Abstract
This chapter explores through phenomenological methodology the experiences of nursing faculty who transitioned from live to online teaching. These experiences are further examined through the theory of transformative learning to determine whether participants were able to transform their teaching identity from traditional classroom teacher (sage on the stage) to facilitators of learning. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 16 full-time nursing faculty at four state universities. Findings revealed that most faculty were originally hesitant to teach online and had multiple misconceptions regarding teaching methods and online student communication. With one exception, professional development for online teaching was limited. Most participants described transforming their teaching methods and philosophies as they gained more experience. Results implicate that faculty development should focus not only on educational principles and technology, but also on ways to connect with students and develop course content that helps maintain faculty identities.
TopBackground
Despite some reluctance on the part of nursing faculty to move to online programs, comparisons between online and face-to-face learning have shown no significant differences in learning outcomes with the exception of highly technical clinical skills (Mccall et al., 2018). Learners and potential learners have come to value the convenience and flexibility of online education enabling them to continue their education regardless of locale or major life disruptions (Toufaily, Zalan, & Lee, 2018). With the inclusion of online courses, students can lower the time to graduation thereby reducing costs and enabling them to seek employment sooner (Galbraith & Mondal, 2018).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Technology Tools: In this chapter, technology tools refers to software, primarily, that can be used to develop or support online course content. This could include blogs, wikis, authoring tools such as Articulate or Captivate, and Web 2.0 tools available through the internet.
Facilitator of Learning: Faculty or teacher who uses active learning methods and encourages students to seek out valid information rather than rely on faculty for content and answers to questions.
Online Standards: In this chapter, standards refers to a set of elements including HTML, PowerPoint or other multimedia templates, course definitions and navigation elements used in designing content for an online course.
Transformative Learning: Process for assessing meaning of new information in a relevant and rational manner and subsequently developing a plan of action.
Discussion Boards: Discussion boards are tools within most learning management systems that enable students and faculty to post comments and facilitate an ongoing asynchronous discussion on a specific topic.
Registered Nurse (RN): A nurse who has graduated from an accredited college or university and has passed a professional licensing examination.
Online Education: Web-based course work in which at least 75% of course content is delivered online.