Exploring Online Instructor Burnout

1. Exploring Online Instructor Burnout Alan Moore, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Social and Behavioral Sciences Siena Heights University

2. OVERVIEW • Burning out online (What do we know?) • What is burnout? • What are the signs? • Process or state? • Stress appraisal process • Existential underpinning • What can we do to prevent or avoid burnout?

3. Burning out online • There has been enormous growth in online education which can impact instructors in many ways: • More grading • More teaching • More time online • More interaction • More students • More accountability

4. The pressures Online educators must possess unique competencies that differ from traditional teaching (Hogan & McKnight, 2007) • Specialized knowledge of classroom delivery technology (LMS) • Ability to create and stimulate group discussions online • Unique organizational skills for online teaching • Ability to work asynchronously (24/7) • Strong time management skills

5. Unique causal factors that can lead to online burnout • These differences mean that online instructors may feel they need to be online constantly or they may be frequently thinking about being online. • Online classes bring greater diversity of population and pressure to be “on” to monitor and respond to posts. Virtual interaction extends the time that instructors are available to students. • Online course instruction is isolative by nature. • Compassion fatigue (depending on course content)

6. Unique causal factors (cont.) • Role ambiguity • Poor boundary setting between home and work responsibilities (Many work from home) • Instructors striving to provide flexibility which is a major advantage of online classes for students. • Taken together, researchers believe these factors create a unique dynamic which may lead to burnout (Dunlap, 2005).

7. What does the research tell us? • Not enough research has been done to conclude that online instructors are more likely to burnout than their traditional classroom counterparts. • Study limitations include limited sample sizes and a lack of ‘pure’ comparison groups, as many online instructors also teach traditional on-ground classes. • There have been concerns with the validity of the MBI-ES, which is the measurement tool being used.

8. What is burnout? Maslach (1986) identified three dimensions of burnout: Feelings of being overextended and emotionally exhausted by one’s work An impersonal response toward students A loss of personal self-efficacy

9. What are the signs? • Chronic fatigue • Becoming upset or angry when students ask questions or make demands • Excessive self-criticism • Cynicism, negativity, or irritability • Lack of motivation • Cognitive problems • Sleeplessness

10. You might be burned out if… • You set off the smoke detectors in your home more than 6 times in one day. • You think of the peaceful park you like as “your private therapeutic milieu.” • You are watching a re-run of the “Wizard of Oz” and you start to categorize the types of delusions that Dorothy had. • A co-worker calls to ask how you are doing and you reply that you are a bit “internally preoccupied” and “not able to interact with peers” today.

11. Process or State? • There is a tendency to see individuals as burned out rather than burning out. • Recognizing this as a process with warning signs helps us to develop prevention and self-care strategies. • It helps to become aware of negative thinking patterns and to reframe them to more realistic/positive perspectives. • Stress is normal and healthy. Distress occurs when the level of demands exceeds our perceived ability to cope. As a result of distress, we may feel overwhelmed. Distress can be a sign of burnout.

12. Stress Appraisal Process

13. Existential Underpinning • Qualitative data investigating the process of burnout in community mental health counselors has revealed that a loss of meaning and purpose in one’s work permeates the whole process of burning out (waning existential fulfillment). • Increasingly negative appraisals of demands and one’s internal resources characterized the process. • The need to believe that the difficulties one faces are meaningful and that the things one does are useful and important is crucial to psychological well-being (Frankl, 1976).

14. What can we do? • Take breaks • Listen to a relaxation audio/video • Exercise/eat healthy/keep a regular schedule • Make a gratitude list • Remind yourself of why you became an instructor in the first place • Keep a journal of your thoughts when you recognize signs • Any other ideas?

15. Cognitive reframing • ABCD method • Recognize your cognitive distortions (irrational thought patterns) • Filtering/Discounting the positives • Catastrophizing • Personalization • Shoulds • Emotional reasoning

17. References Dunlap, J. C. (2005). Workload reduction in online courses: Getting some shuteye. Performance Improvement, 44 (5), 18-26. Frankl, V. (1976). Man’s search for meaning. New York, NY: Pocket Books. Hogan, R. L., & McKnight, M. A. (2007). Exploring burnout among university online instructors: An initial investigation. Internet and Higher Education,10, 117-124. Maslach, C. (1986). Stress, burnout, and workaholism. In R. R. Kilburg, p. E. Nathan, & R. W. Thoreson (Eds.), Professionals in distress: Issues, syndromes, and solutions in psychology (pp. 53-75). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.