Draft 2

Running head: SKILL SHARPENING FOR EXPERIENCED FACULTY 1
Online Facilitation Skill Sharpening for Experienced Faculty
Denise Bellamy
OMDE670 9040 Assignment #4
April 27, 2019

SKILL SHARPENING FOR EXPERIENCED FACULTY 2
Online Facilitation Skills Sharpening for Experienced Faculty
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to research how higher education institutions can support
experienced faculty in transitioning to or obtaining higher student satisfaction in the online
environment, through continuous professional development and training. As the distance
education environment changes, what kinds of development opportunities should institutions
provide to up skill experienced academic faculty members to be successful? Distance education
lead faculty should consider motivating team members by thoroughly preparing them to teach in
the online environment. Research will address the challenges of faculty’s lack of knowledge and
understanding of the various methods of online instruction that will improve student engagement
and effective use of the tools available to increase both student and instruction satisfaction in the
online environment. This research will also assist in understanding and assessing the needs of
experienced faculty using technology and skill gaps to address.
Introduction
The purpose of this research is to identify best practices in higher education in assessing
the needs of experienced platform for faculty to provide them with ongoing professional
development opportunities in online instruction, as the online learning environment evolves. As
the online environment changes with technological advancements, institutions are tasked with
providing faculty opportunities to up skill, demonstrate thorough understanding and continuously
hone their facilitation skills to meet pedagogical goals. Research will identify various forms of
professional development opportunities institutions should provide on an ongoing basis to

experienced faculty. Most experienced faculty already possess technical skills they use to
function in the online classroom, such as using the learning management system (LMS), sending
email, and uploading videos; however, some still struggle to use other technological platforms to
engage students in a collaborative environment. Closing the gap between faculty’s’ existing
skills and higher level of technical skills needed for continued success in the online classroom
and to further engage students is essential. There are many collaborative tools that are being
introduced, requiring faculty to keep current as technological changes are constantly evolving.
(Mohr & Shelton, 2017). The more the lead faculty members can stay abreast of all the trends
and latest online learning tools, the more valuable, robust and effective the professional
development opportunities will be for online faculty moving forward. First, a definition of
professional development is needed to assess effective strategies intended to assist faculty.
Defining Professional Development
Professional development refers to a formal or informal process of education experiences
to learn and apply new knowledge and skills to improve performance. In distance education,
ongoing learning for faculty can be valuable to experienced faculty wishing to improve their
skills and knowledge base. In education, research has given data that show that “teaching quality
and school leadership are important factors in raising student achievement.” (Mizell, 2010).
Other definitions refer to professional development in higher education as a strategy to improve
the learning and teaching quality of educators and develop an atmosphere of lifelong learning.
(Samani, 2017). Therefore, institutions can support students by offering continuous professional
development to online faculty raising their skill quality to implement best practices. (Mizell, p.
3) Professional development is identified as a continuous process for individual growth that can
empower faculty to make decisions in learning opportunities to benefit the institution, them and
students. Since faculty are important asset of the institution, providing them with professional
knowledge will “improve the quality of education delivered at the university level.” (Samani, p.
510). Therefore, it is the responsibility of the institution to provide its faculty with opportunities
that enable them to be lifelong learners as well as prepare their students for transfer or a career.
A literature review consisted of a search of secondary resources from the UMUC library,
sorting by relevance of the subject professional development for faculty. A second sorting of
resources was done based on narrowing the subject to higher education faculty and teaching
online. The review of literature will answer the research question of what types of development
opportunities should institutions provide to up skill experienced faculty in the online classroom?
Literature Review
A literature review was conducted to determine the relevance of professional
development for faculty in distance education, and how it relates to the distance education field.
The review provided information on past and current knowledge of the contributions,
methodologies and best practices for institutions to equip faculty teaching online with skills and
knowledge to teach in the online environment. Continued professional development for
experienced online faculty is important to the field of distance education because qualified
teachers are needed to facilitate the online environment. According to Cook and Sonnenberg
(2014), technology has been advancing since the development of the Internet, and changing the
landscape of teaching and learning as the use of wireless technologies, such as mobile phones,
tablets, and laptops are used in the online classroom. The following chart shows the
development of technology through the years and how change is constant. Because of these
changes, technology opens up new innovations for collaborative tools for faculty to use in the
online classroom. (Cook & Sonneberg, 2014)
1960 - 1980 Incremental Internet introduced and development of supercomputer sites in the United States for research and
Phase education organizations
1990 - 2010 Semi-Radical advancement in technological capacity to store, communicate, compute information, tracking, and
Phase digital technologies
2010 - present Disruptive
digital format in telecommunication and technological
Phase
Source: Bower and Christensen (1995); Rosenbloom & Spencer (1996)
Technical literacy skills need to be constantly developed, as visual cues within the
learning management system are associated and vital for communication between teacher and
student. Since faculty are isolated by space and time, collaborative tools can support teachers
connect with students. (Roy & Boboc, 2016). Research of secondary articles and review of
literature will assist in understanding why continuous professional development, best practices
and standards need to be continuously developed to prepare faculty to be successful in the online
environment.
Methodology
Research was conducted by gathering and interpreting qualitative data using secondary
academic journals analyzing experiences of online teachers through studies conducted. An
analysis of secondary academic works within the past 20 years was used to gauge what research
says about closing the gap between what skills experienced faculty have, and what skills they
need to learn to continue to provide the most effective and efficient ways to teach in the distance
education field. The analysis of literature identified a definition of professional development, and
various ways institutions can incorporate continuous training by pursuing best practices in
professional development training to improve faculty teaching methods. By researching

