Taking online teaching_to_task
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This study surveyed online faculty across institutions to validate a list of 95 teaching tasks and examine the frequency, importance, and time commitment of these tasks. Key findings include: 1) The top 5 most frequently reported tasks related to maintaining privacy/records and communicating with students. 2) Tasks rated most important for student learning involved clear expectations, feedback, and responding to students. 3) Many tasks took more time online than face-to-face, especially communication and discussion monitoring. 4) Less experienced faculty rated basic tasks as more important while veterans saw advanced tasks as more impactful. The study aims to further analyze task importance by experience level and needs help identifying missing tasks or surveying additional
Taking online teaching_to_task
- 1. Taking Online Teaching to Task: A Faculty Survey Jurgen Hilke, Frederick Community College Kay Shattuck, Quality Matters Deb Adair, Quality Matters
- 2. An Exploratory Study • Purpose of survey of instructor teaching tasks – Validation of Tasks – Efficacy of QM in collecting and aggregating data across institutions – Impact of QM • Survey instrument developed – Do you do it? For all 95 tasks – Random sample of 10 tasks presented to answer: Is it important? How long does it take? Do you need help with it?
- 3. Methodology • Survey created in QM survey tool • Link distributed to Institution Representatives – Voluntary distribution to online faculty – Voluntary completion by online faculty • Distributed in late August of 2011 • Completed November of 2011 • 1,560 online faculty across 158 QM subscribing colleges and universities
- 4. The 95 Tasks • Where did they come from? • How were they validated? • How do these tasks relate to teaching competencies?
- 5. Teaching Competencies Competency Standard V.2 Online Teaching Activities 44. Monitor participation in discussions in terms of quality and quantity “The instructor 45. Summarize key points in subject matter understands the content importance of 46. Provide constructive suggestions to students modeling time- to complete assignments management 47. Monitor attendance in class in order to follow patterns and up with missing students commitment 48. Provide practical suggestions to students to to the course. “ complete their work on time. 49. Provide feedback on final project and makes it available to students after the class is over
- 6. The Data A preliminary analysis
- 7. Demographics • All faculty at QM subscribing institutions, but we looked at specific experience – 50% had QM Training. Certified reviewer? Experience reviewing courses? Courses reviewed? • Experience w online teaching – years and # and type (online/blended) of courses taught • Institution Role, Teaching Discipline • Institution’s approach to course development – individual or team
- 8. Frequency Report of Faculty Tasks Survey Question “What tasks do you do in teaching online? We are interested in the tasks you do specifically, not those tasks handled by your institution. Please check all that apply from the list below. If there are others tasks you do related to teaching online, please use the other box at the bottom.”
- 9. Top 5 Most Reported Faculty Tasks Which tasks are most frequently reported by online faculty? Maintain privacy of student grades and feedback (#7) 92% Maintain proper record-keeping (#6) 91% Post final grades promptly (#69) 91% Respond to student questions and concerns (#82) 89% Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or activities with regard to both content and deadlines 89% (#34)
- 10. The 5 Least Reported Faculty Tasks Which tasks are least frequently reported by online faculty? Keep synchronous sessions on schedule (#89) 36% Create clear protocols for student peer-to-peer 34% assessment (#65) Arrange for proctored tests, both internal and external 26% (#72) Check updates of anti-virus software (#14) 25% Require students to sign the code of academic honesty 18% (#5)
- 11. Task Importance for Student Learning Survey Question “How Important is the Task for Student Learning?”
