Abstract
With a notable rise in the number of higher education institutions embracing online delivery models as a viable option for their programs and course offerings, there has been an increase in the need for a distributed, online faculty workforce. These faculty members not only deliver course content but also serve as representatives of the associated institution for students. They are the lifeline to the institution for students who are often equally distributed. Yet, many online educators engage very little with their associated institutions, enter the virtual teaching space as subject matter experts rather than trained educators, and do not have a viable means of connecting or engaging with their peers. All of these factors can be isolating for online faculty. In this chapter, the author explores strategies for holistic support of online educators to help facilitate engagement with students to connect with the institution and participate in meaningful dialogue with peers. Highly engaged and supported educators are best positioned to impact student success.
TopBackground
Distance education in the United States dates back to the 1800s beginning with the University of Chicago and the first “major” correspondence program (AECT, 2001). As time passed, distance education expanded and developed with advancements in technologies. A traditional definition of distance education is, “instruction through print or electronic communications media to persons engaged in planned learning in a place or time different from that of the instructor or instructors” (AECT, 2001, para. 4). In 2010, U.S. News defined distance education as, “Credit-granting education or training courses delivered to remote locations via audio, video, or computer technologies, such as the internet” (para. 3).
As technology has continued to advance, so too has education. In the most recent Babson Survey report (Seaman, Allen & Seaman, 2018), over three million students are taking distance courses exclusively with over six million students taking at least one distance course. Distance education now primarily references delivery of course content in an online format. Furthermore, the Babson Survey report indicates that distance education enrollment continues to rise while traditional campus attendance has seen some decline in recent years (Seaman, et. al., 2018).
With the advancements in technologies, many corporations are expanding their adoption of distributed workforces, and this is only predicted to rise (Johansen, 2017). Higher education institutions that embrace online education, must also welcome working with a remote, distributed workforce. Online faculty ultimately serve as institutional representatives to their virtual students. Therefore, the challenges online educators encounter are also experienced, in some way, by their students. With an understanding that online education is growing and that online educators greatly impact the student learning experience, it becomes evident that institutions must embrace a holistic approach to supporting online educators so that students are fully supported in their learning experience as well.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Distributed Workforce: A workforce that works remotely and not at a central location or hub.
Dynamic Process: A process of agile change, action, and/or progress.
Relevancy: How content is directly related to an individual person, their interests, course of study.
Organic: This refers to the process of developing naturally and without interference.
Subject Matter Experts: People who are extremely knowledgeable on specific topics and often called upon to assist with the development of course content.
Community Facilitator: A person who helps engage members of a community of practice in meaningful dialogue while assisting, as needed, with questions, etc.
Modeling: The process of setting an example for others to learn from through exhibited behaviors, work, or generated artifacts.