An Investigation of the Effect of Selected Policy Elements on the Function of Faculty in an Online Learning Environment

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of online teaching faculty and the workload policies which do not often account for the differences in requirements for online teaching including time commitments, professional development and training, technology access and support, and quality standards for course development and teaching. Full-time and adjunct faculty assigned to teach at least one fully online course within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) were included in the study and surveyed electronically. The survey addressed common differences for online teaching and allowed respondents (N = 509) to provide additional comments for each section. While improvements to online course quality and quality assurance efforts have occurred and were noted from respondents, findings suggest challenges for online teaching faculty included the time to design and deliver, interact with students, and manage large enrollment capacities in online courses. Administrative policy and procedure recommendations have been created as a result of the study findings

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