secondary resources, an analysis of data assisted in understanding the importance of professional
development training for faculty teaching online and identified the types of training that faculty
could benefit from. It also identified various teaching methods and recommendations relevant to
the field of distance education to improve faculty development by analyzing case studies.
Analysis
The purpose of this study is to understand how ongoing professional development is
essential to support experienced online faculty with using collaborative tools to engage students
in the online classroom. A research study done with faculty members of Islamic Azad
University of Azadshahr provided insight into the factors that impacted how faculty viewed
professional development training. Factors included trust, autonomy, competence and
meaningfulness of the training. Before implementing professional development activities,
institutions should consider the maturity, development and optimization of organizational
structure to include the needs of faculty that provide a reward system that places value on
professional development goals. (Samani, p. 514)
Other findings in literature suggest that institutions need to develop training that reflects a
learner-centered instruction, which include activities that emphasize active, collaborative, and
problem-based learning within a distance education learning environment where instructors’ role
is to facilitate. (Lane, 2018) Some examples of best practices to incorporate to help faculty
improve their teaching methods include:
 “Provide membership to professional associations that support online faculty
 Create a center for online faculty development

 Develop an advisory board for online faculty development
 Create a web site (ex: Sharepoint) where faculty can access training tutorials and
documents” (Clinefelter, 2012)
Online education has made it necessary for educators to focus on faculty professional
development. Many experienced faculty that teach online have not had an opportunity to take an
online course to see what it is like from a student perspective. As a result this gives them a
disadvantage in the online environment, as they do not have a model to follow. Although they
are subject matter experts, they are not prepared to create an effective learning environment for
students to succeed. Therefore, professional development opportunities should include online
methodologies and facilitation skills. A review of literature suggests that best practices are not
developed for faculty to follow, so they are unable to make application of a model to follow.
Studies shows that faculty should know when to use technology, and to what degree to use it in
the online learning process. However, best practices need to be identified in order to provide
faculty with what they need. (Mohr & Shelton, 2017)
Further research has shown that some institutions and colleges have used a variety of
strategies to train their faculty in effective online instruction by providing formal or informal
training opportunities with emphasis on in-person training. At Stevens Institute of Technology
in New Jersey, management take an active role in expanding their training in how to effectively
engage students; opening up discussion board conversations of frequently asked questions about
the learning management system. Master classes incorporate online classes so that instructors
can experience what it is like to be a student. The important aspect of training is providing
instructors with support to discuss challenges and share best practices. Since finding time is an
issue for some faculty, one-on-one mentoring would be an option to support faculty. (Dimeo,
2017)
Research has suggested that institutions should create successful professional
development activities for online faculty by fostering community, supporting technologies used
in the online environment despite the challenges (lack of time) that arise with developing those
same opportunities. Providing training that supports pedagogical goals keeps faculty engaged in
their subject expertise. Offerings should include technology workshops, mentoring, skill set and
discipline- based opportunities. (Scarpena, Riley & Keathley, 2018)
Research done on the process of how Trinidad State Junior College have increased their
distance education programs in two years, which increases the need to initiate training for faculty
in technology and best practices. They have facilitated training to demonstrate how to use their
