Post-Secondary Faculty-Designers Developing Online Courses - Dissertation Example

? Instructional Development Skills and Competencies for Post-Secondary Faculty-Designers Developing Online s Raul C. Mendez Capella Abstract Online learning has grown at an unprecedented growth over the last decades. More institutions of higher learning have begun the process of incorporating their courses in online platforms. Additionally, more students are now embracing online courses due to their flexibility and convenience. However, these developments have been overshadowed with concerns over the quality of online courses being offered. Concerns over quality have necessitated the need to design online courses that meet set standards of quality and industry demands. It is on this basis that faculty-designers have emerged as critical a component in the development of online courses. Given the importance of faculty-designers, there is need to ensure that these faculty-developers possess requisite skills and competencies that are key in maintaining the quality of online courses. This chapter presents issues surrounding the skills, competencies and best practices for designing online courses. In addition to these issues, this chapter will present the purpose of the research, research questions and hypotheses, justification and significance of the research, as well as limitations and assumptions for the research. Keywords: Faculty-designers, Skills and Competencies, Instructional Materials, Online Courses and Best Practices Chapter One Introduction Online education has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade. Rapid growth of online education has emergence along with sophisticated information and communication technologies. Information technology tools have been integrated into online platforms and enhance delivery of learning materials. Proponents of distance education have applauded the flexibility and convenience of online learning studies. However, dissenting voices have increasingly raised concerns over the quality of online courses. Concerns over quality have necessitated the urgent need for faculty-designers to develop high-quality online courses (Allen and Seaman, 2011). Faculty designers are select members of faculty mandated with developing learning and training programs in a reliable and consistent manner (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Many of the decisions influencing the successful delivery of course materials take place prior to commencement of online classes. Course design stage requires careful planning to not only make teaching more enjoyable and easy, but also to facilitate effective student learning. Well-designed courses facilitate smooth implementation of course content on a day-to-day basis (Anderson, 2008). Faculty-designers require requisite skills and competencies that will assure the effectiveness and quality of online learning (Weston, 2009). Increasing demands for online courses stimulated many institutions of higher learning to offer online courses. As the number of middle-level colleges and fully fledged universities offering online courses continues to grow, a pressing need has arisen for highly skilled and competent faculty-designers (Salmon, 2004). Skilled and competent faculty-designers are needed in crafting professional development and technical training online courses (Watson, Watson and Reigeluth, 2012). The quality of online courses has been compromised, in part, by hastily-developed learning materials (Hsu and Lin, 2008). Much as information technology has the potential to develop and implement effective online learning, the quality of this modern pedagogy is compromised by lack of competent faculty-designers (Anderson, 2008). The rapid growth of online learning has focused increasing attention to components that constitutes a quality online course (Reigeluth, 2011). Understanding of how to design an online course and what is needed to be an effective online instructor has deepened significantly (Hsu and Lin, 2008). Technologies used to design and access online courses have also improved tremendously. Equally important, faculty-designers have expanded their knowledge of the attributes of contemporary students, who can use technology to access information and pursue learning opportunities never before available to them. Online learning has broadened student’s perspectives on global issues and centralized students’ concerns in designing and delivering quality online courses (Salmon, 2004). Shortage of competent faculty-designers could cripple approaches followed in developing online courses. Faculty-designers need requisite competencies and skills in instructional development to develop high quality, effective online courses. Online courses are hinged on technological advances, which are dynamic and fluid. Instructional design skills and competencies are also dynamic meaning that faculty-designers must remain attuned to changes. One way to remain current is by undergoing continuous training. Continuous training will ensure that they effectively use technology in designing online courses (Anderson, 2008). Faculty-designers have the task of considering a variety of issues when developing online instructional materials that are critical in enhancing the quality of online courses (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Online learning differs from conventional classroom learning in the manner instructional materials are delivered to students. Given that online courses are a replica of courses offered in classrooms, faculty-designers are tasked with adapting conventional courses to online environments. Adaptation ensures that both online and classroom students receive the same content. Faculty-designers are challenged to utilize technologies that will transfer classroom experiences and interactions to virtual learning environments (Carliner and Shank, 2008). Research Problem Faculty-designers are often responsible for creation, development, and management of online classes without formal preparation for performing these tasks (Carliner and Driscoll, 2009). Faculty-designers tend to create courses while lacking basic instructional development skills and competencies. Lack of skills and competencies is further compounded the realization that professional and scholarly community has not yet identified what constitutes basic instructional design skills and competencies for faculty-designers. Competencies and skills for faculty-designers developing online courses are embedded in instructional design theories related to content expertise, understanding education and instructional design (Reigeluth, 2012). Many psychological theories have made invaluable contributions to the field of instructional design. Underlying these theories is the common belief that instruction translates into learning (Weston, 2009). The central hypothesis of cognitive information processing is that human thinking is best understood from the perspective of representational structures in the mind and computational processes that act on those structures (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). From a constructivism point of view, individuals learn about the world around them by reflecting on their experiences. Constructivism learning involves adjusting mental models to accommodate new experiences (Hsu and Lin, 2008). Situational learning, on the other hand, postulates that learning processes occur within a community of practice. Learners gain knowledge by participating