Diffusion of online teaching, faculty satisfaction

Increasing access to Higher Education: A study of the diffusion of online teaching among 913 college facutly

Shea, P., Pickett, A., & Li, C. S. (2005). The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 6(2), ????


http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/238/493

Abstract

Online learning environments provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase student access to higher education. Accomplishing this much needed goal requires the active participation and cooperation of university faculty from a broad spectrum of institutional settings. Although online learning has seen rapid growth in recent years, it remains a relatively small percentage of the entire curriculum of higher education today. As a relatively recent development, online teaching can be viewed through the lens of diffusion of innovation research. This paper reports on research from 913 professors from community colleges, four-year colleges, and university centers in an attempt to determine potential barriers to the continued growth in adoption of online teaching in higher education. It is concluded through factor and regression analysis that four variables are significantly associated with faculty satisfaction and their likelihood, therefore, to adopt or continue online teaching – these include levels of interaction in their online course, technical support, a positive learning experience in developing and teaching the course, and the discipline area in which they taught. Recommendations for institutional policy, faculty development, and further research are included.

Keywords: online teaching, faculty satisfaction, faculty development, diffusion of innovation, access, higher education, study

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusions of innovations. New York: Free Press. Fifth Edition.

Difussion of innovation model


Online Faculty Survey Questions

Community of Inquiry

Creating Cognitive Presence in a Blended Faculty Development Community

Vaughan, N. & Garrison, D. R. (2005). The Internet and Higher Educaion, 8, 1-12.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W4X-4FPDRGW-2&_user=854313&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000046079&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=854313&md5=6d0729ec5ec9ca67179a14f4ce29e028


Community of inquiry conceptual model-- social, cognitive and teaching

Abstract

The focus of this study was to understand how a blended learning approach can support the inquiry process (cognitive presence) in a faculty development context. The findings from this study indicate that there are several key differences and similarities in cognitive presence between face-to-face and online discussions. These differences and similarities are specifically related to the four phases of cognitive presence of the practical inquiry model. A comparison of the face-to-face and online discussion forums indicates that: a slightly higher percentage of triggering events occurred in the face-to-face discussions; exploration was the dominant phase in both environments; a noticeably greater percentage of comments were coded for integration in the online discussions; and the resolution/application phase was almost non-existent in both forms of discussion. The results from this study imply that an increased emphasis should be placed on teaching presence within a blended learning environment to ensure that participants achieve resolution in the inquiry cycle.

Keywords: Faculty development community; Blended learning; Community of inquiry; Cognitive presence; Triggering events