learning management system Desire2Learn (D2L) and Quality Matters program, which include a
descriptive outline of training activities throughout the year. The important factor concluded in
this research was that institutions should provide a “buy-in” and communicate with staff of
operational goals, so that they can have a clear understanding of the institutions’ strategic plans.
(Scarpena, 2018)
Professional development is crucial for as the demand for online programs increases.
Therefore, experienced online faculty should be provided with the necessary tools; however,
some institutions are challenged by the need to meet the demand. A faculty development
program for online instructors was created in 2012 at Boise State University to focus on training
faculty how to design, develop and teach online courses. Research was conducted to evaluate
how faculty felt about taking the course, did they develop any new skills overtime, and what
were their concerns when participating in the seminars? (Chen & Lowenthal, 2017) Empirical
data collected from the participants concluded faculty concerns about how they were treated and
supported. For example, while faculty was taking the program they didn’t want to be viewed as
students receiving a grade. They wanted to be engaged and use what they were learning in their
jobs. So faculty satisfaction was important factor for future participation in the training. Faculty
was used as research collaborators who helped to improve professional development programs,
rather than seen as test subjects. The result of a successful online faculty program is for
institutions to provide pedagogical support, technology support, and design and development
support as faculty strives to improve teaching practices. (Chen & Lowenthal, p. 8)
Results
A national survey of teachers done in 1989 concluded that they preferred direct
experience in the classroom, rather that of in-service professional development training, which
was the least effective. There is a need for communities of practice where teachers could offer
peer feedback, and work together across the institution to support one another; thus supporting
three characteristics of professional development (intentional, ongoing, and systematic). An
example of adopting a change to improve student achievement and provide benefits of
professional development was to add information and communication technology (ICT) to
classroom pedagogy. As much as technology has emerged, some institutions have advocated
ICT training, but with limited success. By incorporating direct real experiences within
professional development training, this would motivate teachers in participating in the training.
It would be most effective in assisting teachers in learning new ways to teach. Establishing
communities of practice, peer coaching, and mentoring would encourage faculty to support one
another. Early professional development in information and communication technology was
void of pedagogy, focusing more on hardware and software. However, designing training to
reflect use of technology in the classroom would be beneficial to faculty. This would allow them
to put what they have learned into action in the online environment. (Cowan, 2016)
Research to date suggests development programs are most effective when including
diverse teaching methods, effective peer feedback and application of teaching and learning
principles. (Mohr & Shelton, p. 124) However, institutions must first analyze the types of
training faculty need to teach in the online classroom. After assessing the learning needs of
faculty, institutions can create an effective professional development plan can be created based
off of learning needs. An example of assessment was done as the Delphi Method to analyze best
practices for professional development for faculty teaching online. This study provided a basis
that identified professional development should be consistent and the organization should align
its strategies to incorporate supporting faculty teaching online. Results taken from a survey for
the Delphi study identified various professional development opportunities for faculty:
 Creating faculty presence
 Feedback strategies
 Development and maintaining teaching presence online
 Adaptation of teaching pedagogy for online programs
 Strategies for connecting with online students
 Online student engagement
 Online assessment strategies
 Managing content, designing and structuring an online course

