Enhancing the odds of adopting e-learning or community-focused experiential learning as a teaching practice amongst university faculty

Robindra Sidhu,William H Gage

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06704

Abstract

Identifying the optimal approach for motivating faculty to adopt teaching innovation is important, given that broad-scale initiatives can utilize an inordinate amount of time and resources. Using a quantitative approach, we evaluate policy actions that are most strongly associated with the adoption of either e-learning or community-focused experiential learning, over a five-year period in a single institution. Comparisons between adopters and non-adopters affirm the relevance of previously documented facilitators and barriers. However, logistic regression analyses demonstrate that actions that promote a supportive institutional culture (such as, an institutional plan, committee involvement, professional development and logistical support) as well as faculty perceptions and beliefs (i.e., “using new methods is not risky for student learning”; confidence and self-efficacy with respect to implementation), are strongly associated with the adoption of either e-learning (n = 118) or community-focused experiential learning (n = 97). In contrast, funding and professional dimensions (i.e., workload, historical precedence, and the institutional promotion of the innovation with respect to academic freedom) are weakly associated with adoption. The results not only provide a fine-grained analysis of current assumptions regarding the necessary conditions for implementing organizational change in the university context, but also suggest an approach that reinforces and sustains the adoption of teaching innovation over the long term. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in reference to models of organizational change, faculty motivation and approaches to institutionalizing teaching innovation.

Highlights

Motivating university faculty to adopt teaching innovation is of enduring interest to both researchers and decision-makers (Averill and Major, 2020; Genne-Bacon et al, 2020; Terantino, 2020)
Using a logistic regression approach to predict faculty adoption of a given teaching practice, the current study evaluates the relative importance of an institutional culture that promotes readiness for organizational change and capacity building, extrinsic rewards, as well as a consideration of faculty members’ perceptions and beliefs and other professional dimensions
We demonstrated the primary importance of an institutional culture that promotes teaching innovation through an institutional plan, and committee involvement and builds capacity for its adoption through professional development and logistical support

Summary

Introduction

Motivating university faculty to adopt teaching innovation is of enduring interest to both researchers and decision-makers (Averill and Major, 2020; Genne-Bacon et al, 2020; Terantino, 2020). University leadership must consider the needs and expectations of students and faculty, and of government who fund operations. Work-part-time and perceive that a degree offers enhanced employability (Donald et al, 2019; García-Aracil et al, 2018; Kasler et al, 2017; Lock and Kelly, 2020) and improved employment odds (Becker, 1993; Belfield et al, 2018; Berger et al, 2009; Donald et al, 2018; Kasler et al, 2017). Leadership is expected to satisfy external demands by government such as an increased focus on accountability metrics such as student retention, persistence/degree progression, graduation rates and employment rates, which in turn are increasingly linked to performance-based funding (e.g., Ziskin et al, 2014), despite unintended consequences (Gandara and Rutherford, 2018)

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