Overcoming the Expectations and Challenges of Online Instruction for the Fall Semester

With the fall semester quickly approaching, colleges and universities are still grappling with how to resume classes safely and how to ensure that all courses can implement a form of online learning successfully. Although the sudden shift to online education in the spring forced teachers to quickly adapt to online-only learning and research environments, questions on whether to open campuses or switch to a hybrid model are still being questioned.

With these questions, teachers are still preparing their fall semester courses to enable them to be conducted in hybrid environments, and according to a recent Wired article, many teachers are still facing numerous unpaid hours “redesigning lectures, assessments, and student interactions.” Although they are spearheading their efforts in ensuring student attraction, attrition, retention, and motivation, educators themselves are still facing a host of other challenges, including student academic readiness, self-discipline, computer skills, and even considerations like adapting courses to different time zones and email fatigue.

Profs. Alec Sithole, from Missouri Western State University, Saint Joseph, USA, Davison M Mupinga, from Kent State University, Kent, USA, et. al. discuss these challenges and provide practical solutions on how teachers can be better prepared for this “new normal” of online education in their article, “Expectations, Challenges and Suggestions for Faculty Teaching Online Courses in Higher Education” from the International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IGI Global). View the article below:

International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD) Profs. Chia-Wen Tsai and Pei-Di Shen (Ming Chuan University, Taiwan) Est 2011| Published: Quarterly | ISSN: 2155-6873 | EISSN:2155-6881 This publication is an essential reference source that focuses on the latest research for diagnosing and treating mental health issues experienced by emergency personnel and seeks to generate awareness and inform clinicians about the unique circumstances encountered by these professionals. While highlighting topics including anxiety disorders and stress management...Learn More.

The demand for online classes is growing almost exponentially. However, this growth may be coming at the expense of quality, if suitable pedagogical practices are not adopted or adjusted. Teaching online courses brings both advantages as well as challenges that require careful and focused introspection. In this study we focus on the challenges facing online instructors and how to best address them. While we recognize the advantages of teaching, we also note that the migration from traditional, F2F courses, to the online format presents a plethora of challenges, many of which are not encountered in the F2F classroom setting. It is, therefore, imperative that we draw attention to these challenges in order to make online instruction more efficient and effective. These challenges include, for example, student academic readiness (or lack thereof); self-discipline; computer technology skills; time-zone differences. In addition, the switch to online instruction requires development of more inclusive pedagogical approaches that capture different learning styles. It is, therefore, crucial that instructors be fully equipped with the knowledge and ability either to pre-empt these challenges or to resolve them, should they arise. Presently, however, most instructors are not sufficiently equipped to effectively address the challenges with this knowledge. This study is, therefore, relevant not only to the less experienced online teachers but also to the more experienced and, even more so, to those who plan to move their courses from F2F to the online format. More specifically, this study seeks to: 1) examine the expectations of online teachers; 2) assess the challenges online teachers face, and 3) propose ways of addressing the challenges in order to best meet the expectations of online teaching.

The Nature and Extent of The Problem

This section examines the current state of online teaching, the different formats of online instruction and the nature of the expectations and challenges each pose. Central to this study is the fact that student enrollment in online education continues to increase, with more and more “traditional” F2F classes being converted to online formats. Yet the expectations of online teachers remain vague and inconsistent. As a result, not only do the new and less experienced online instructors face many challenges but even the ‘veterans’.

Based on 2015 Survey of Online Learning the analysis of enrollment data from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Allen, Seaman, Poulin, and Straut (2016) found the year-to-year increase in online education enrollment to be 3.9%. In the same study, they found that in public institutions, about 72.7% of the students were enrolled in undergraduate and 38.7% were enrolled in graduate online programs. A survey of online learners by Caraher and Kurt (2011) indicated that about 71% were attracted by the flexibility of online classes; 68% were drawn by the opportunity for professional adults to take classes while working full-time; and 48% thought virtual learning offered a broader range of classes than traditional face-to-face (F2F) settings. In addition, the Open Education Database (OEDb, 2018) identified the following attractors: low costs of learning, comfort (no class sessions), greater ability to concentrate, opportunities for career advancement while working, avoiding commuting (especially during adverse weather), and improvement of computer skills.

E-learning varies across a large spectrum but there are two main forms available, namely: 1) blended teaching, and 2) completely web-based (online) teaching. Blended courses are a hybrid form of delivery whereby part of the assessments, lecture notes, or grades are shared through e-learning platforms, while other activities are completed face-to-face (Barry & Runyan, 1995; Hiltz & Turoff, 2005; Parker, Lenhart & Moore, 2011). Currently, online and blended or hybrid learning are the fastest-growing modes of instruction (Gleason & Greenhow, 2017).

In an entirely web-based environment, all the materials (assessments, feedback, etc.) are delivered through an institutional Learning Management System (LMS) (Franks, 2002; Hiltz & Turoff, 2005; Parsad & Lewis, 2008). Thus, there is an increasing dependence on the use of various LMS to support student learning, (Alstete & Beutell, 2004; Franks, 2002). As has been noted, this trend is driven by increasing demands for flexibility and the need for an education that fits the student lifestyles. Faculty interest in the instructional use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) and institutional operating cost reduction strategies have also contributed to this tremendous growth (Instructional-Technology-Council, 2010; Ruth, 2012). Furthermore, the cost of paying for face-to-face (F2F) classroom training far exceeds that of distance learning (Barry & Runyan, 1995; Nguyen, 2015).

The increase in demand for online education has resulted in many colleges offering online courses. In turn, the demand for online courses has created a need for more online instructors. Many schools have responded to the situation by automatically assigning F2F instructors to teach online classes. However, while some of these instructors have formal training in teaching online courses, many do not (Kolowich, 2013). Therefore, given the high rate of growth in online instruction, it is imperative to, on the one hand, clearly delineate the expectations of online teaching and, on the other hand, address the challenges the online teaching approach poses and, thereby, to propose strategies that can be used by anyone interested in teaching an online course.

Understanding that the latest research around online education is of the utmost importance, the latest research covering e-learning, curriculum development, virtual learning environments, and more is found in the International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IGI Global), edited by Profs. Chia-Wen Tsai and Pei-Di Shen from Ming Chuan University, Taiwan.

This title serves as a forum for the improvement of online education for schools and teachers planning to implement or that are currently engaged in e-learning. Focusing on online schooling and curriculum preparation, this journal provides effective Web-based teaching methods for teachers and educators. The International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design presents critical viewpoints for academic professionals in the development of online learning.

It is currently available in electronic format (EISN: 2155-6881) through IGI Global’s Online Bookstore at a 50% discount, and is featured in IGI Global’s InfoSci®-Journals database. Recommend this publication and the InfoSci-Journals database to your library to have access to this critical research, as well as thousands of other research resources, including the articles below, in the IGI Global InfoSci-Journals database.

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Learn More Recommend to Library Handbook of Research on Creating Meaningful Experiences in Online Courses Profs. Lydia Kyei-Blankson (Illinois State University, USA), Esther Ntuli (Idaho State University, USA) and Joseph Blankson (Ohio Northern University, USA) Copyright: 2020| Pages: 355 | ISBN: 9781799801153 | EISBN: 9781799801160 This title is a comprehensive research book that examines the quality of courses in higher education that are offered exclusively online and details strategies and practices used by online instructors to create meaningful teaching and learning experiences in online courses. Featuring a range of topics such as gamification, professional development, and learning outcomes, this book is ideal for academicians, researchers, educators, administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, higher education faculty, and students.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of IGI Global.

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