Dee McKinney and Kathy Whitaker, East Georgia College
- 3k students, access inst, grant associates degrees,
- Many students first generation in family.
- Part of first Georgia implementation group so started Fall 2012.
- VP Academic Affairs asked all faculty to 1) upload a syllabus, 2) keep the grade book updated. So students can tell where they are in the course. At least an update every other week.
- Purpose of study:
- What training effective? Did it work/
- 12 * 3 hour training sessions in May-July. 4 * 2 hour ‘quick start’ sessions in August. Covered basic tools: syllabus, grade book, discussions, dropbox, import content, email, quizzes, class lists, etc.
- As time allowed: widgets, nav bars, news, pagers, custom profile, elementary design. Experiment.
- 122 faculty. 33% attended training. 65% of those full time faculty. 2 dedicated trainers. Some trainees given stipend to be in the field mentors.
- Online experts: substantial online experience. Mix of full and part time. 27 total. By choice came to earliest sessions.
- Curious Optimists: some online experience. Mix of 2 to longer. 1 to quick.
- Reluctant Participants: Little to no online teaching experience. All full time faculty. 7 total. A few admitted only there because required. Did not attend group training. Made appointments for individual.
- Additional training: extensive list of docs, found apps, etc.
- Survey before and after plus 5 weeks after start of Fall 2012. Emails approx 400 from help. Informal reviews.
- Results: 3 hours was enough but not too much b/c workshop oriented not lecture. Essential for time to play with advisers to help. Instructors worked on own content not sample course. 1:8 trainer to trainee ratio. Participants collaborated. IT person on hand for passwords.
- Multiple methods of training.
- Mentors on hand regularly.
- Perception of readiness: anxious prior. Confident after. Requests for advanced training.
- Group one more competent. Reluctant willing try more positive.
- Allow as much lead time as possible.
- Accept some faculty will never buy into online teaching.
- Suggestion faculty get a course release for first time teaching as so much work to start.
- Was training or new LMS that made faculty happier.
- Fall 2013: 2 hour training. Quick start guide. Start set0up while trainer in the room. Focused workshops for followup training on grade books, quizzes, widgets, intelligent agents (spring).
- Met with professional advisers to focus on needs of online students.
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