Managing Online Teaching Faculty: A Case Study and Review of Literature on Mentoring of Online Faculty

Abstract

This chapter presents a Kenyan university context on issues surrounding management and mentoring of online faculty. Findings from literature, content analysis of documents, and raw data from experiences of mentees and mentor revealed the following: online teaching and learning is both a well-established discipline and appraised globally. However, levels of its implementation contrast sharply in different contexts, and especially between the developed and developing world contexts. Whereas quality assurance bodies in respective university contexts have standards and guidelines that meet global standards, implementation procedures are highly compromised as reflected by some themes that emerged such as (mis)conception of online learning, expectations and realities of virtual learning environments, lack of readiness/unpreparedness among others. Orientation of instructors, learners, continuous professional development of instructors and effective mentoring and monitoring of key stakeholders have been recommended to ensure quality outcomes.