Designing an online learning strategy doesn’t have to be daunting. In this session, participants will consider the roadblocks new and seasoned faculty face going online, and how to develop an online learning strategy and support system to navigate these challenges. Resource development and establishing communities of practice will be highlighted.
Session Overview
This session will discuss a journey to developing a online learning strategy to support a department and its faculty members in launching a suite of online courses. This presentation anchors on the value of connecting with faculty members across disciplines and across generations to learn from the wealth of experiences within our own institutions that can go untapped when shaping or revising an online learning strategy for a department. Too often, administrative structures on campus can silo interactions and thinking. By breaking down the silos within your own institution, you can uncover past experiences and lessons learned so you don’t repeat mistakes that others may have made along the way. These conversations and perspectives can positively shape the development of online learning strategies and associated faculty resources.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, you will be able to:
- Reflect on the roadblocks for faculty going online
- Describe success factors to include in a new or revised online learning strategy
- Consider what resources you can develop at your institution to support online instructors through the design, development, and delivery phase of a course
This session is relevant to both new and seasoned online instructors, instructional support teams that collaborate with faculty, and program administrators.
Session Structure
Getting perspective
As a younger faculty member, I quickly discovered I was not alone in navigating the online learning landscape and how we can better support active learning with interactive content. By purposefully connecting with seasoned faculty outside of my own discipline, I was able to learn from theirsuccesses (and failures) in experimenting with online learning techniques to design resources to grow online learning in my department.
Identifying roadblocks to going online
After connecting with faculty of all ages at various online learning conferences in the United States, I can reinforce how the challenges they face are no different than what we observe in Canada. A recent report, Tracking Online and Distance Education in Canadian Universities and Colleges (2017), highlights challenges faculty face, including: lack of resources (83%), lack of training (69%), resistance from instructors (65%), and perceived quality of online courses (55%). To overcome these challenges, this session will provide opportunities for participants to reflect on challenges they have faced in their own institutions, and time will be provided for everyone to consider key success factors.
Setting up for success
In designing a departmental online learning strategies, the following success factors will be considered:
- Gaining management support
- Faculty collaboration – The importance of designating an “online learning champion” within an academic department to mentor online instructors
- Resource development – Documenting an online learning strategy including key stakeholders, timelines, opportunities, resource allocation, training requirements, quality expectations, digital tools, academic integrity, evaluation of online instruction, and building a community of online instructors
- Training new online instructors to support the development of learning outcomes, content and assessment design, prototyping, digital tools, and futureproofing courses (where digital assets can be used in both online and face-to-face classes)
What can go wrong
What can we learn from past mistakes? Lessons learned will be shared, including:
- Underestimating time to manage digital assets
- Tools not working as designed
- Academic integrity – Managing risk with online activities considering elements of the fraud triangle applied to higher education, which looks at the urgency, opportunity to cheat, and rationalization (Applying the Fraud Triangle to Higher Education; Journal of Legal Studies Education, Volume 35, Issue1, 5-43, 2018)
- Student engagement issues – The nature of work avoidance and how they may not work through all the content
Participation Opportunities
Throughout the session, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences. Opportunities will include:
- Kahoot! polling – To gauge the background of participants, obtain feedback, and tailor messaging where possible considering audience composition and interests
- Think-Pair-Share discussions – Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the roadblocks they have faced before sharing them with colleagues around them and then the wider group
- Q&A – This section aims to provide a back and forth discussion. Both participants and I will answer the question, what has worked or what could work well at your institution? This show and tell approach supports an environment where we can learn from each other’s successes and past mistakes. Success factors will be discussed and input will be sought on the approaches they have taken to tackle the aforementioned challenges. This dialogue provides a conversational and supportive environment that mirrors how discussions can flow in a community of practice with online learning faculty members