Online faculty development for creating e-learning materials

• Virginia Niebuhr
• Bruce Niebuhr
• Julie Trumble
• Mary Jo Urbani

Abstract

Background. Faculty who want to develop e-learning materials face pedagogical chal­lenges of transforming instruction for the online environment, especially as many have never experienced online learning themselves. They face technical challenges of learning new software and time chal­lenges of not all being able to be in the same place at the same time to learn these new skills. The objective of the Any Day Any Place Teaching (ADAPT) faculty de­velopment program was to create an online experience in which faculty could learn to produce e-learning materials.

Methods. The ADAPT curriculum includ­ed units on instructional design, copyright principles and peer review, all for the on­line environment, and units on specific software tools. Participants experienced asynchronous and synchronous methods, including a learning management system, PC-based videoconferencing, online dis­cussions, desktop sharing, an online tool­box and optional face-to-face labs. Project outcomes were e-learning materials de­veloped and participants' evaluations of the experience. Likert scale responses for five instructional units (quantitative) were analyzed for distance from neutral using one-sample ί-tests. Interview data (quali­tative) were analyzed with assurance of data trustworthiness and thematic analysis techniques.

Results. Participants were 27 interprofes­sional faculty. They evaluated the program instruction as easy to access, engaging and logically presented. They reported increased confidence in new skills and in creased awareness of copyright issues, yet continued to have time management chal­lenges and remained uncomfortable about peer review. They produced 22 new in­structional materials.

Discussion. Online faculty development methods are helpful for faculty learning to create e-learning materials. Recommen­dations are made to increase the success of such a faculty development program.

Keywords:• е-learning • faculty development • faculty learning community • learning objects • online learning

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