A Blended Online Approach for Faculty Development in Online Teaching Feng Wang, Ph.D. Director of Distance Education Sloan-C Conference 2009 Newburgh, New York

Mount Saint Mary College Liberal-arts college, with about 2,600 enrollments Graduate programs in Education, Nursing, & Business Mid-Hudson River Area, New York 150 online courses each year First blended online program in 2010

Liberal-arts college, with about 2,600 enrollments

Graduate programs in Education, Nursing, & Business

Mid-Hudson River Area, New York

150 online courses each year

First blended online program in 2010

New Policy Required Training for Teaching Online Courses: a two-hour Moodle training workshop a two-hour Elluminate workshop a four-week-long, non-credit, blended-online professional development course

Required Training for Teaching Online Courses:

a two-hour Moodle training workshop

a two-hour Elluminate workshop

a four-week-long, non-credit, blended-online professional development course

Incentives Significantly higher pay scale for teaching online courses $100 stipend Multiple free materials, useful tips, and principles for online teaching Consultation support from the Distance Ed. staff

Significantly higher pay scale for teaching online courses

$100 stipend

Multiple free materials, useful tips, and principles for online teaching

Consultation support from the Distance Ed. staff

Exemptions Instructors who provide convincing evidence of equivalent training Temporary exemptions granted by the V.P. for Academic Affairs

Instructors who provide convincing evidence of equivalent training

Temporary exemptions granted by the V.P. for Academic Affairs

The Professional Development Course: “Teaching and Learning Online” Intensive training over 4+ weeks Blended online (f2f, synchronous online, & asynchronous online) Highly practical—Aimed to help faculty (re)design and teach their online courses Peer review & feedback

Intensive training over 4+ weeks

Blended online (f2f, synchronous online, & asynchronous online)

Highly practical—Aimed to help faculty (re)design and teach their online courses

Peer review & feedback

Course Prerequisites Introductory training to Moodle & Elluminate Information Literacy Willingness to change the course design & pedagogy

Introductory training to Moodle & Elluminate

Information Literacy

Willingness to change the course design & pedagogy

Course Textbooks Smith, R. M. (2008). Conquering the content: A step-by-step guide to online course design . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Finkelstein, J. (2006). Learning in real time: Synchronous teaching and learning online . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, R. M. (2008). Conquering the content: A step-by-step guide to online course design . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Finkelstein, J. (2006). Learning in real time: Synchronous teaching and learning online . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Course Requirements Synchronous Class Meetings Readings Discussion Forum Participation Course Design & Dev. Project Course Delivery

Synchronous Class Meetings

Readings

Discussion Forum Participation

Course Design & Dev. Project

Course Delivery

Grading Criteria I = Incomplete S = Satisfactory U = Unsatisfactory Final grade unavailable until course delivery is evaluated

I = Incomplete

S = Satisfactory

U = Unsatisfactory

Final grade unavailable until course delivery is evaluated

Topics of the Course Introduction to online learning Instructional design & development Interactions in online learning Assessments Course content development & maintenance

Introduction to online learning

Instructional design & development

Interactions in online learning

Assessments

Course content development & maintenance

Learning Activities Assignments 1. Introduction Course overview Introduction to online learning Reading discussion Autobiography Draft syllabus 2. Instructional Design & Dev. The process of systematic instructional design Development of a course outline Reading discussion Course overview, goals, and outline 3. Interactions Synchronous online learning Design of discussion forums Collaborative activities Reading discussion Discussion forum questions Collaborative activities One module of your course 4. Assessments Assessment development Final presentation preparation Reading discussion Assessments Final presentation prep 5. Final Presentations & Content Dev. Course content development and maintenance Final presentations Final reflection Peer feedback on courses Anonymous course evaluation

1. Introduction

Course overview

Introduction to online learning

Reading discussion

Autobiography

Draft syllabus

2. Instructional Design & Dev.

The process of systematic instructional design

Development of a course outline

Reading discussion

Course overview, goals, and outline

3. Interactions

Synchronous online learning

Design of discussion forums

Collaborative activities

Reading discussion

Discussion forum questions

Collaborative activities

One module of your course

4. Assessments

Assessment development

Final presentation preparation

Reading discussion

Assessments

Final presentation prep

5. Final Presentations & Content Dev.

Course content development and maintenance

Final presentations

Final reflection

Peer feedback on courses

Anonymous course evaluation

Effectiveness of the Training Course Significant improvement in course quality Positive feedback on this training course in general Sample Course (developed by a participant)

Significant improvement in course quality

Positive feedback on this training course in general

Sample Course (developed by a participant)

Issues and Challenges Workload complains Compensation/Incentives Resistance from the faculty Adjuncts vs. full-time faculty Technology & education readiness

Workload complains

Compensation/Incentives

Resistance from the faculty

Adjuncts vs. full-time faculty

Technology & education readiness

Future Directions Training courses of different levels More individual staff support Professional learning community Adaptations as new online courses are pre-developed

Training courses of different levels

More individual staff support

Professional learning community

Adaptations as new online courses are pre-developed

Questions