 Learning how to use the learning management system efficiently
 Online discussion
 Establishing a welcoming presence in the online environment.
 How to create accessible material
 Adapting assignments for online learning
 Copyright compliance and fair use
 Grading student learning
 FERPA guidelines
 Active learning strategies
 Facilitating learning
 Academic integrity, etc. (Mohr & Shelton, p. 129-130)
The goal for institutions is to create professional development that meet the needs of
faculty, tailor training according to the needs of faculty. As in the case of the Delphi study the
result can assist other organization in identifying the needs of their faculty and plan professional
development opportunities that reflect effectiveness.
Effective Training Methods
Scaffolded faculty development is one way to achieve authentic professional practice. It
features regular practice and demonstration in the workplace. A study conducted on 147
Indonesian teachers to improve content knowledge showed that teacher-base scaffolding model
was an effective professional development program. Data for teachers’ competence on content
mastery was collected from pre-test and post-test of national exam questions for high school
students in the subject of math, reading, writing, and listening competencies. The results of the
data concluded that the facilitators were competent in each subject. Groups of teachers were
given a different professional development model. One group attended professional
development training where a facilitator conducted five steps of training:
1. “Understanding how to become a learning group
2. Discovering needs
3. Choosing and using methods and materials
4. Evaluating the impact and results of the intervention
5. Planning/field testing participatory learning activities” (Rahman, Abdurrahman,
Kadaryanto & Rusminto, 2015)
The second group applied regular scaffolding with activities including diagnosis,
responsiveness, and handover to independence. Based on the feedback responses from this
group, the teachers used a variety of learning support, such as mind maps, visual scaffolding and
explanations focused on learning objectives. Based on the data, it was concluded that
scaffolding theories and practices can be an effective model of professional development.
Compared to teacher certification programs or local government training, the content knowledge
program implemented in the Indonesian study proved to be far more of an effective strategy of
training teachers. It may include long programming, building communities or cohorts, coaching
and informal peer observation of teaching practices. It acknowledges that professional learning
about teaching is a process, a commitment, and a way of thinking that takes time and work.
However, scaffolding can be most effective when teachers attain the benefits of the training that
they were involved in designing and delivering. It encourages them to exercise their strengths
and think about their weaknesses, and choose the best strategies to address the weaknesses.
(Rahman, etl., 2015)
There is an abundant of literature on professional development, but not a consensus of
what is the most beneficial type of professional development training. Most professional
development training is not effective and has been criticized as such for being irrelevant. This is
due to faculty not being trained to teach online courses. Consideration should be given to what
types of training is relevant to experienced faculty teaching online? Unfortunately, research
conducted point to various reasons why PD training doesn’t work; scheduling, communication
issues, lack of support or buy-in by teachers. They need to see the impact the training has in
terms of benefits to them and the student.
First, acknowledging that PD training is important in providing a pedagogical and
technological support to faculty teaching online. University of Wisconsin, a four-year institution
offering online programs for many years has established a Learning and Technology Center
(LTC) for faculty to attend workshops in different technological and pedagogical certification
programs for online and blended training. However, these services are optional for faculty.
Since faculty at the school are responsible for the design, development and delivery of their
courses, should not some training such as using technology be mandatory? A qualitative study
conducted at University of Wisconsin was done to assess what training and professional
development opportunities do faculty utilize and what form of training and support do faculty
find most beneficial? The study concluded there was no approach that was a one size fit all PD
development; however, the study concluded that a model that included formal training,
communities of practice, performance support, formative evaluation and knowledge sharing were
valuable. The training that the LTC offered were considered formal training and faculty found
that training (technological and pedagogical) helpful. (Samuel, 2016) The study revealed that
professional development training was accepted by faculty when they were self-directed,
incorporating life experiences in their learning, making application of the knowledge learned in
problem-based tasks and when motivated by internal factors. Internal factors include formal or
informal training. The important factor in this study concluded that institutions should recognize
that offering a variety of options to their faculty result in quality trained instructor base. (Samuel,
p. 233) There are many strategies that can be used to train faculty.
In-Person Training
Various institutions offer a plethora of training for faculty that may fit their
circumstances. Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey offers their faculty that teaches
online formal and informal training opportunities. The assistant dean states that they make visits
to faculty offices as a check-in or house call, conduct lunch and learn as a type of one-on-one
informal training. They also offer self-paced online courses on how to effectively engage
students, keep discussion board conversations on topic and proctor online exams. Arizona State
University offers a two-week master class where they gain the same experience of students they
will be teaching. They have to participate in discussion boards, submit assignment, etc. This can
be effective because it gives the instructor an idea of the student experience. Other institutions
like Fanshawe College in Ontario offer a one-week workshop for new instructors on campus and
satellite campuses to provide training on using the college’s learning management system
(LMS). (Dimeo, 2017)

