Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of Online Faculty Training Practices In The Illinois Community College System, Melissa Andrews

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated existing training practices for online faculty and instructors in the Illinois community college system. From 2004 to 2014, higher education showed a 60% increase in online enrollment, with 1.9 million students enrolled nationally in online courses at public two-year institutions. In the state of Illinois, public two-year institutions enrolled 32.9% of all distance education courses . As online learning continues to alter the educational landscape, new issues confront instructors and students. Preparing faculty to teach online is an important component for student success in online programs but professional development for online instructors varies in different universities.

A …

Remodeled Classrooms: Experiential Learning And Its Impact, Mindy Kinnaman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined how faculty learn how to host and facilitate experiential learning activities for their classes and how the faculty are impacted by the work. Findings based upon nine semi-structured interviews indicated that fewer than half of participants had been formally trained to host experiential learning activities and some received no training at all. Findings also indicated that faculty experienced several personal benefits to hosting experiential learning activities, as did their students. Recommendations that emerged from this project include training programs for faculty, mentoring programs, and funding of experiential learning programs.