Online Education: Needs Assessment for Faculty Development

Abstract

The rapidly evolving paradigm of technology-based education has increased the number of faculty teaching online. The role of faculty has changed from the traditional classroom instruction format to an online community of learning. Therefore, faculty development in online education becomes a critical component during this transitional period. A survey of faculty of the College of Applied Science and Technology in a midwestern university was conducted to identify their level of perceived expertise in online teaching and the priorities of areas to be addressed in faculty development sessions. Benner's five-stage sequential transformation from novice to expert was used to construct the questionnaire. Results showed that faculty who taught online perceived their level of expertise to range from advanced beginner to competent, whereas faculty who had not taught online were at the novice and advanced beginner levels. Redesigning and rethinking faculty roles emerged as the number one priority area to be addressed in continuing education sessions. Implications for faculty development for online education sessions are presented.

Online assessments: Exploring perspectives of university students

“…This requires for not only students but teachers to become confident and competent in the new format as well. Faculty development programs need to take into account perceived faculty needs and priorities (Ali et al 2005). This can be done by integrating use of technology within low stake assessments first and shift to transforming the more crucial assessments to online format once students are at ease with the change.…”

Orientation, Mentoring and Ongoing Support: A Three-Tiered Approach to Online Faculty Development

“…Faculty development specifically designed to meet the needs of both the novice and experienced online instructor is key to the success of an online program [3,5]. Organized faculty development programs are a critical factor in the successful transition to online teaching, and ongoing support, as well as continued professional development opportunities, allows experienced instructors to keep their skills current [4,6]. Well-trained and supported faculty carry their skills into the online classroom resulting in an improved student experience and increased student satisfaction [7,8].…”

E-learning readiness among faculty members of medical sciences universities and provide strategies to improve it

“…Numerous instructional need assessment has shown that Faculty Members in different stages of starting and continuing their academic work, require other interdisciplinary skills in addition to their ability in their field of expertise. [5][6][7][8] This means continuation of education, research and management in various fields of medical sciences. In their college studies, they did not have the opportunity to study and work in those areas.…”