- 12. Top 5 ‘Very Important’ to Learning (Scale: Not Important, Somewhat Very Important, important, Very Important) Important Respond to student questions and concerns (#82) 89.9% Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or activities with regard to both content and deadlines 85.3% (#34) Provide performance feedback on a regular basis (#70) 81.3% Define course requirements and expectations (#31) 80.2% Employ appropriate questions, explanations, and 80.1% examples (#57)
- 13. Bottom 5 “Very Important’ to Learning (Scale: Not Important, Somewhat Important, Very Important, Very Important) Important Attend “Best Practice” workshops for teaching online 40.8% (1) Make the course available one week prior for student 40.4% preview (22) Estimate student time requirements for a given 39.7% assignment (32) Check updates of anti-virus software (14) 36.5% Upload and adapt publisher’s test banks and 35.0% materials (37)
- 14. Task Importance for Faculty Survey Question “How important is this task for you as faculty, student learning notwithstanding?”
- 15. Top 5 by importance to faculty Tasks rated by importance to faculty Very (Scale: Not Important, Somewhat Important, Important Important, Very Important) Respond to student questions and concerns (#82) 84.4% Ensure proper functioning of instructor’s computer 80.9% equipment and Internet access (#15) Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or 77.6% activities with regard to both content and deadlines (#34) Create course syllabus (#30) 76.6% Define course requirements and expectations (#31) 75.1%
- 16. Differences for ‘Very Important’ Rank in Importance for Learning Faculty Respond to student questions and concerns 1(90%) 1(84%) Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or activities etc. 2(85%) 3(78%) Provide performance feedback on a regular 3(81%) 7 (74%) basis Define course requirements and expectations 4(80%) 5 (75%) Employ appropriate questions, explanations, 5(80%) and examples Ensure proper functioning of instructor’s 2(81%) computer equipment and Internet access Create course syllabus (#30) 4(77%)
- 17. Task “more or less time’ than F2F Survey Question Scale: Not Applicable, Less Time, About the Same, More Time When teaching online, do you spend more or less more time on the task than in an F2F class?
- 18. Top 5 Reported “More Time” Tasks More Same Contact learner at regular intervals (#94) 53% 32% Monitor participation in discussions for quality 52% 24% and quantity (#44) Test navigation for accessibility and correct any 50% 25% problems (#27) Facilitate the set-up of online student work and/or discussion groups (#33) 49% 27% Ensure that learners receive adequate technical 49% 26% support (#28)
- 19. Top 5 Reported “Less Time” Tasks Less Same Establish a back-up plan in case of instructor’s 16% 57.5% personal emergency situations Block disruptive students from class activity in 14.7% 54% accordance with College policy Arrange for proctored tests, both internal and 12.5% 40.6% external Solicit student feedback on the effectiveness of 12% 43.5% course technology Announce absences to students on what to do 10% 46.4% during absence
- 20. Teaching Online: More Time? Do the 95 tasks (aggregated) take the same or less or more time in online courses compared to F2F courses? Not Applicable Same Time 19% Less Time 28% More Time 5% 48%
- 21. Possible Interpretations • Reports about online teaching more time consuming – Those tasks that take more time online than F2F take MUCH more time – Online instructors do not separate time for design from teaching time when reporting in other studies – The 95 tasks are not inclusive of all tasks involved in online teaching – Comparisons not made for any tasks only performed when teaching - not F2F
- 22. Task “need more support” Survey Question Scale: No More Support, More Support Do you need more support to do this task than you currently receive?
