The need for teacher training in online environments

Reading the Sangra article called Educational design as a key issue in planning for quality improvement, emphasizes the need for teacher training on instructional design.

To explore what some institutions have done regarding faculty training I read an article called Training for faculty who teach on line. The article cites Pagliari, Batts and Mc Fadden who explain that administrators need to address how to manage online training programs and find ways to support faculty in their use of best practices.

This article provides information about a study done in a community college, some teachers had received training in this manner:

1. One-one training

2. Read printed materials

3. Discussion sessions with other teachers

4. Observations

5. Mentorships

6. Conferences

Most of the teachers who participated in the survey expressed the desire to have the training in the course delivery system. This idea makes complete sense, because the courses will be delivered through a specific system which the teacher should know how to use and navigate to set up a course.

Some of the teachers who answered the survey discussed in this article explained that there are some practices essential to distance education such as:

·         Timely feedback

·         Detailed syllabus information

·         Online assessment tools

·         Setting rules for a friendly online environment

·         Introduction activities

·         Include graphics, sound and video

·         Guide students to external online resources

It is important that faculty members after receiving training should also be familiar with rubrics as the ones mentioned in our readings for this week (ROI AND Quality Matters). It is imperative for new distance learning instructors to be familiar with the basis of online instruction and ways to evaluate their courses and improve them in the future.

Ihde, R. (2011). Using professional development to facilitate faculty participation in distance

       education. Distance education, 8(12), 7-10. Retrieved from EBSCOhost