Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 2, Fall 2015 | Page 108

Advanced Faculty Professional Development for Online Course Building: An Action Research Project In her article, Barker (2003) describes the steps taken by Sacred Heart University’s Nursing Department to offer asynchronous computer-based instruction to departmental faculty. In this case study, Barker generally asserts that faculty training programs must prioritize education first and technology skill development second to be effective. In particular, Barker notes four areas that need attention when considering faculty development for online learning: (a) obtain faculty buy-in up front; (b) emphasize student learning over faculty teaching; (c) stress instructional design and mastery of technology; and (d) highlight the importance of increased opportunity for faculty-student interaction (e.g., through discussion boards). Barker points out that while online learning may seem like a 24/7 proposition, when faculty members set parameters and follow-up with students in a timely manner, online education rivals classroom learning in promoting critical thinking. Separately, Healy, Block, and Judge’s (2014) case study of certified adapted physical educators (CAPEs) aimed to identify the advantages and disadvantages of offering an online faculty training program to university-level educators. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of 42 respondents established that participants viewed online training as an effective means of teacher skill development because it provided greater flexibility (e.g., convenient meeting times, less travel) and increased learning opportunities (e.g., better access to experts and resources); however, participants also noted that online training programs limited the social interaction of trainer with trainees and trainees with trainees. Further, faculty reported that training can suffer when technological problems arise. Healy, Block, and Judge’s findings support previous research by Navarro and Shoemaker (1999), Lin and Davidson (1995), Sujo de Montes and Gonzales (2000), and Dede, Ketelhut, Whitehouse, Breit, and McCloskey (2009) all showing that online training has advantages and disadvantages. More recently, Paulus, Myers, Mixer, Wyatt, Lee, and Lee (2011) reported the results of their case study on nurses transitioning to online instruction at a university in the south. The researchers analyzed the results of a semester long program based on two guiding questions: “What happened during this professional development program…as faculty transitioned to online instructor?” (Paulus et al., p. 2) and “What were… participant experiences in the program?” (p. 2). Their findings include: (a) faulty had difficulty keeping up with training because of the amount of time training required, (b) faculty noted the transition to online teaching produced anxiety, mainly because online teaching varies the learning process, and (c) faculty were concerned with maintaining the momentum of what they learned once the program ended. In short, this literature makes clear the unique challenges of teaching online as evident in each case study. It highlights how faculty and programs have addressed the challenges of transitioning to online teaching. With this established, a final theme of faculty training and online instruction literature is addressed. Best Practices for Faculty Training of Online Teachers Along with literature emphasizing a theoretical framework for building and conducting research and case studies on faculty training programs, this literature has also given attention to best practices of faculty training for online instruction. Gregory and Salmon (2013) and Roth (2014) illustrate this trend in the literature. 107