- 23. Top 5 Need “More Support” Tasks No More Troubleshoot technical problems (#18) 83% 17% Attend “Best Practice” workshops for teaching 85% 15% online (1) Upload and adapt publisher’s test banks and 85% 15% materials (#37) Update to reflect new features of the CMS (#17) 87% 13% Make enhancements to course design where 87% 13% necessary (#39)
- 24. Next Steps
- 25. Task Importance by experience (A) <1 yr (8% of respondents) >10 yrs (18.3% of respondents) <1 yr Compare Importance of Task by Years of >10yrs Rank % Online Teaching Experience % Rank higher Top 5 Discrepancies (A) lower 3 35.8% Maintain proper record-keeping (#6) 25.6% 17 4 35.0% Provide clear expectations of assignments 23.8% 34 and/or activities with regard to both content and deadlines (#34) 5 34.1% Define course requirements and 24.9% 25 expectations (#31) 6 34.1% Post final grades promptly (#69) 25.6% 20 9 30.9% Require learners to display appropriate 23.5% 37 communication behavior
- 26. Task Importance by experience (B) <1 yr (8% of respondents) >10 yrs (18.3% of respondents) <1 yr Compare Importance of Task by Years of Online >10yrs Rank % Teaching Experience % Rank lower Top 5 Discrepancies (B) higher 90 7.3% Review past course evaluations to determine if 21.4% 52 enhancements for instructional strategies are required (#75) 80 10.6% Provide feedback on final project and makes it 19.9% 56 available to students after the class is over (#49) 81 10.6% Provide opportunity for learners’ input for 21.7% 48 course improvement (#74) 57 15.4% Confirm online grade book settings are accurate 25.3% 23 for total assessment (#66) 65 14.6% Determine areas in which students need to 22.8% 39 improve and notify students
- 27. Where we need your help • What other tasks are we missing? • Surveying your faculty
Editor's Notes
- #3: 95 tasks in instructor teaching – excludes tasks for course design
- #6: 95 tasks
- #10: Most Frequent Top 11-20:80: Address learner by by name 88%30: Create course syllabus 87%2: Require learners to display appropriate communication behavior 86%50:Communication learning goals and objectives 86%93: Post regular announcement 86%31: Define course requirements and expectations 85%78: Provide a welcoming introduction to develop a personal presence 85%51: Encourage learner interaction and participation 83%35: Refer learners to other relevant resources 82%46: Provide constructive suggestions to students to complete assignments 81%68: Update the online grade book promptly after assignment due dates 81%38: Provide the opportunity for learners to introduce themselves to their peers 80%57: Employ appropriate questions, explanations, and examples 80%66: Confirm online grade book settings are accurate for total assessment 80%
- #11: Attend “Best Practice” workshops for teaching online (#1) 45%Establish a back-up plan for instructor’s personal emergencies (#8) 43%Guide learners in using self-evaluation to improve performance (#71) 41%Block disruptive students from class activity in accordance with College policy (#3) 38%Establish a back-up plan in case of technical/software failure (#19) 38%Least Frequent 11-20:26: Assist students with login/access difficulties 50%24: Announce information related to interruptions of access to servers delivering course materials in advance (when possible) or after (when necessary) 49%25: Model competency with course management system delivery tools and uses tools appropriately 49%28: Ensure that learners receive adequate technical support and assistance 49%76: Send out course evaluation and encourage students to complete the form 49%87: Announce absences to students on what to do during absence 49%20: Ensure that learners are able to effectively use the system and the software 48%22: Make the course available at least one week prior for student previewing 48%18: Troubleshoot technical problems 46%37: Upload and adapt publisher’s test banks and materials 46%
- #13: Not important:Create course syllabus (#30)74.9%Ensure that learners are able to use system and software (#20)74.3%Monitor learner’s level of understanding (#52) 74.1%Maintain privacy of student grades and feedback (#7)72.6%Encourage learner interaction and participation (#51)72.0%
- #14: Not important:Send out course evaluation and encourage students to complete the form (76)43.3%Collect and process results from student evaluations (12)42.9%Provide the opportunity for learners to introduce themselves (38)42.4%Announce to students on what to do during absence (87)42.0%Update course to reflect new features of the CMS (17)40.9%