Sharing Knowledge
Some school leaders that were interviewed for the Dimeo (2017) article stated that the
best training happens when online instructors come together to talk about their challenges and
best practices they use to succeed. Small schools can definitely benefit from this since faculty
sharing promotes an atmosphere of community.
What Schools are doing to Prepare Online Faculty
Since professional development differs from institution to institution, taking a look at
how different colleges provide training can assist future research in what may be the best mode
of training that meets the needs of the institution. The Frass, Rucker & Washington (2017)
article discuss how different strategies should be used to train online faculty from those that
teach face-to-face. Institution No. 1 is a private, nonprofit school where instructors complete an
a 4 module online training course learning about the schools LMS and Zoom, a platform used to
hold synchronous class sessions. After the first module is completed, the instructor taking the
course “shadows” a senior instructor where the latter works with the instructor in training on best
practices and course policies/procedures, then the training instructor takes over the course for a
week conducting live session on Zoom, managing the discussion board and grades, ending with
no supervision in the online environment. Institution 2 is for-profit school where instructor
preparation is a 4 week teaching online course consisting of LMS training, Adobe Connect,
teaching how to hold office hours or create recordings. Best practices and college policies. The
instructor becomes listed as an instructor with no mentoring or hands-on training required.
Institution 3, no official initial training is required. Institution 3 is a large public research
university with over 33,900 students offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral and professional
degrees. Faculty teaching at institution 3 has prior experience, which is a requirement of being
hired, as well as being familiar with the LMS and institutional policies. However, they have a
mentoring system where support staff reaches out to all faculty members throughout the year to
provide assistance. Institution 4 is a large public university with over 49,00 students taking
classes on campus with some online programs offered online. There is no on-board training
offered, most faculty are tenured members of the university who are familiar with LMS and
policies; however, the institution does provide online course delivery support. They also provide
a series of workshops, webinars and professional development events on pedagogical and
technology-based topics, and how-to sessions for faculty that teach online. Institution 4 offers an
8-week long course called “Getting Started Teaching Online,” open to all that teach online, and
those that take the opportunity receive a small stipend and a certificate of completion as an
incentive. What these various institutions show is the variance in training across the board.
Some institutions are more organized in their training and other professional development
opportunities are optional. What this shows is that institutions should conduct internal
assessments to gauge their level of faculty preparedness to teach online. (Frass, Rucker,
Washington, 2017)
Communities of Practice
Communities of practice (COPs) have become another mode of professional development
opportunity for faculty. Technology has made it possible for faculty to learn through online
communities where knowledge can be shared. This mode of PD can be useful as an effective
means to facilitate faculty in learning from one another, sharing their expertise on collaborative
tools or technological advancements. In the age of technology, it isn’t necessary for faculty to
attend meetings, as the Internet can provide an environment where communities can be
established online as ongoing professional development. Communities of practice have evolved
from the demands of the Internet age and made up of individuals who share the same common
experiences or interest. Members share, learn, engage and interact with one another to
accomplish a shared goal of sharing knowledge. Many institutions in the United States provide
and support communities of practice, such as Florida’s Miami University, Texas A & M among
others. These communities consist of faculty that meet to participate in peer-to-peer co-learning
activities and share best practices. They operate informally or formally. One example of a
successful COP features a midsized private school that created a community to focus on
improving teaching and learning on campus. The center asked faculty to invite five or six
additional faculty members to work with them on a project. They met in person two times a
month and over the first year they established a presence where they shared syllabi, learned new
software together, shared computer and software resources, discussed challenges in designing
problems, ordered material of common interest, and shared how other discipline approaches
could enhance their own teaching methods. The benefits of them participating in the COP was a
mutual consensus of the opportunity to meet new colleagues and to enhance their knowledge of
teaching with their peers. (Sherer, Shea, Kristensen, 2003).
Institutions may consider investing and supporting online faculty learning community
portal, as it addresses the issue of lack of time for instructors to come to campus to attend
training. It encourages faculty development opportunities throughout the institution needing
Internet access.
Conclusion
This research is valuable to the field of distance learning as it provides higher education
institutions with a basis to asses faculty needs and provide specific and continuous professional
development to keep faculty current and effective as the distance education environment
changes. This research is also important for future research in developing online faculty learning
centers to explore further best practices for continued professional growth. Ongoing professional
development dedicated to enhancing the learning experience in an online environment will help
in the increased didactic communication between teacher and student. Continuous research
needs to be conducted to improve the quality of professional development training. However,
recommendations suggested are to make participation mandatory or attach a reward system to
setting professional development goals. Exemplary faculty members can be provided with a
digital badge or other certifications that recognize faculty members’ commitment to online
learning and student success. (Dyjur & Lindstrom, 2017) This designation encourages other
faculty members to participate helps to add value to institution’s online programs and increase
enrollment to stay competitive.
