1. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development: The Excellence in Online Education Initiative
Carol McQuiggan, D.Ed.
Senior Instructional Designer, Penn State Harrisburg
Amber L. Vaill, M.Ed.
Director of Academic Technology and Online Learning, Bay Path College
David Demers, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic and Administrative Technology, Bay Path College

2. Overview
Introduction to Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Introduction to the Bay Path College Excellence in Online Education Initiative
Faculty Orientation to Online Education
Mentoring
Ongoing Support
Initiative’s Integration of the Essential Attributes
Successes
Conclusions
Questions

3. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs

4. Faculty Professional Development as Adult Education
Action research to address gap in literature on faculty professional development for online teaching
Exploration of changes in teaching assumptions, beliefs, and face-to-face teaching practices resulting from preparations to teach online
Fourteen models reviewed for components related to adult learning

5. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Recognition of faculty's needs, concerns, goals
Individualized plan
Use of faculty experience
Learning environment in which faculty feel supported, respected, and accepted
Active participation
Reflection
Collaborative inquiry
Observation
Authentic context
Action plan
Ongoing support
Evaluation and revision

6. Online Learning at Bay Path College
Began offering OL courses in 2005
Center for Distributed Learning formed 2007
Launched Faculty Orientation Course

7. Excellence in Online Education Initiative
Three-tiered program
Faculty Orientation to Online Education Course
Mentoring
Ongoing support
Goals of the Initiative
Ensure course quality
Improve student experience
Ensure faculty understanding of online learning pedagogy
Prepare faculty for successful online teaching experience

8. Tier 1 – Faculty Orientation
Mandatory, eight-week, facilitated orientation
Orientation focuses:
College online learning policies
Pedagogical differences between online and face-to-face learning
Using the LMS and other learning technologies
Provides experience of an online student
Cohort based model
Shared learning experience for instructors

9. Tier 1 – Faculty Orientation
Week 1 – Rethinking Education: An Overview of Online Education
Week 2 – Planning Your Course
Week 3 – Pedagogy of Online Education
Week 4 – Creating Course Documents
Week 5 – Community Building in the Online Classroom
Week 6 – Creating Online Assessments
Week 7 – Finding Resources for Your Course
Week 8 – Transition from Design to Delivery

10. Tier 1 – Faculty Orientation
Outcomes
Courses are fully developed
Time for review and modification
Builds faculty relationships with CDL
Helps CDL assess further developments needs of faculty

11. Essential Attributes Faculty Orientation to Online Education
Refer to handout: Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs

12. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Recognition of faculty's needs, concerns, goals
Individualized plan
Use of faculty experience
Learning environment in which faculty feel supported, respected, and accepted
Active participation
Reflection
Collaborative inquiry
Observation
Authentic context
Action plan
Ongoing support
Evaluation and revision

13. Tier 2 – Mentoring All participants are assigned a mentor
Observe a live course in action
View asynchronous discussion threads
See how students and faculty interact online
Evaluate how other courses are designed
Additional resource for questions beyond CDL staff
Share best practices, experiences, strategies

14. Essential Attributes Mentoring
Refer to handout: Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs

15. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Recognition of faculty's needs, concerns, goals
Individualized plan
Use of faculty experience
Learning environment in which faculty feel supported, respected, and accepted
Active participation
Reflection
Collaborative inquiry
Observation
Authentic context
Action plan
Ongoing support
Evaluation and revision

16. Tier 3 – Ongoing Support Course review process following Orientation
Supportive process assists in improving course
Ensures course is ready to be delivered
CDL Student support assists faculty
CDL handles technical support issues
Allows faculty to focus on content
Technical and pedagogical assistance available following orientation

17. Essential Attributes Ongoing Support
Refer to handout: Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs

18. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Recognition of faculty's needs, concerns, goals
Individualized plan
Use of faculty experience
Learning environment in which faculty feel supported, respected, and accepted
Active participation
Reflection
Collaborative inquiry
Observation
Authentic context
Action plan
Ongoing support
Evaluation and revision

19. Evidence of Success Evaluation: Faculty satisfaction with Orientation
84% - feel more prepared for teaching online following the Orientation
79% - felt that the content contributed to their knowledge of online teaching and learning
76% - felt the readings contributed to their understanding of best practices
76% - felt that the Orientation experience was valuable for their professional growth
We may want to point out that these are specifically for the Orientation

20. Faculty Testimonials
“I found Bay Path’s Orientation to Online Education to be more thorough and substantive than the previous training that I received.”
“I feel that I have the tools I need to get my classes ready, and the support if something goes wrong.”
“I cannot say enough about what the CDL means to me as a faculty person and to the students in my classes.”

21. Essential Attributes Evidence of Success
Refer to handout: Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs

22. Essential Attributes of Faculty Professional Development Programs
Recognition of faculty's needs, concerns, goals
Individualized plan
Use of faculty experience
Learning environment in which faculty feel supported, respected, and accepted
Active participation
Reflection
Collaborative inquiry
Observation
Authentic context
Action plan
Ongoing support
Evaluation and revision

23. Questions?