Examining Online Instruction in Undergraduate Nursing Education

Web-based courses have increased in number as one of the primary modes of distance education in undergraduate nursing programs across the United States. An online survey of 171 nursing faculty in the United States with experience teaching Web-based courses served as the primary data source. Interviews and a review of course Web sites provided additional comparative information. Results of this study indicated online faculty spent significantly more time in planning and implementing a Web course than they did a traditional course. Despite this time commitment respondents perceived the teaching experience to be a successful and effective form of instruction that they felt could be used to deliver any type of nursing course. The online teaching experience was described as both collaborative and highly interactive. Most respondents indicated they preferred online teaching to traditional face-to-face instruction. This positive reaction to teaching online supports the future viability of Web-based instruction at colleges of nursing.     

网络教学设计样式的研究与实践

网络教学对于习惯传统面对面教学的教师来说是一个新领域,由于缺乏可借鉴的原则、方法和网络教学设计支架,所以,传统教师面对网络课程建设与网络教学时常感到无所适从。针对这种情况,根据国际上网络教学设计领域的发展趋势,提出了网络教学设计样式的解决策略并对之进行了研究与实践。教学样式是获取教学实践中专家经验的方法,目的是以一种简洁的方式记录教学实践的专门知识,使得需要这些知识的人可以方便地获得。通过教育设计研究(EDR)方法,总结出七种典型的网络教学设计样式—理论导学型、技能训练型、问题研学型、案例研学型、情景模拟型、虚拟实验型和自主探究型,并将这些样式应用到了实践之中,将之应用于"网络课程"的建设中,有效提升了教师/教学设计人员间分享成功教学实践的格式和方法,保证了成功的实践经验可以被不同的人在不同的教学情境中以不同的方式使用,从总体上提升了网络课程建设质量。     

The Added Value of Conducting Learning Design Meeting to the Online Course Development Process

Do you find it challenging to have discussions with instructors about designing online courses and best practices in teaching? This article will highlight key components to conducting effective Learning Design meetings. It outlines techniques used by this institution that inspires faculty to design coherent courses that lead to meaningful learning experiences. These meetings invite instructors to express their feelings about online formats, inform them about expectations and time commitment, and reassures them of support throughout the process. Learning Design (LD) meetings have proven to be a compelling manner of decreasing faculty resistance, while exposing instructors to best practices in pedagogy, andragogy and online learning. Instructional Designers (IDs), Instructional Facilitators (IFs), and Course Authors (CAs) who work in higher educational online settings should find this information useful. Novices in the field may find these practical techniques particularly beneficial.     

Faculty satisfaction in the online environment: An institutional study

A study of online faculty satisfaction was conducted at a public research university in the United States. Overall level of online faculty satisfaction at the institution, major concerns and motivating factors associated with online faculty satisfaction, and the differences between more and less satisfied online instructors were identified. One hundred two online instructors responded to the online faculty satisfaction survey. Results indicate a moderately positive level of faculty satisfaction with online teaching. Major frustrations were associated with technological difficulties, the lack of face-to-face contact, and student involvement. Satisfying elements pertained to flexibility, access, and student diversity. More satisfied online instructors reported a higher degree of student-to-instructor interaction than their less satisfied counterparts. The classification analysis resulted in 88.5% of online instructors being correctly classified.     

Assessment Practices of Instructors in Community College

Critical thinking is an important outcome of a college education. Assessment techniques that require students to demonstrate their understanding of course concepts are referred to as authentic assessment and promote the development of critical thinking. Little research exists on the types of assessment and grading practices utilized by community college instructors. This research examined the incidence and nature of various assessment practices used by community college faculty for basing the course grade. In addition, the study also examined the percentage of course grades that was based on traditional and authentic assessment and factors that may influence the use of assessment techniques. To facilitate the study, an online survey instrument was used to obtain data from faculty employed at two community colleges in California. Study results revealed that a variety of assessment practices are used by community college instructors with differences in relation to faculty status, level of academic achievement, online teaching status, and years of teaching experience. In addition, findings indicate that faculty primarily use authentic assessment in basing the course grade as compared to objective or traditional assessment—suggesting that they are using assessment techniques that promote critical thinking. A significant finding was that part-time faculty emphasize objective exams, attendance, and homework whereas full-time faculty emphasize research projects and learning journals. Findings suggest that professional development may be warranted for faculty by faculty status.     

