Abstract
This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities. This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities.
Highlights
Many graduate students choose to reside in their communities and continue to earn a salary at the workplace while completing a graduate degree through online education
These adult learners are extremely diverse, are interested in further professional graduate education at the master or doctoral level, and expect university faculty and instructors to be able to respond appropriately to their educational needs, goals and ambitions. This nontraditional approach to graduate professional degrees continues to expand in Canada. To address this growing demand from adult learners, instructors need to become familiar with asynchronous and synchronous communication technologies, they need to learn how to plan and deliver online courses, they must learn ways of providing online education to engage learners, and they must develop strategies to respond to diverse learner groups
The six themes identified in the study suggest that faculty issues can have as much, or more influence on the way in which instructors experience the transition from face-to-face to online education
Summary
Many graduate students choose to reside in their communities and continue to earn a salary at the workplace while completing a graduate degree through online education. These adult learners are extremely diverse, are interested in further professional graduate education at the master or doctoral level, and expect university faculty and instructors to be able to respond appropriately to their educational needs, goals and ambitions. This nontraditional approach to graduate professional degrees continues to expand in Canada. Given the implicit demands on faculty and instructors, what are the experiences of faculty as they transition from face-to-face to the online environment? What are the implications for continuing professional education of faculty? To answer these questions, the collaborative faculty distance learning research team explored these issues from personal and professional perspectives
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