- #16: Maintain privacy of student grades and feedback (#7)74.1% Provide performance feedback on a regular basis (#70)73.5%Employ appropriate questions, explanations, and examples (#57)73.2% Require students to sign the code of academic honesty (#5)72.8%Ensure professional knowledge is up on current learning theory (#56)70.7%
- #19: Respond to student questions and concerns (#82) 49% 33%Ensure that learners are able to effectively use the system and the software (#20) 46% 31%Troubleshoot technical problems (#18) 46% 27%Check all text and media for proper display (#13) 45% 30%Assist students with login/access difficulties (#26) 45% 30%Bottom 10 of “More Time” reportedEnsure professional knowledge is up to date with current learning theory (56) 10.70%Send out course evaluation and encourage students to complete the form (76) 10.20%Provide appropriate accommodations for Students with Disabilities (10) 10.10%Review past course evaluations to determine if enhancements for instructional strategies are required (75) 9.50%Announce absences to students on what to do during absence (87) 9.30%Attend to issues of cultural diversity and individual differences of the learners (60) 8.90%Post final grades promptly (69) 8.80%Require students to sign the code of academic honesty (5) 8.50%Establish a back-up plan in case of instructor’s personal emergency situations (8) 8.00%Distribute disability accommodation information (11) 2.90%Top ten more time on task94 12.40% 2.60% 32.00% 53.00%44 18.20% 6.50% 23.80% 51.60%27 21.30% 4.30% 24.80% 49.60%33 18.50% 5.10% 27.30% 49.20%28 17.30% 7.50% 26.20% 49.10%82 14.70% 3.40% 33.40% 48.50%20 19.20% 3.40% 30.80% 46.60%18 21.10% 6.50% 26.60% 45.70%13 17.00% 7.90% 29.90% 45.30%25 18.80% 2.60% 34.00% 44.50%
- #20: Send out course evaluation and encourage students to complete the formEnsure testing securityAddress learner by nameProvide the opportunity for learners to introduce themselves to their peersMaintain appropriate levels of instructor participation in discussions8 18.50% 16.00%3 20.20% 14.70%72 16.70% 12.50%23 15.80% 12.00%87 18.10% 11.30%76 16.70% 10.70%62 16.70% 10.60%80 17.90% 10.10%38 15.00% 10.00%83 19.30% 9.20%
- #21: The method of averaging percentages is not legitimate for statistical purposes, however, for practical purposes results of this computation allow to contradict the anecdotal consensus that teaching an online course is more time consuming than teaching an on-campus course.Draft translation of what respondents are saying:47.6% of respondents say that the aggregated 95 tasks take the same time as in F2F courses27.6% of respondents say that the aggregated 95 tasks take more time compared to F2F courses5.4% of respondents say that the aggregated 95 tasks take less time than in F2F courses.19.4% of respondents say that the aggregated 95 tasks cannot be used to compare online to F2F courses (they may not teach F2F courses or may not engage in certain tasks for F2F courses)
- #24: Ensure that learners can effectively use system and software (#20)88%12%Ensure professional knowledge is up to date with current learning theory (#56)88%12%Test course for accessibility and correct problems (#27)88% 12%Ensure that learners receive adequate technical support (#28)89% 11%Select appropriate delivery media and tools (#16)89% 11%
- #28: 0 online courses taught 1596Define course requirements and expectations 41Maintain privacy of student grades and feedback 39Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or activities with regard to both content and deadlines 37Create course syllabus 36Maintain proper record-keeping 34Require learners to display appropriate communication behavior 29Post regular announcements 29Observe copyright restrictions and alert students to fair use practices 27Encourage learner interaction and participation 27 50+ online courses taughtMaintain privacy of student grades and feedback35Respond to student questions and concerns 39Create course syllabus 34Post final grades promptly 25 79 50 28 32 33 83 56 54 28Address learner by name 27 52 42 32 34 30 74 71 64 32Post regular announcements 29 60 37 40 26 26 74 59 61 38Maintain proper record-keeping 34 63 50 42 18 28 68 67 52 27Monitors discussions for respectfulness based on netiquette standards and College behavior policies 14 59 38 33 30 25 77 70 55 42Provide clear expectations of assignments and/or activities with regard to both content and deadlines 37 54 50 31 30 33 52 66 58 30Define course requirements and expectations 41 64 49 31 25 30 65 57 43 34