15: Using Small Group Individual Diagnosis to Improve Online Instruction

Abstract

As online education grows, so does the need for professional development for faculty teaching online courses. This chapter explains how a faculty development technique, small group individual diagnosis, was adapted to the online environment. This technique provides faculty with anonymous midsemester feedback from students regarding the quality of the course. The timing and nature of this feedback is the impetus for a teaching consultation with a trained facilitator. In this study, surprising challenges emerged when the technique was adapted to the online environment. Faculty perceptions of the success of the online diagnoses are shared.