This article focuses on the development and implementation of training and support for faculty creating online courses at Mississippi State University (MSU). The ever-changing online environment can both challenge and motivate educators to discover and present via new methods of delivery. MSU supports the use of WebCT as its course management system and strives to create and provide training and support to faculty as they implement it on campus.
Background
Creating and teaching a course in an online environment can be a challenge for new faculty members, as well as seasoned veterans. The development and use of distance education technologies by colleges and universities has created conditions that require faculty to adapt to new methods of teaching and communicating with their students. Special means must be devised for assigning, guiding, and evaluating students’ work. An online course requires not only that faculty learn how to use new technologies, it also requires a paradigm shift in how materials are presented and retention evaluated (Dillon & Walsh, 1992). To accommodate this increasing implementation of online instruction, Mississippi State University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) researches and develops training materials, conducts workshops, and provides designated open lab times for faculty to set up their courses with staffed instructional technology support hours. This creation of materials and support opportunities was developed largely from feedback received from workshop participant evaluations and a campus-wide technology needs assessment.
Meeting the Needs of Faculty
The workshops ITS developed were designed to show faculty how to integrate and implement the technology and corresponding applications into their instruction. ITS offers software application workshops that are designed around a general theme incorporating common campus locations and icons. This theme was derived after information from an existing course was used and participants expressed concern that they were not able to relate to the exercises because they were not familiar with the topic. Thereafter, the workshops incorporated a common format around a general working theme: MSU 101. This theme centers on elements on campus that all participants can relate to, such as Perry Cafeteria, the Chapel of Memories, and the history of the University. Some workshops provide instruction on various software applications, which include Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Access, and Excel; Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, and Illustrator; and Macromedia Dreamweaver and Flash. Some workshop exercises include a PowerPoint presentation on the history of MSU and a Web site about Perry Cafeteria created in Dreamweaver. The MSU 101 common theme allows the participants to not only learn the applications, but through exercises and demonstrations, participants also learn how the software can be utilized in their classroom or course instruction. An effective design and delivery of online instruction depends heavily on competent and committed faculty (Beaudoin, 1990). With the increasing importance of creating online courses, colleges and universities are obligated to reduce existing barriers to faculty participation in online course creation and instruction which include providing support services that will ensure student access to a high-quality online experience (Katz, 1999; Olcott & Wright, 1995). The current needs and developing needs of faculty are determined, in large part, through workshop evaluations and personal contact with faculty by ITS consultants.
The workshop evaluation process began in 1998 with a paper evaluation and, in 1999, was changed to an online evaluation. The participants evaluated each coded workshop with Likert scale questions and were encouraged to submit comments relating to how and if the instruction met their needs. Monthly evaluation summaries were compiled and reviewed to assess the effectiveness of the workshops and instructors. The university’s chief information officer and the Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) charged ITS with developing the needs assessment. In the spring of 2001, ITS conducted a university-wide technology needs assessment. In addition to the assessment, the Course Management Task Force, who reported to the CIO, researched and evaluated existing course management systems and made the recommendation that MSU adopt and fully support WebCT. Prior to this recommendation, ITS supported several different CMSs. From the data and the workshop evaluation summaries, ITS began developing specific workshops for training and supporting faculty in the creation of online and hybrid courses in the WebCT environment. Comments extracted from online evaluations from the initial Introduction to WebCT workshops indicated that more types of WebCT workshops were needed. Some of these comments were, “I need additional follow up,” “Need more advanced WebCT,” and “Need help and assistance one on one.” From evaluation comments, as well as personal contact, workshops labeled “WebCT Specialty Areas” were developed and presented in the same format as the existing workshops. The six specialty areas included assessment, communication tools, preparing documents, Web graphics, content modules, and grade management, all designed for the WebCT environment. These workshops center on the functions and uses of the previously mentioned specific WebCT tools. In 2002, 21 workshops devoted to the development of WebCT courses were conducted. In addition, ITS offered 3 days in the instructional lab devoted to WebCT called “Jump-Start.” JumpStart provided faculty with an opportunity to set up and/or fine-tune their courses for the fall semester. Open lab times offered a come-and-go format, making attendance convenient for any schedule. ITS consultants were in the lab to offer any needed assistance. Over the 3-day period, there were 21 attendees, with the average attendee staying for 40 minutes. The total contact time was 14 hours. In addition, ITS has all workshop handouts and the accompanying files available for download and printing. These downloadable materials are used by faculty as a course refresher, as reference material, or as a preview to determine if the workshop fits their needs. In addition to the workshop schedule, ITS also provides Instructional Technology Support, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This support service is staffed by two graduate assistants answering questions via telephone, e-mail, walk-ins, and appointments. Faculty are able to call or sit down with someone and have questions answered and problems solved. Support ranges from help with PowerPoint presentations to setting up chat rooms in WebCT. This personalized approach is just another way ITS offers assistance to MSU faculty.
In the ever-changing online university teaching environment, the technology is not the most important factor to consider; ongoing faculty support is the key to obtaining and maintaining rich online course offerings. Colleges and universities must not only provide training, but, more importantly, work to develop an organizational atmosphere that encourages and supports faculty growth and development (Dillon & Walsh, 1992). Through the workshops and support offered through ITS, Mississippi State University hopes to play a major role in creating that atmosphere for faculty.
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