Online adjunct higher education teachers’ perceptions of using social media sites as instructional approaches

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how online adjunct higher education faculty members perceive the role of using social media sites as instructional approaches. A purposeful sampling was used, and adjunct online higher education faculty members were invited to participate. An adjunct faculty member was defined as a person who taught part-time higher education courses; therefore, the faculty member was not hired as a full-time faculty member. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative researchers explore phenomena examining the lived experiences and participants behaviors; in this study, online adjunct instructors’ perceptions on classroom instructional social media online approaches were examined. Participants in this study were trained to teach higher education online courses and these teachers were the experts on the topic. The design for this study was an exploratory case study in which the participants were online adjunct instructors who taught at online higher education institutions in the Northeast. The case study approach was the most appropriate. The focus was the external events participants’ lives. Findings Three themes emerged from the analysis of the in-depth interview process. Based on the adjunct online higher education instructors’ perception on the use of social media teaching approaches in the classroom, the themes that emerged were uniformity of purpose vs personal beliefs need for justification importance student engagement and facilitation vs direct instruction. Themes reflected online teaching approaches higher education institutional missions and student learning and engagement outcomes. Research limitations/implications In this study, adjuncts’ perceptions expressed and themes found may not be characteristic of other adjunct instructors’ views. In qualitative studies, participants are asked open-ended interview questions, which may have been a limitation for this study. Quantitative questions, such as the impact of using social media as an instructional approach, were not asked. In this study, adjunct online higher education instructors were invited to share their views on the study topic. Additionally, qualitative researchers are limited by the data collection method and the data analysis process. Therefore, researchers who would like to repeat this study on adjunct online higher education teachers’ perspectives may be unable to duplicate the research. Practical implications The significance of this study is the need for a renewed global initiative in higher education to promote the use of social media training for online adjunct faculty members. Online higher education faculty members’ reflections on using social media tend to be recorded from a personal rather than a professional point of view. Social implications The implication for online higher education leaders is to review mission statements and reevaluate how the use of social media may impact student learning outcomes, student career readiness and student engagement opportunities. Originality/value The need for a renewed global initiative in higher education to promote the use of social media training for online adjunct faculty evolved as the significance of the study. Because inclusion requirements and workshop training for the use of social media in online higher education classrooms vary among higher education institutions, online adjunct faculty social media classroom practices and perceptions widely vary.

Learners' experience and needs in online environments: adopting agility in teaching

“…Furthermore, the effective delivery of learning content depends on effective online interactions. Relatedly, Fedock et al (2019) postulates faculty members should be trained in the use of social media as a means of online communication. Faculty agility and adaptability are also skills needed in online content design (Buabeng-Andoh, 2018; Gilbert, 2019).…”

Teachers' attitudes towards social media (SM) use in online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: the effects of SM use by teachers and religious scholars during physical distancing

“…This study highlights SM as an appropriate instructional approach amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as proposed by Fedock et al (2019). Its capability of developing social interaction and enabling teachers to devise curriculum objectives and students' needs, as suggested by Hajli et al (2013), makes SM use in online learning very much relevant and timely.…”

“…In this respect, as Ngai et al (2015) point out, SM plays a pivotal role in facilitating knowledge sharing in online communities. Fedock et al (2019) also suggest that teachers use it in online learning. Fasae and Adegbilero-Iwari (2016) and Hussain (2012) inform SM's capability in students' online learning.…”

How university teachers navigate social networking sites in a fully online space: provisional views from a developing nation

“…Since the challenges and strategies were not Kamalodeen's focus, her study did not attempt to explain the nature of these challenges and why such differences exist. More recently, Fedock et al (2019) investigated the online adjunct faculty members' perception of SNS as an instructional approach. Using a case study design, the findings revealed three emerging themes from the interview data.…”

“…Because of the massive popularity of SNS, they have been widely used and investigated within the context of blended, flipped, and face-to-face learning and typically from students' experiences. However, very limited information is available about how they are navigated by teachers within a fully online learning space (e.g., Moran et al, 2011;Kamalodeen, 2016;Fedock et al, 2019), particularly regarding the challenges they experienced and the strategies they used to overcome them. Thus, this study probed this underexplored area within the context of a developing country, such as the Philippines.…”