Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

References

Results

I. Preparing to Teach Online

According to national survey respondents whose institutions provided training and support designed to prepare them to teach online for the first time, most options focused on technology and were voluntary (e.g., workshops, course management system (CMS) training sessions).

Eleven respondents report that training was mandatory at their institutions. Most commonly, mandatory training includes formal courses, workshops, and/or apprenticeships.

Respondents prepared themselves for teaching online in the following ways:

• Seeking out conversations with experienced online teachers
• Conducting research and reading literature
• Shadowing experienced teachers and observing online courses
• Learning to use the CMS
• Teaching a hybrid course first before moving fully online

Most frequently, a variety of self-preparation approaches were cited. For example, a graduate student writes, "In addition to [an] apprenticeship, wherein I observed classes and taught several classes myself, I spoke to other online teachers, asked them for advice, and read at least one book that discussed teaching in the online environment." Whether or not respondents were asked to participate in apprenticeships or mandatory training, most did, like the graduate student quoted above, seek advice from individuals with eLearning experience before teaching online for the first time. In fact, informal mentoring and networking of this sort appears to be one of the most common (and, according to respondents, useful) strategies employed by novice online teachers.

Like the national survey responses, local survey data reveals that informal, voluntary preparation is more common than formal or mandatory training. The respondents who mentioned more formal training were either employed by private online institutions or they were graduate students when they taught their first online courses.

II. Support for Intermediate and Advanced Online Instructors

National survey respondents report that fewer support and development options are available to intermediate and advanced online instructors. At this level, institution-provided workshops continue to be technology rather than pedagogy focused.

The data suggests that professional networking and conversations between colleagues are of particular importance to those who teach writing online. Faculty actively seek out opportunities to converse with other online instructors and network through listservs and at conferences. "I networked with my colleagues who were also teaching online all over the country through [listservs] like TechRhet and at conferences," writes a senior teacher at a two-year college. And a graduate student remarks, "I heavily relied on advice from other online teachers, trying to see what worked from what they had tried in the past." In order to stay current and enhance their teaching, intermediate and advanced online instructors also read and write about eLearning and participate in additional educational technology training sessions.