Converting a face to face course to an online web enhanced format requires an understanding of adult learning theory, principles of effective web based instruction and an understanding of generational differences in students (Chickering and Gamson, 1987; Hoffmann, Dudjak, 2012). Our university, which is a major research intensive university, embarked in 2009 to offer graduate nursing programs both “onsite” and “online.” Over the next several years we expanded our ‘online” program offerings to include two MSN areas of concentration, six different nurse practitioner concentration for DNP completion, two post masters CNS options, health system executive leadership DNP, CRNA and just recently an RN-MSN option program. This growth in online program offerings emphasized the importance of scholarship in teaching and learning (Clinefelter, 2012). Thus in 2017 the School of Nursing created a Center for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CSToL) to improve student learning through scholarly inquiry. The mission of the CSToL aims to improve student learning at all levels, including community learners through scholarly inquiry. This begins by establishing a school-wide baseline of current practices, informing faculty of effective practices documented in the literature, and encouraging self- reflection on teaching approaches.
In order to grasp a better understanding of the faculty needs related to online web enhanced instruction it was imperative to survey all faculty who are currently or will be responsible for developing, and delivering a web enhanced course. According to Elliott, Rhoades, Jackson, Kearney, and Mandernach (2015), flexibility and diversity in faculty development programs is essential in order to accommodate the disparate needs of faculty. They recommend a needs assessment to help guide faculty development and support online teaching.
The following two research questions guided the needs assessment: 1) What are the current online teaching strategies utilized by graduate nursing faculty to deliver online web enhanced courses at the SoN and 2) What are future faculty development needs related to online web-enhanced instruction? A review of the literature related to faculty needs, teaching learning strategies and technology utilized in web enhanced courses was obtained through MedLine, OVID, and Pub Med. Since no specific tool included the breadth and depth of the current faculty needs an investigator developed survey was created. Face validity was obtained from three faculty who have taught web enhanced courses for greater than eight years and two instructional designers at the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning. The instructional designers are directly involved in online web enhanced course development and have extensive research in adult learning theory and teaching strategies. The final survey included four demographic questions and 15 questions related to teaching/learning in a web enhanced format, use of technology, online teaching tools, hybrid instruction methodology, and other aspects of faculty development such as e-advising, online office hours and future faculty development initiatives. The survey was administered via RedCap to 27 PhD or DNP graduate faculty in spring 2017 (Harris, Taylor, Thielke, Payne,Gonzales, & Conde, 2009). This presentation will discuss the results obtained and implications for practice. Analyses of data will inform a white paper to elucidate current practices in online education method currently implemented in the School and establish a roadmap for the future including future faculty development forums, best practices in online instruction and scholarly inquiry.