How Do We Train Our Future Faculty to Teach? A Multidisciplinary Comparison of Graduate-Level Pedagogy Courses Offered at a Large Midwestern University

This study examines and documents graduate pedagogy courses offered at a large Midwestern research university. Thirty-three graduate pedagogy course instructors from 32 departments (a majority of those offering courses) completed an online survey. We report on enrollment demographics, preparation of faculty to teach such a course, and how a statement of teaching philosophy is presented to the class. This research connects the analyses of individual pedagogy courses with the few national studies on teacher training, outlines assumptions about an emerging field, and lays groundwork for a comprehensive study of the landscape and outcomes of graduate pedagogy courses nationwide.     

An examination of the relationship between technology problems and teaching evaluation of online instruction

To address faculty members' concern that teaching evaluation in the online environment might be lowered because of technology problems students experience in online courses, a sample of 202 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory statistics course in a college of business administration was surveyed. Students' evaluation of their instructors and the course and their experiences with technology problems when taking the course were measured. As expected, a negative correlation between teaching evaluation and experience of technology problems was observed. Based on the finding, it is suggested that, to encourage faculty members to teach online, universities need to examine the relationship between teaching evaluation and technology problems experienced by students in the online environment and adjust the evaluation skewed by problems that are out of instructors' control. Measurement instruments used in the study and a suggested formula for adjusting teaching evaluation are provided.     

Speaking Personally—With Susan C. Aldridge

Researchers conducted a national survey of administrators at doctorate-granting universities to determine the current status of institutional policies and practices related to the organization and governance of online courses, faculty incentives to develop and teach online, and course ownership. Survey results document a wide variation in policies and practices, yet they also identify common practices. About 82% of the universities gave extra pay to faculty to develop online courses, and 94% provided campus-based faculty development workshops or training on online education. The large majority of institutions hired professional course designers (84%) and provided technical assistance to students (86%). Another 84% had an intellectual property policy in place or were developing one, and 77% shared revenues from online courses with academic colleges, schools, or departments. Although these practices existed on campuses, they were not always instituted campuswide. The researchers found statistically significant relationships for a number of faculty incentives and support services and faculty willingness to be involved in online education.     

以问题为引导的混合式教学模式研究

混合式教学既是线下面对面教学和在线教学的混合,更是一种“以学生为中心”的教学与辅导方式的混合。针对传统“通信原理”教学中存在的学生课后学习时间不足、课堂注意力难以长时间集中,以及理论教学和实践应用脱节等问题,以国家精品在线开放课程“通信原理”为依托,形成了以问题为引导的混合式教学模式。从线上线下课时安排、教学组织、教师分工和学习成效考核方式等方面进行了探索。实践表明,该混合式教学模式在“通信原理”教学中取得了良好效果,可为其他类似课程开展混合式教学提供参考。     

Considerations for Faculty Preparing to Develop and Teach Online Criminal Justice Courses at Traditional Institutions of Higher Learning

Criminal justice programs at traditional institutions of higher learning have been moving toward offering courses online and, in some cases, placing entire programs online for the better part of the past decade. In competition with for‐profit institutions, many traditional colleges and universities have expanded their distance education programming to include online courses and programs to attract students. As a result, the number of criminal justice students has increased, as have the profits for home institutions. With this growth in the online education market, the criminal justice faculty member has been thrust, willingly or unwillingly, into the world of online teaching—a method of instruction foreign to many instructors. From the authors’ experience at their current (and in the case of the lead author a second) institution, this paper addresses many issues that must be considered by faculty members before embarking on this type of time‐intensive initiative.     

