This page describes some of the lessons learned from implementing DLEO with several cohorts of faculty. Also included are a few reflective comments by staff.
From our surveys, we have learned participants really value:
- the opportunity to share ideas, concerns with colleagues
- getting feedback and advice from peers
- the consultation meeting with ATS (someone called it a strategy session)
- the experience of becoming an online student
- the blended or hybrid course format (Participants liked the experience of being a student online and found the F2F sessions offered were very productive and a great way to build more community)
Their concerns include:
- engaging students and getting to know them when they do not see them F2F, making the online course personable, building community
- managing their own time
- technological and communication difficulties
- making in the moment adjustments
- how to translate their enthusiasm for the subject to online students
- knowing the right balance of content, assignments, activities especially if course is only 5 or 7 weeks long versus a whole semester
Staff reflections
Will faculty stick to this intensive course?
This is really the first time ATS has offered a course with the expectation that it would take either 7-8 weeks to complete if offered during the summer or 14 if offered during a fall or spring semester. We were not sure if we would meet with resistance from our faculty. We learned from examining the research that It has been shown that training sessions offered only once are not as effective as those offered on an ongoing basis and that providing a collegial community as a support structure as well as an authentic context for learning should be incorporated within a faculty development framework (Gallant, 2000).
DLEO, we feel has accomplished this. It is an authentic experience for faculty and they do over time create a community. The learning modules are structured to keep them progressing and meeting their particular needs. We noticed during the 14 week session, that faculty did have more time to complete their assignments, however, sometimes too much time can elapse and then I think more time is required by staff to keep everyone connected and moving forward. The shorter week schedule seems a little more intense, but several programs here on campus are developing online courses that will be delivered over 7 weeks, so this is more authentic in helping them to understand the pacing of a course and how much time it takes to complete several tasks. So there are pros and cons to both that we share with our faculty when it comes time for them to make a commitment to taking the course.
[Gallant, G. (2000). Professional development for Web-based teaching: Overcoming innocence and resistance. In E. J. Burge (Ed.) New directions for adult and continuing education (pp. 69-78). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.]
Single discipline cohort versus across discipline cohort
We originally intended participants in DLEO cohorts to be from several colleges, departments, and programs on campus. We wanted to have our faculty meet and learn from each other and share ideas for best practices in designing and delivering content to our students. Their efforts at deciding on these practices could then be transferred back to the entire University community. This is still very true and we continue to offer cohorts across the University. What was unexpected and surprised me was the success of the single-discipline cohort as well.
We were approached by a department to consider offering the course to their faculty. They had a need to prepare faculty to teach online and they had enough faculty interested to fill an entire cohort. We learned several things from this experience. There are a large number of faculty all teaching this same course which included faculty, adjuncts and graduate students. Many did not already know each other, so community was being built within the department. Because they shared common course goals, they were able to provide wonderful peer review to their cohort members because they themselves were content specialists in this discipline. And I was further surprised how varied and unique all the learning modules created for the courses were. Here was the same course with the same course goals being taught in various ways using different technologies and strategies to achieve similar learning outcomes.
We will continue to offer DLEO to both groups and share with faculty and administrators, deciding which might work better for their needs, what we have learned from both.
Administrative support is important and really makes a difference
One thing I have noticed that really stands out to me as something that has had a tremendous effect on the success of DLEO is when administrators give their faculty support and encouragement to participate. For the two E-110 cohorts, there are two administrators of the program who have found several ways to demonstrate this.
- Initial meeting where DLEO was presented and expectations for the course shared. ATS had set a limit of 8-10 participants at any one time, so interested faculty had to request to participate in the course.
- Encouraging emails at the beginning of the semester spontaneously sent wishing them well as they undertake the course.
- Books such as Teaching Writing Online have been provided to participants in support of their discipline and their endeavors.
- Attendance at F2F sessions especially when participants give their final presentations is made.
- Having cohort members share their experience in DLEO in a retreat setting to their entire group of faculty and instructors.
