What is Modalities

As institutions have expanded their virtual learning options to reach a broader community of learners, they have also increased the number of virtual faculty—largely adjunct or otherwise contingent—working remotely from the primary institution's location. Supporting the professional growth of these geographically dispersed faculty members presents complex challenges for faculty developers, who, often with limited resources, must adopt new approaches. Against this backdrop are increasing expectations for all faculty to gain proficiency in new teaching methodologies, modalities, and learning analytics to increase student retention. This chapter reports on a comprehensive, multi-modal, and multi-perspective study undertaken by one institution regarding the needs of this changing faculty demographic, including virtual and face-to-face adjunct and full-time faculty. The research yielded insights from the student, faculty, and administrator perspectives. Recommendations are presented for creating accessible, relevant, and inclusive faculty development that integrates faculty at all ranks.