A Campus-Wide Study of STEM Courses: New Perspectives on Teaching Practices and Perceptions

At the University of Maine, middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers observed 51 STEM courses across 13 different departments and collected information on the active-engagement nature of instruction. The results of these observations show that faculty members teaching STEM courses cannot simply be classified into two groups, traditional lecturers or instructors who teach in a highly interactive manner, but instead exhibit a continuum of instructional behaviors between these two classifications. In addition, the observation data reveal that student behavior differs greatly in classes with varied levels of lecture. Although faculty members who teach large-enrollment courses are more likely to lecture, we also identified instructors of several large courses using interactive teaching methods. Observed faculty members were also asked to complete a survey about how often they use specific teaching practices, and we find that faculty members are generally self-aware of their own practices. Taken together, these findings provide comprehensive information about the range of STEM teaching practices at a campus-wide level and how such information can be used to design targeted professional development for faculty.     

What Are Online Teaching Faculty Telling Us About Building Community?

This article describes the results of a mixed-methods study that examined the perceptions of community among online faculty in Washington state community and technical colleges. Twelve community and technical colleges were randomly selected from the 34 colleges in Washington state. Results indicated significant differences between females versus males on questions related to motivators, time, and interactions. A significant difference existed among program area faculty related to regularly scheduled community-building activities. There were no significant differences between responses from full-time versus adjunct faculty or among the responses based on instructors’ number of years teaching online or their age. The results of this study suggest a strong agreement (87%) among all faculty on the value and importance of interacting with other online colleagues regarding effective online teaching practices.     

Effective pedagogical practices for online teaching: Perception of experienced instructors

Institutions have focused on providing faculty with technological training to enhance their online teaching, but many online instructors would like to learn more effective pedagogical practices. This phenomenological study determines what experienced, award-winning South Dakota e-learning instructors perceive to be effective pedagogical practices. This study identified effective pedagogical practices for online teaching that are reflective of theories and practices referenced in the college teaching literature.     

A blended model: simultaneously teaching a quantitative course traditionally,online, and remotely

As universities seek to bolster enrollment through distance education, faculty are tasked with maintaining comparable teaching/learning standards in traditional, blended, and online courses. Research has shown that there is an achievement gap between students taking courses exclusively offered online versus those enrolled in face-to-face classes. In an effort to mitigate these observed differences, the School of Business faculty at the research institution investigated various course models to meet the needs of a diverse, non-traditional, and multifaceted student population. Ultimately, a blended course model for statistics and quantitative method courses was developed that allowed students to choose between online, remote (via interactive television), and traditional course delivery modes each week. This model is more flexible and agile than existing blended courses that have more static components. Multiple regression analysis, χ², and t-tests are used to demonstrate the efficacy of our model in maintaining student performance standards.     

Assimilation in Online Course Design

As online education continues to grow, instructors from traditional classrooms are being asked to design online courses. In this study, data from interviews with thirty-three public four-year college and university instructors, who had experience designing online courses, were used to understand the instructor’s perspective on online course design. Using grounded theory, data were analyzed, sorted, and coded to uncover the strategies instructors use to design online courses. Results revealed instructors adapt to the online environment by using strategies to mimic elements of face-to-face courses: in essence, adaption comes through assimilation. Instructors expressed interest in helping students navigate online to encourage active participation in courses. They described using technology and learning management system (LMS) features (e.g., videos, discussion forums) to “hear” and “see” students, as a way to increase interaction and presence, familiar elements from face-to-face education. They spoke of creating authentic assignments to increase student engagement. The implications of this study include effective design and instructional strategies for online courses, as well as understanding the motivation of instructors who design online courses. The study results are relevant to a broad audience including online instructors, instructional designers, LMS organizations, and administrators.     

Teaching Time: Distance Education Versus Classroom Instruction

This study presents time-and-task records of faculty and teaching assistants' time for comparable computer-aided design courses at two state universities in the midwestern United States. One course was taught at a distance and the other course was a conventional face-to-face course. Results indicate a distance course takes less time to teach than a traditional classroom course, if student enrollment and assessment procedures are not included in analysis. When analyzed on a per-student basis, both faculty and teaching assistant time was higher for the distance course.     

