Assessment in Online Programs: Use in Strategic Planning for Faculty/Adjunct Development and Course Instruction to Improve Faculty and Student Engagement
Article
Melanie Sutton, University of West Florida, School of Allied Health and Life Sciences, United States ; Laura White, University of West Florida, Department of Computer Science, United States ; Justice Mbizo, George Stewart, University of West Florida, School of Allied Health and Life Sciences, United States
International Journal on E-Learning, ISSN 1537-2456 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA
Abstract
This article describes the use of assessment in the design and implementation stages of launching online courses and programs. While use of assessment for improving student engagement in both face-to-face and online courses has been commonly used, the authors augmented the strategic planning of programs to include assessment as a tool for designing faculty/adjunct training sessions to simultaneously improve faculty engagement. Employed initiatives were based on the hypothesis that high faculty engagement during training would yield higher quality courses, leading to greater course satisfaction and engagement by both students and faculty. Results are provided from two online programs in the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences at the University of West Florida. To demonstrate these strategies, a case example is also provided on the use of Second Life as an instructional tool to improve faculty and student engagement, and to development a sense of online community. Outcomes were tracked along four criteria: (a) quality enhancement, (b) accountability, (c) marketability, and (d) productivity. Results included improved student and faculty satisfaction with engagement in developed courses, low operational costs due to low turnover rate in trained faculty/adjuncts, and improved tracking of quality enhancement data for accreditation efforts.
Citation
Sutton, M., White, L., Mbizo, J. & Stewart, G. (2010). Assessment in Online Programs: Use in Strategic Planning for Faculty/Adjunct Development and Course Instruction to Improve Faculty and Student Engagement. International Journal on E-Learning, 9(1), 129-145. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved March 19, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/28148/.
© 2010 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
Keywords
References
View References & Citations Map- Anderson, T. (2002). An updated and theoretical rationale for interaction. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/paper63/paper63.htm
- Armstrong, T., Blake, S.Y, & Piotrowski, C. (2000). The application of a 360-degree feedback managerial development program in higher education: The Florida model. Project Innovation, ProQuest Information and Learning Company. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_200007/ai_n8893800
- Cavanaugh, J.C. (2001). Make it so: Administrative support for problem-based learning. In B.J. Duch, S.E. Groh, & D.E. Allen (Eds.), The Power of Problem-Based Learning (pp. 27-38). Sterling,
- Davis, D. (1998). Does CME work? An analysis of the effect of educational activities on physician performance or healthcare outcomes. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 28(1), 21–39.
- Davis, D., O'Brian, M.T., Freemantle, N., Wolk, F.M., Mazmanian, P. & Taylor-Vaisey, A. (1999, September 1). Impact of formal continuing medical education: Do conferences, workshops, rounds, and other traditional continuing education activities change physician behavior or healthcare outcomes? Journal of the American Medical Association, 282(9), 867-874.
- DeWitt, T.G. (2003, September). The application of social and adult learning theory to training in community pediatrics, social justice, and child advocacy. Pediatrics, 112(3), 755-757.
- Gercenshtein, L., Fogelman, Y. & Yaphe, J. (2002). Increasing the satisfaction of general practitioners with continuing medical education programs: A method for quality improvement through increasing teacher-learner interaction. BMC Family Practice, 3:15.
- Hogarth, K., & Dawson, D. (2008). Implementing e-Learning in organisations: What e-Learning research can learn from instructional technology (IT) and organizational studies (OS) innovation studies. The International Journal on e-Learning, 7(1), 87-105.
- Kuh, G.D., & Hu, S. (2001). The effects of student-faculty interaction in the 1990s. Review of Higher Education, 24(3), 309-332.
- Leung, W. (2002). Competency based medical training: Review. British Medical Journal, 325, 693-695.
- Muirhead, B. (2004). Research insights into interactivity. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 1(3), 65-70.
- Osterman, K.F. (2000). Students' need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research, 70(3), 323-367.
- Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Park, G.R. (2004, December). Case-based learning as a practical educational tool in infection management. World Federation Journal of Critical Care, 2(1), 25-27.
- Rovai, A. (2002). Building sense of community at a distance. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3(1), 1-16.
- Sachdeva, A.K. (2005). The new paradigm of continuing education in surgery. Archives of Surgery, 140, 264-269.
- Watson, G.H., & Groh, S.E. (2001). Faculty mentoring faculty: The Institute for transforming undergraduate education. In B.J. Duch, S.E. Groh, & D.E. Allen (Eds.), The Power of ProblemBased Learning (pp. 13-26). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
- Weber, W., & Joshi, M.S. (2000). Effecting and leading change in healthcare organizations. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement, 26(7), 388-399.
- Wind, J., & Reibstein, D. (2000, August). Reinventing training for the global information age. Knowledge@Wharton. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/
These references have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. Signed in users can suggest corrections to these mistakes.
Suggest Corrections to References