Abstract
This chapter outlines how online professional development can assist higher education faculty in their move from F2F teaching to online instruction. The use of instructor-produced video is proposed as the major instructional approach for online teaching. To support this teaching approach, an online professional development course is described using six modules: challenges of teaching online, course design decisions using systematic re-examination of course learning outcomes and pedagogy, video production skill-building, and how to teach online with instructor-produced video. The course can be delivered asynchronously but requires expert feedback of course design decisions, module structure, and video production and use. A hybrid approach is suggested scheduled across a 5-day week. In F2F morning sessions, participants examine online course teaching decisions and screencast product use, while afternoon sessions are devoted to course modules and video production. Recommendations for administrators, support staff, and faculty are provided. Research questions are suggested.
TopIntroduction
College instructors are increasingly faced with moving from teaching face-to-face (F2F) to an online environment, usually through a course management system (CMS). The use of instructor-produced video is suggested as one way to deliver the content within a CMS, a means that provides customized and personalized instruction for content but also media that supports marketing, orientation, formative assessment, and course closure purposes. The chapter provides a design for a hybrid online professional development course with instructor feedback on how to produce and use instructional video in online courses. Instructional design prompts are used to re-examine assumptions behind course teaching decisions.
This section briefly issues behind online higher education PD in higher education and the use of video for instruction. The chapter describes six online PD modules to be delivered within an institution’s CMS. An introductory module briefs participants on the online course and their responsibilities. Module 1 summarizes the challenges faced by instructors who have little or no experience teaching online. The module discusses opportunities provided by the use of video in online settings; in particular, re-examining learning outcomes, the nature of content, the range of students, and the contextual realities of the learning setting. Module 2 addresses key instructional design decisions that need to be made before designing and implementing any teaching. Module 3 focuses on participants producing video using a screencast product to record video and audio, video editing, and post-production. Module 4 discusses how to use self-produced videos in both blended and online courses. Module 5 suggests features for sustained professional development beyond this online course. The chapter concludes with suggestions for administrators, staff, and instructors who will be taking the course. Research opportunities are suggested.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Production Stage: A stage of video production in which media elements are added to a video project file and editing occurs.
Flipped Classroom: A form of blended learning where instruction is delivered online primarily through the use of video and other activities, while a F2F class session is devoted to active learning tasks.
Program Evaluation: A systematic approach for determining the “success” of a program.
Course Management System (CMS): A set of learning standards organized by content area, such as reading and math, that have been adopted by most U. S. states and serve to standardize the standards. Sometimes the term learning management system (LMS) is used.
Timeline: A feature of video editing and screencast products which displays one or more media tracks across time.
EFX: Short-hand label for sound effects added to audio or video.
Blended Learning: Educational offerings that consist of F2F delivery and online delivery.
Instructional Design: A systematic process for the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational interventions.
Pre-Production Stage: A stage of video production in which a list of media elements is gathered and a script is written.
Workflow: A set of procedures that organizes tasks to be completed.
Screencast Product: Software that records what is occurring on a user’s computer screen.
Post-Production Stage: A stage of video production after editing in which EFX, transitions, captions, music are added.