Nuanced Perspectives about Online Teaching: Mid-Career and Senior Faculty Voices Reflecting on Academic Work in the Digital Age

Students’ demand for online learning continues. At the same time, results of multiple studies from the early 2000s through the present day point to a set of common concerns that may explain faculty members’ hesitation and resistance to online teaching. However, less is known about how faculty members experience online teaching, especially the “essential elements” of work that the literature shows relate to positive workplace outcomes. Essential elements of work, as defined by Gappa, Austin, and Trice (2007) include flexibility and balance, academic freedom and autonomy, professional relationships, and professional growth. Findings from interviews with 19 faculty members showed that online teaching simultaneously enabled and frustrated faculty’s experiences of the “essential elements.” We recommend ways in which administrators can address these frustrations and highlight the positive aspects of online teaching.