in the activities of the learning community (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Connectivism integrates principles explored by complex networks, chaos and self-organization theories. Connectivism hypothesizes that learning occurs within nebulous settings of shifting core components, which individuals cannot control (Anderson, 2008). Learning takes place within diverse settings and no single theory of learning holds true for all learning settings (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Good instructional design is agnostic in the sense that it analyzes each unique problem to identify the most appropriate solution (Hsu and Lin, 2008). Increased accessibility to information and rapidly evolving technologies has forced instructors to adapt their teaching approaches without clearly defined measures for attending to the diverse needs of their students. Faculty-designers encounter challenges in allowing appropriate flexibility and accommodating diverse learning styles within constraints of resources and time (Raiser and Dempsey, 2007). Learners have diverse characteristics and needs, coupled with differing skills that may change in the course of learning. Faculty-designers should incorporate maximum interaction and flexibility within instructional design to meet students’ diverse needs. Interaction and flexibility ensures that learning is focused on the student and not instructional materials (Allen and Seaman, 2011). Clearly defined curriculum content and effective tools for students’ interactions are at the core of quality online courses. Online instructional materials must utilize technologies that allow instructors to customize learning experiences of each student. The major drawback of web-based instructional materials is learners becoming disoriented, making it difficult for them to find relevant information. Disoriented learners also devote much of their cognitive resources to navigation, rather than on content. Customized learning experiences require faculty-designers to possess competencies that are crucial in transferring traditional classroom content to online learning environment (Anderson, 2008). Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to identify basic skills and competencies that enable faculty-designers to develop online courses. The study sought to identify specific requisite skills, competencies and best practices that educational professionals who lack prior training in instructional design should employ when developing online courses. According to Richey and Klein (2005), the design, development and evaluation of instructional products and programs are considered the heart of instructional development, and yet the profession is realizing that the growing number of institutions offering online courses does not match the number of qualified faculty-designers, who possess skills and competencies for developing online courses. Research Questions Quantitative Questions 1. What course development competencies do higher education faculty-designers use when developing online courses? 2. What best practices do faculty-designers use when developing online courses? Qualitative Questions 3. What methods do faculty-designers use in order to develop online courses? 4. In what ways do faculty-designers develop online materials differently from the conventional face-to-face classroom materials? Research Hypothesis The research tested the following null hypotheses: 1. Higher education faculty-designers use instructional design competencies when developing online courses 2. Higher education faculty-designers use instructional design best practices when developing online courses Justification of the Research Higher education is a channel for personal growth and social mobility resulting in more demand for higher education (Anderson, 2008). Secondly, the student population in higher education is shifting toward a newer non-conventional profile (learning is shifting from conventional classroom to virtual learning environments). These two trends influence the increasing demand for online learning (Allen and Seaman, 2011). The growth of online learning, coupled with increasing numbers of students enrolling in online courses, provides an opportunity to critically examine challenges that these two phenomena portend. High among these challenges is the ability of faculty to develop and deliver online courses that meet industry standards and students’ needs (Anderson, 2008). An overall unifying theory that can be called e-Learning theory is missing (Anderson, 2008). Weston (2009) has noted the absence of guiding principles, especially those that are critical in developing intensive online courses. Findings from the research provide useful insights on the design and development aspects of online courses. Such aspects may lend a hand in developing a unifying theory and guiding principles for developing online courses. New models and design approaches that take into account time constraints, skills development and characteristics of online learning environment are particularly needed at present (Carliner and Shank, 2008). Faculty-designers play a crucial role in the process of design, development, delivery and administration of online courses. In most situations, the development of online courses requires the efforts of several individuals (Anderson, 2008). Weston (2009) opines that one of these individuals should be a special combination of instructional developer and an expert in subject matter (i.e., the faculty-designer). De Vries (2007) emphasizes the need to involve subject matter experts in the process of designing online courses. Research findings will identify skills and competencies that faculty-designers and external experts require in developing online instructional materials. According to Weston (2009), faculty-designers perform more tasks beyond developing instructional materials and directing online learning. Faculty-designers also serve as facilitators, guides, confidants, motivators, provocateurs and role models. Learners look upon them to provide directions on what will be learned, time for learning, learning materials needed and activities involved in learning process. Most importantly, faculty-designers are first responders to technical challenges. Faculty-designers require key skills and competencies to effectively accomplish these tasks (Anderson, 2008). Findings from this research are critical in understanding the theoretical frameworks underpinning such skills and competencies, and how they facilitate online learning. As online teaching continues to demonstrate an approach that is valid and viable for adult learning, there is a need for faculty to use skills based on basic theoretical understanding of instructional design (Allen and Seaman, 2011). Skills are crucial in developing effective learning materials that enhance the quality and accessibility of online courses. Members of university faculties continue to churn out instructional materials for online courses not withstanding their lack of expertise in instructional design. Research findings identify skills, competencies and best practices that help faculty-designers to develop high quality content for online courses. Significance of the Research Findings from the research will make invaluable contributions to the field of instructional design theory. To begin with, research findings will identify specific skills that faculty-designers use in developing instructional materials for online courses. Research findings