One researcher calls professional development “topping off,” as if faculty should be
prepared already to teach, and only in need of a light refresher. This attitude of educational
development is different from what is known about subject matter experts as constructivists, and
the active role that skills and attitudes play in shaping teaching. The experiences of faculty
matter in the distance education field, and good professional development captures those
dynamics. Developing training that encourages repetitive exercises and actual application of
learning to use new technologies and teaching strategies. Faculty can put into practice what they
are learning in the place where they exercise their expertise – in the online environment.
(Webster-Wright, 2009)
The results of research show that as technology continues to emerge, professional
development training for experienced faculty need to be a continuously researched to continue to
develop best practices for ongoing training that meet the needs of experienced faculty.
Institutions will need to continue to assess what faculty need and keep dialogue open to provide a
supportive learning environment that grows an appreciation for the art of teaching.
Administrators should plan for adequate allocation of resources to fund and support learning
centers. Perhaps professional development should be a budget line item in campus budgets.
References
Chen, K. Z., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2017). Capturing professional growth of online instructors:
Learning analysts’ reflections on studying a faculty development program. Sage
Publications. Retrieved from https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526441652
Clinefelter, D. (2012). Best practices in online faculty development. The Learning House, Inc.
Retrieved from https://www.learninghouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Best-
Practices-for-Online-Faculty-Development_Web_Final.pdf
Cook, C. W. & Sonnenberg, C. (2014). Technology and online education: Models for change.
Contemporary Issues in Education Research. Retrieved from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073243.pdf
Cowan, P. (2016). The 4I model for scaffolding the professional development of experienced
teachers in the use of virtual learning environments for classroom teaching.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education. Retrieved from
https://www.citejournal.org/volume-13/issue-1-13/current-practice/the-4i-model-for-
scaffolding-the-professional-development-of-experienced-teachers-in-the-use-of-virtual-
learning-environments-for-classroom-teaching/
Dimeo, J. (2017). Teaching teachers to teach online. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/10/11/how-colleges-train-
instructors-teach-online-courses
Duran, D. (2015). How a small, community college’s distance learning course offerings doubled
in two years. Journal of Applied Learning Technology, 5(1), 30-36. Retrieved from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=f8979dff-
debe-4a1b-b9ad-
5fc2594a4b4d%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0
ZQ%3d%3d#AN=114779040&db=ehh
Dyjur, P., & Lindstrom, G. (2017). Perceptions and uses of digital badges for professional
learning development in higher education. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to
Improve Learning, 61(4), 386–392. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/login.a
spx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1145824&site=eds-live&scope=site
Frass, L. R., Rucker, R. D., Washington, G. (2017). An overview of how four institutions prepare
faculty to teach online. Journal of Online Higher Education. Vol. 1. Retrieved from
https://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/distributed_learning/docs/overview_
how_four_institutions_prepare_faculty_teach_online.pdf
Gerken, M., Beausaert, S. & Segers, M. (2016). Working on professional development of faculty
staff in higher education: Investigating the relationship between social informal learning
activities and employability. Human Resource Development International. Retrieved
from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=ccc2
bb6c-94f4-48d6-80c3-5dd3df6fda99%40sdc-v-sessmgr02
Lane, J. (2018). Lived experience of new faculty: Nine stages of development toward learner-
centered practice. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(3). Retrieved
from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/23373
Mizell, H. (2010). Why professional development maters. Learning Forward. Retrieved from
https://learningforward.org/docs/default-source/pdf/why_pd_matters_web.pdf
Mohr, S. C. & Shelton, K. (2017). Best practices framework for online faculty professional
development: A delphi study. Retrieved from
https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/viewFile/1273/356
Rahman, B., Abdurrahman, A., Kadaryanto, B., & Rusminto, N. E. (2015). Teacher-based
scaffolding as a teacher professional development program in Indonesia. Australian
Journal of Teacher Education. 40(11). Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ
1083369&site=eds-
Roy, M., & Boboc, M. (2016). Professional development needs of online teachers. Journal of
Online Learning Research, Vol 2 (3), p. 283-302. Retrieved from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=955f6fb2-
3cec-4d8b-b327-
63bf9261b4ad%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0
ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ1148428&db=eric
Samani, R. E. (2017). Factors affecting the professional development of faculty members: A case
study of ilam branch, Islamic azad university, iran. International Journal of Agricultural
Management and Development. Retrieved from
http://ijamad.iaurasht.ac.ir/article_531539_ee5337c11f35b606609455a61fa07a69.pdf
Samuel, A. (2016). Online faculty development: What works? Adult Education Research
Conference. Retrieved from http://newprairiepress.org/ aerc/2016/papers/36
Scarpena, K., Riley, M., Keathley, M. (2018). Creating successful professional development
activities for online faculty: A reorganized framework. Online Journal of Distance
Learning Administration, v 21, n1. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1173434
Sherer, P. D., Shea, T. P, Kristensen, E. (2003). Online communities of practice: A catalyst for
faculty development. Innovative Higher Education, Vol. 27, No 3. Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.473.8540&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Ukrop, M., Svabensky, V. & Nehyba, J. (2018). Reflective diary for professional development of
novice teachers. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/pdf/1811.02965.pdf
Webster-Wright, A. (2009). Reframing professional development through understanding
authentic professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 702. Retrieved
from https://doi-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.3102/0034654308330970

