Assessing Faculty Readiness for Online Teaching: An Attractive Approach

1. Assessing Faculty Readiness for Online Teaching: An Attractive Approach John Sener Sener Learning Services 12th Annual Sloan-C Int’l Conference Orlando, FL, November 9, 2006

2. Presentation Objectives • Understand a conceptual framework for attracting faculty to online teaching • Review an attractive approach to assessing faculty readiness for online teaching • Become familiar with recent relevant research on faculty attitudes toward online teaching • Discuss possible applications for the proposed attractive approach

3. What’s the Big Idea? • Use faculty readiness assessment to attract faculty to online teaching

4. Assessing Online Readiness: The Glut and the Void • "Is Online Learning for Me?" • ~19,900 Google hits [11/6/06] • 100s of readiness assessment surveys • “Is Online Teaching for Me?” • 66 hits [11/6/06]; only 1 survey • Only one survey (Onlinelearning.net) • Fine as far as it goes, but…

5. The Onlinelearning.net Survey as Faculty Readiness Assessment • Is Online Teaching for Me?TM Self-evaluation Quiz • Categories: • Computer skills assessment • Experience, qualifications in OL environment • Attitudes toward OL teaching & learning • Teaching styles, habits needed to teach OL • Training and commitment

6. Onlinelearning.net Survey: Sample Questions • 2. Are you willing to upgrade your computer equipment and/or purchase new software if needed? • 10. Have you used online quizzes, a discussion board or chat room as part of your teaching? • 13. Do you believe that lecturing is the best method for delivering education in your field? • 19. Are you able to create schedules for yourself and stick to them? • 24. Are you willing to spend time rethinking and redesigning your teaching materials to fit the needs of the online environment? • [= all stick and no carrot]

7. An alternative: What If… • …a faculty readiness survey was designed to attract faculty instead, …w/questions like: • Does this aspect of online teaching interest you? • Would doing x, y, or z sound attractive to you? --------------------------------------- • How does this idea sound to you? • What would such a survey look like?

8. What the Research Says:Motivating Factors for Participants • Meeting student needs, providing access • Flexibility • Better interaction/learning • Personal motivation to use technology • Release time • Monetary support (> salary, stipends, et al.) • Recognition of work • Credit toward tenure and promotion • Opportunity to use technology innovatively, enhance course quality; develop new ideas • Consistent with belief system

9. What the Research Says:Inhibiting Factors • Concern about workload • Lack of technical support • Lack of training provided by institution • Lack of release time/compensation • Lack of grants for materials/expenses • Concern about quality of courses [non-parts] • Complexity • Participants ≠ Non-participants

10. What the Research Doesn’t Say • A consistent pattern • Key factors vary by 2/4-yr, experience, FT/PT* • Have factors changed over time? How? • Maguire (2005): lit review, but all pre-2003 • *Hiltz, Dziuban and Shea 2006; Shea and Li in press: • E.g.: tech support? • Much about prospective participants • Participants ≠ Prospective participants • Non-participants ≠ Prospective participants • Very little research on prospective participants

11. From Skeptical to Satisfied: A(n Informal) Research Study • Target audience: • Initially skeptical • Tried it anyway • Now ‘converted’ to advocates • Contacted ~15-20 online faculty • Small sample (n=10), ‘ethnographic’ study • EdPath article (Sener 2005)

12. Results of “Skeptical to Satisfied”: Towards an Attractive Approach • Intrinsic (‘Individual’) Motivational Factors • Desire for flexibility • Desire for convenience • Desire to become a better teacher • Desire to provide a good experience for students • Desire for change • Interest in reaching new audiences

13. An Attractive Approach: Other Possible Factors • Extrinsic (“Organizational”) Motivational Factors (informed by Herzberg) • Tenure and promotion • Desire to increase enrollment/revenue • Desire to maintain enrollment/revenue • Material incentives for developing online courses/programs • Professional development • Emergency preparedness • Become more productive in doing one’s job • Supportive administration • Supportive supervisors

14. Toward an Attractive Approach: Underlying Strategies  • Help them find their attractors – find out what they want to do • Help them figure out how OL will help them do what they want to do • Identify concerns and address them • Add sweeteners as necessary

15. Toward an Attractive Approach: Sample Survey Question  • Having more flexibility in my teaching schedule appeals to me. If yes, why? (Check all that apply) • ___ It allows me to pursue personal interests that are not work-related. • ___ I like having more flexibility to decide when I do my work. • ___ It enables me to accommodate other life needs (child care, other family needs, etc.). • ___ It gives me more free time for other professional activities (attending conferences, consulting, etc.) • ___ Other (specify) ______________________________

16. Toward an Attractive Approach: Other Possible Survey Questions • Having a more convenient way to teach would be important to me. • I’m interested in becoming a better teacher. • I’m interested in providing a better learning experience for students. • I’m ready for a change of pace in my teaching career – something new. • Actively facilitating online courses appeals to me, but I have some concerns about it. • [same format: If yes, how? + choices]

17. Discussion  • Reaction: ?s, comments, +/-, opptys./threats • Does the proposed approach have value IYO? • Share your examples of attractive assessment • What would help you/your institution/organization implement this approach? • Question bank • Customized surveys? • Case studies? • Other resources/services/products?

18.   Contact Info • jsener@senerlearning.com • 240-461-2841 [mobile] • www.senerlearning.com [website to be re-developed w/resources “soon”]