will also identify best practices in developing online courses that differ from conventional practices. Identified skills and competencies will ensure that faculty-designers develop online courses that are adaptable and accessible through online platforms, as well as meet market demands. Secondly, identified skills and competencies are crucial in increasing awareness on how to design quality online courses. Awareness on skills, competencies and best practices used by faculty-designers will help other faculty members with limited or no prior knowledge in designing online courses. Current and future faculty-designers will benefit from research findings that will determine skills and competencies needed in designing online courses with ease, speed and efficiency. Skills and competencies for faculty-designers are necessary in an era where many institutions are shifting towards online education, a phenomenon that has increased demand for competent faculty-designers. Thirdly, research findings will support efforts in expanding existing theories by shedding light on the process of online course development. Expansion of current theories is necessary for faculty members who have been assigned course development tasks in addition to regular teaching tasks. Expansion of existing theories may aid in confirming, refining or identifying essential course development principles. Research findings accomplish these tasks by providing insights into the entire process of developing online courses as experienced by faculty-designers. Experiences of faculty-designers will form the benchmark for assessing successful outcomes, identifying pitfalls and proposing sound practices. The conventional face-to-face learning differs from online learning in many aspects. For instance, the methodologies used in delivering face-to-face instructional materials differ from the methodologies used in online teaching. One factor that should remain constant is the interaction between students and their instructor, as well as, interactions among students themselves (Hsu and Lin, 2008). Findings from the research identify various methodologies that faculty-designers employ to ensure maximum interaction across different levels. Assumptions The researcher assumed that faculty-designers make use of specific course development skills and competencies, and follow certain best practices when developing instructional materials for online courses. In the same vein, the researcher assumed that the faculty-designers, who were respondents in the study, had prior experience in developing instructional materials for conventional, face-to-face courses. As such, these faculty-designers likely possess some background knowledge and general skills in instructional development, pedagogic skills and basic course design competencies. The researcher also assumed that skills, competencies and best practices are yet to be identified, with respect to what they constitute and the most frequently used in designing online courses. Limitations Since the research was confined to faculty members from two campuses of large universities, data on faculty-designers from different settings and locations is needed. Data from different contexts is crucial in comparing experiences of faculty-designers from diverse contexts. Analysis of diverse experiences identifies recurrent themes, which are useful in making definitive conclusions. More participants are needed from the national context to validate the generalizability of the research findings. Experiences, skills and competencies of faculty-designer in developing instructional materials for online courses differ across institutions. For instance, some institutions have a long history with online teaching while others have just begun the process of incorporating online courses in their faculties. Conclusion The rapid growth of online education has increased accessibility to education than in previous decades. More students are able to pursue university education at their own convenience and with much flexibility. As the number of students pursuing online learning continues to surge, faculty-designers are needed to develop quality instructional content for online courses. Crafting of online courses has become an issue for academicians and institutions of higher learning. Students’ concerns have now become critical in developing and delivering quality instructional materials for online courses, so that online learning is learner-based and not content-based. Online learning is different from conventional classroom learning. Online learning should, however, meet the same standards as classroom learning. One of the components that online learning should maintain is interactions between instructors and learners, and interactions among learners. Faculty-designers mandated with developing online instructional materials carry the burden of adapting classroom experiences to online settings. Shifting focus from content to online learners requires faculty-designers to possess requisite skills and competencies in developing online courses. Faculty-designers should also follow current best practices in adapting traditional course content to online environments. Faculty-designers are often required to develop instructional materials without prior knowledge and formal training for accomplishing development tasks. The limitations are further compromised by ever changing technological applications. Findings from the research identify skills, competencies and practices that faculty-designers need to develop online courses. Identified skills, competencies and best-practices will make valuable contributions towards generating a unified instructional design theory for online pedagogy. Research findings will also identify guiding principles that will assist other faculty-designers to develop online courses. This chapter presented in-depth discussions on the research problem by underscoring the importance of faculty-designers in developing online courses. The chapter outlined research questions that guided the research, as well as null hypotheses that this research intended to test. Limitations and assumptions of the research are identified and expounded within the chapter. Chapter 2 will present a literature review on skills and competencies that faculty-designers need in developing online courses. The chapter will discuss the theoretical/conceptual frameworks underpinning development of instructional materials for online courses. Chapter 4 will discuss the methodologies used in identifying skills and competencies required in developing online courses. The methodologies will include: research design, sample population and size, data collection techniques and data analysis techniques. Chapter 5 will present research findings. The findings will include identified skills and competencies that faculty-designers require in developing instructional materials for online courses. Chapter 5 will also present recommendations on best practices and implications for future research. References Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2011). Going the distance: Online education in the United States. Newburyport, MA: Sloan. Anderson, T. (2008).The theory and practice of online learning (5th ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press. Carliner, S., & Shank, P. (Eds.). (2008). The E-Learning handbook: Past promises, future challenges. San Francisco, CA: Wiley & Sons. Hsu, C. L., & Lin, J. C. (2008). 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