Time demands in online instruction1

This article reports findings from a Mellon Foundation research project at Syracuse University with regard to the time demands placed on teachers and learners in online courses. This exploratory research was primarily a study of cases involving three online courses and one face‐to‐face course. The focus of the study was the effects of different forms of communication and collaboration on time invested by teachers and learners. The online courses made use of e‐mail, threaded discussion forums, and online chat sessions; the face‐to‐face course used e‐mail in addition to a course Web site and lectures. Learning outcomes and retention in the three online courses were similar to outcomes and retention in comparable face‐to‐face courses at this institution. Students invested slightly more time in online courses whereas faculty, all of whom were experienced online teachers, invested considerably more time in their online courses. An analysis of interviews with online teachers at other institutions confirms the finding that experienced online teachers invest significantly more time in online teaching than their counterparts in face‐to‐face settings.     

Beliefs about learning and enacted instructional practices: An investigation in postsecondary chemistry education

While research on and development of evidence‐based instructional practices (EBIPs) in STEM education has flourished, implementation of these practices classrooms has not been as prolific. Using the teacher‐centered systemic reform model as a framework, we explore the connection between chemistry instructors’ beliefs about teaching and learning and self‐efficacy beliefs, and their enacted classroom practices. Postsecondary chemistry faculty present a unique population for the study because of their role in teaching prerequisite courses, such as general and organic chemistry, which are key to many science major fields. A measure of teacher beliefs and self‐efficacy was administered to a national survey of postsecondary chemistry faculty members. Instructional practices used in a chemistry course were also collected via self‐report. While instructional practices were not directly observed, a cluster analysis of our data mirrors patterns of instructional practices found in observation‐based studies of chemistry faculty. Significant differences are found on teacher thinking and self‐efficacy measures based on enacted instructional practices. Results support the hypothesized connection between beliefs and instructional practice on a larger scale than in previous studies of this relationship, bolstering the evidence for the importance of this relationship over previously criticized results. These results present a call for reform efforts on fostering change from its core, that is, the beliefs of those who ultimately adopt EBIPs. Dissemination and design should incorporate training and materials that highlight the process by which faculty members interpret reformed practices within their belief system, and explore belief change in the complex context of education reform.     

Assessing the quality of online courses from the students' perspective

The purpose of this study was to develop a survey based on the findings in existing research regarding students' perceptions and preferences related to online course delivery. Researchers have found that the following areas are important for student satisfaction with online instruction, interaction among students, quality and timely interaction between student and professor, consistent course design across courses, technical support availability, and flexibility of online courses compared to face-to-face. The student survey, once developed, was used to assess the quality of online course delivery by the faculty at a small upper level university in Texas. Results of the survey indicate that faculty at this institution are delivering online classes that meet the students' needs in regard to interaction with professors and classmates and course content. Results also indicate the need to develop a consistent course structure across classes and to provide extended technical support hours.     

A portrait of remedial instruction: faculty workload and assessment techniques

Remediation in postsecondary education continues to be an issue that is hotly debated by institutional leaders and state policymakers. The National Center for Education Statistics [The National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). Remedial education at higher education institutions in fall 2000. PEQIS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.] estimates that 98% of public 2-year and 80% of public 4-year institutions offered at least one remedial course. The need for remedial courses is also demonstrated by the growing number of students who enroll each year. Studies that examine students and placement are found in the literature, but few examine the faculty who teach in remedial programs [Boylan, H., Bonham, B. S., Jackson, J., & Saxon, D. P. (1995). Research in Developmental Education, 12(1), 42–52.]. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty who teach remedial courses. In particular, we were interested in faculty workload and the assessment techniques employed by faculty based upon type and level of institution. More specifically, data was analyzed using the NSOPF: 99 database on faculty at 2-year and 4-year institutions as well as faculty at private and public institutions. Some comparisons between faculty teaching remedial courses and nonremedial courses are presented.