Draft 2

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Draft 2

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Running head: SKILL SHARPENING FOR EXPERIENCED FACULTY 1

Online Facilitation Skill Sharpening for Experienced Faculty

OMDE670 9040 Assignment #4

April 27, 2019

Online Facilitation Skills Sharpening for Experienced Faculty

experienced faculty in transitioning to or obtaining higher student satisfaction in the online

environment, through continuous professional development and training. As the distance

education environment changes, what kinds of development opportunities should institutions

provide to up skill experienced academic faculty members to be successful? Distance education

experienced faculty using technology and skill gaps to address.

development opportunities in online instruction, as the online learning environment evolves. As

providing faculty opportunities to up skill, demonstrate thorough understanding and continuously

professional development opportunities institutions should provide on an ongoing basis to

professional development is needed to assess effective strategies intended to assist faculty.

Defining Professional Development

Professional development refers to a formal or informal process of education experiences

Other definitions refer to professional development in higher education as a strategy to improve

A literature review was conducted to determine the relevance of professional

knowledge to teach in the online environment. Continued professional development for

online classroom. (Cook & Sonneberg, 2014)

Source: Bower and Christensen (1995); Rosenbloom & Spencer (1996)

academic journals analyzing experiences of online teachers through studies conducted. An

professional development training to improve faculty teaching methods. By researching

secondary resources, an analysis of data assisted in understanding the importance of professional

The purpose of this study is to understand how ongoing professional development is

professional development training. Factors included trust, autonomy, competence and

meaningfulness of the training. Before implementing professional development activities,

institutions should consider the maturity, development and optimization of organizational

professional development goals. (Samani, p. 514)

improve their teaching methods include:

 “Provide membership to professional associations that support online faculty

 Create a center for online faculty development

 Develop an advisory board for online faculty development

documents” (Clinefelter, 2012)

students to succeed. Therefore, professional development opportunities should include online

faculty with what they need. (Mohr & Shelton, 2017)

training opportunities with emphasis on in-person training. At Stevens Institute of Technology

Research has suggested that institutions should create successful professional

discipline- based opportunities. (Scarpena, Riley & Keathley, 2018)

support as faculty strives to improve teaching practices. (Chen & Lowenthal, p. 8)

three characteristics of professional development (intentional, ongoing, and systematic). An

example of adopting a change to improve student achievement and provide benefits of

professional development was to add information and communication technology (ICT) to

another. Early professional development in information and communication technology was

 Creating faculty presence

 Development and maintaining teaching presence online

 Adaptation of teaching pedagogy for online programs

 Strategies for connecting with online students

 Online student engagement

 Online assessment strategies

 Managing content, designing and structuring an online course

 Learning how to use the learning management system efficiently

 Establishing a welcoming presence in the online environment.

 How to create accessible material

 Adapting assignments for online learning

 Copyright compliance and fair use

 Grading student learning

 Active learning strategies

 Academic integrity, etc. (Mohr & Shelton, p. 129-130)

development opportunities that reflect effectiveness.

Effective Training Methods

Scaffolded faculty development is one way to achieve authentic professional practice. It

given a different professional development model. One group attended professional