In higher education, there is an increasing reliance on adjuncts to teach online graduate courses developed by core faculty. Recognizing the prevalence of this “delegated instructor model,” research findings will be presented identifying the motivations and needs of online adjuncts in order to develop effective training and support strategies.
In higher education, there is an increasing reliance on adjunct instructors to teach online graduate courses developed by core faculty. In most cases, adjunct faculty teach part-time at a higher education institution while tending to another job or business, in many instances while also teaching in an adjunct capacity at other institutions. In their day-to-day interactions, it is not uncommon for online graduate students to primarily encounter temporarily employed adjunct faculty throughout their studies. Adjuncts thus constitute the front line of instruction for students; they translate and navigate course content for and build community with students; and they ultimately assess their performance regarding knowledge and skills when it comes to key learning objectives.
Given the prevalence and persistence of this new reality, it is time to take a closer look at opportunities and challenges associated with this “delegated instructor model” in order to recognize the motives and needs such faculty bring to relevant programs and identify effective training and support strategies.
Administrators and program directors have realized opportunities and challenges resulting from building their adjunct population in the online realm. On the upside, online adjuncts may be highly trained and motivated teaching professionals who are versed in effectively using a wide variety of online teaching tools and platforms. Their extensive online teaching experience may help them stay on top of often highly guided and fast-paced online teaching environments. When online adjunct instructors bring relevant practical experience to the classroom, they can translate and validate the practical applicability of course content and learning objectives and build valuable bridges to the relevant industry for students. Online teaching practitioners may also bring a high degree of motivation and investment in the subject matter to a program.
However, legitimate questions and concerns arise regarding the professional accountability, programmatic integrity, and institutional branding that come with a high reliance on a temporary adjunct workforce. Among the greatest concerns are whether online adjunct instructors can be overseen and held accountable commensurate to student expectations and university standards, whether they can be sufficiently connected to the programmatic vision and objectives, and whether or how they an inherently volatile adjunct workforce can be integrated into the broader vision and branding of an institution’s online educational mission.
This presentation will share and discuss findings from a comprehensive survey of adjunct instructors teaching in online graduate programs that follow such a “delegated instructor model.” The findings seek to draw a portrait of part-time adjuncts teaching online, identify their role in the online classroom, their motivation, and their ease in the use of various online strategies and tools. The survey also asks online adjunct instructors about their training and support needs. The resulting analysis allows to draw important connections between the motives and expectations of online adjunct instructors and their training and support needs.
At the center of the study is an attempt at supplying a current typology and portrait of online adjunct instructors drawing on prior such studies. Fifteen years ago, Schnitzer and Crosby (2003), while seeking to describe types of people drawn to online education, identified eight categories ranging from the Traditional Teacher and the Full-Time Part-Timer to the Philosopher and the Moonlighter. In recent years, additional types of individuals have become prominent, most notably the Practitioner. What they have in common is a desire to share their knowledge and experience with students; they are adjunct instructors and they are both contributing to and changing higher education, especially in online graduate programs.
This presentation rests on the assumption that the “delegated instructor model” is here to stay. Rather than bemoan it, it behooves educational institutions to leverage its opportunities while mitigating its challenges. In order to do so, it is necessary to know who is teaching in a part-time adjunct capacity online. A better understanding of the motives, goals, and needs of adjunct instructors will allow programs to capitalize on their strengths and supply instructors with training and support in the best-possible ways.
The objectives of this presentation are to:
- Describe and explore the benefits and challenges of the designated instructor model.
- Report on the motivations and needs of online adjunct instructors.
- Provide insights into proficiencies, training and support recommended for adjuncts.
- Compare concepts on recruiting and retaining adjuncts.
- Assemble the building blocks for a sustainable framework for the delegated instructor model.
Attendees can expect an engaging interactive session that will include the presentation of key data and analysis from the national survey of adjunct instructors from selected online education programs and an exchange of observations reflecting the perspectives of both the program director and the adjunct instructor. Participants also will be encouraged to participate in polls and conversation encompassing their own insights and experiences.
Reference: Schnitzer, M. and Crosby, L. S. (2003). “Recruitment and Development of Online Adjunct Instructors.” Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume VI, Number II, Summer 2003. https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer62/crosby_schnitzer62.html