Designing and sustaining collaborative learning is best understood as a process—an iterative approach to generative lifelong learning. Current literature has underemphasized several fundamental skills required for aligning teaching practices in the online environment with innovative strategies (Zhang & Ciu, 2018; Volkert & Johnston, 2018). An important skill that has been assumed in the literature involves that strategies used in the brick and mortar setting are appropriate for the online learning setting (Breen, 2015; Dixon, 2010). Faculty engagement in mutual collaborative learning has been misconstrued as simple and straightforward. Further, many attempts to promote faculty engagement as foundational to collaborative learning have failed due to the lack of a workable, defined approach to online learning that includes a concise strategy that differentiates the role of faculty in the learning process (Robinson & Volkert, 2018; Volkert & Johnston, 2018). Despite the challenging nature of collaborative learning in the online learning, the skill of engagement must be cultivated in educators teaching across online settings (Zhang & Ciu, 2018; Volkert & Johnston, 2018). Just as the ability to develop collaborative lifelong learning must be cultivated, so must one’s ability to distill the salient points of engagement (Hartwell, 2017). Knowledge and skills to appraise faculty engagement through the appropriate lens is critical in a collaborative learning setting (Lundberg & Sheriden, 2015).
Methods: In this innovative project, faculty in a large DNP Online Program experienced engagement with faculty colleagues and students through the development of Let's Check In, while knowledge and skills specific to course outcomes were met against set criteria used in the brick and mortar model.
Results: An unintended yet positive consequence in this project, was enhancement of faculty continuity in messaging and communication to students, enhanced cohesion developed among the faculty team, and aided in professional development of the faculty.
Conclusion: Insights were gleaned from the project and led us to develop some representative strategies for enabling faculty to overcome the perceived impasse that the task of engagement in the online environment presents.The implementation of Let's Check In led to increased faculty engagement and cohesiveness across course cohorts.