisted of demographic, descriptive, and quantitative questions. • Descriptive questions that required narrative responses regarding the nature of online teaching grew out of group discussions with faculty, formal faculty meetings, and the investigators’ personal experience with online teaching.

8. Results of the Study Overall use of WebCT technology and tools: -89% percent of faculty are using the Discussion Area -65% are using WebCT mail -78 % are using chats The Test Generator and Whiteboard are used least, but there may be a clear explanation for this since these tools are not typically a part of the general training offered to faculty by the University.

9. Results of the Study (cont’d) Faculty training: -70% received training in WebCT -53% received training in online teaching methods -25% received training in online instructional design -66% received their training from NSU -40% considered themselves “self-taught”

10. Results of the Study (cont’d) Bender (2003) also shows that faculty can spend 40% more time teaching online than teaching in the traditional classroom (p.161). Time spent on course preparation and delivery: -NSU faculty spend the most time on communication with students, which includes posting and answering messages in the Discussion Area and reading and responding to mail in WebCT. -Significant time is also spent on course preparation for online courses which is different in nature from preparation for face to face courses.

11. Results of the Study (cont’d) The data from the course interaction questions support the premise that all online learning has as its goal the building of learning communities (Hiltz, 1998). -51% of the faculty stated the most valuable feature of the Discussion Area in WebCT is student-to-student interaction -34% indicated that it promotes good communication skills on the part of the students -34% indicated that they use the Discussion Area to provide feedback to students

12. Results of the Study (cont’d) Faculty role: -30% identify themselves as “facilitators” in online courses -37% identify themselves as “conveyors of information” -25% identify themselves as “planner” One of the surprises in the overall results was that more faculty did not see themselves as “evaluators”, since assessment of student work is a major responsibility.

13. Results of the Study (cont’d) Research indicates that assessing academic integrity is one of the most difficult instructional tasks of online teaching (Bender, 2003; Berg, 2002). Assessing the authenticity of student work question: -32% rely on their professional judgment and experience -29% compare the consistent quality of student work

14. Results of Study (cont’d) -21% use Internet software -23% do not check for authenticity This may be due to course design, the nature of assignments, the level of trust and the collaborative learning that create a different atmosphere in an online classroom (Palloff & Pratt, 1999).

15. Conclusions • A key point with regard to graduate faculty training is that it is two-pronged approach, involving technical and andragogical skills • It is well documented that it takes significantly more time to teach online courses than face to face courses As noted by Rosenberg (2001): “What is emerging most clearly from the technological explosion is, ironically enough, a refocusing on people” (p. 120).