The Future of Online Education: Faculty and Student Success in

the Virtual Learning Community JOHN W. DISTLER, DPA, MBA, MS, FNP-C,

FAANP

OverviewVisionTeaching PhilosophyOnline FacilitationOnline Learning CommunitiesVirtual ClassroomFaculty transition to onlineFaculty development and mentoring researchPBL f2f researchInitial goals

VISIONCommitment to:

Teaching excellence (f2f, hybrid, fully online)Student successLife long learningCollaborative approachStudent-centered teaching strategiesAdult & Experiential LearningLearning communities

Teaching Philosophy

Experiential Learning Theory (Rogers)Adult Learning Theory (Knowles)PBLEmpowered LearnerFacilitation vs. ExpertLecture/TestCollaborative InnovationClear differences in styles between f2f,

hybrid and fully online

Knowledge STUDENTTEACHER

Clinical

Didactic• Formal testing

Evaluation

TEXTBOOKS

TRADITIONAL METHODS

LEARNER-CENTERED

KnowledgeFACILITATOR LEARNER

Evaluation

Clinical

Didactic• Strategy matches feedback tool

FEEDBACK

Current Evidence

Reflective & Formative

Online Facilitation PhilosophyMore flexibility Student engagementParticipation Handling disagreement and ConflictSelf-motivated and self-disciplinedMany courses still faculty driven as with f2fMove to online not because it is easier but

move to online because it is more effective

Online Facilitation PhilosophyE- portfolios – build upon past work as they

move from novice to expertCollaborative faculty organizationFocus on lifelong learningThink globallyEffective, timely feedback

Online Communities

Social PresenceActive creation of knowledge, meaning and

applicationCollaborative ActivitiesReflection opportunitiesResource sharingStudents become expert learners and begin

to work on being an “expert” in their chosen area

Successful

Learning

ONLINE COMMUNITIES

(Shared values and identities)

Social Presence

Identities of Participants

Belonging to the group

Social aspect of learning

MUTUAL EXPLORATION OF IDEAS

Virtual Community

Learning occurs through the interaction of students and facilitators as they work together to problem solve using both primary and secondary prevention interventions

Available Chat areas set up by students – can be asynchronous and synchronous (student unions, virtual chat, resource centers)

Students are introduced to an online community

Move from DQs to problem solving in the “real world”

Transitioning Online Courses

Curriculum

Hybrid

f2fOnline

Transitioning Online CoursesTarget Population & ProgramsHybrid vs. Fully OnlineTechnical SupportInfrastructureCMS. Important, yet, how course is developed &

placed online, facilitated, evaluated and updated is even more crucial

Use of current technologies and expand their useEmbedded video, audio ViddlerLinks to articles via library or facilitators own

library

Faculty transition to onlineFaculty have student experience firstEstablishing an Online presenceMaking it RealHighly interactive courses (Set DQs are not

always the best approach)Faculty TrainingStudent training and support

Course Management Systems

BlackboardWebCTeCollegeScholar360Frontier PlatformOLATILIASANGELMoodle

Building BlocksWimba Live

ClassroomWimba Voice ToolsLearning ObjectsWaypointWebexGo to meeting

wcet’s edutools - http://www.edutools.info/static.jsp?pj=4&page=HOME

Faculty Development and MentoringEmpowers learnersIncreases student to student interactionCreates effective learning communityCo-creates meaning and knowledgeUses reflectionImproves self-directionReinforces presence

FACULTY ROLE & FUNCTION

Outcomes

Social

Managerial

Pedagogical

Technical

(Collins & Berge, 1996)

FACULTY ROLE & FUNCTION

Cognitive

TeachingSocial

(Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000)

PRESENCE

FACULTY ROLE & FUNCTION

People

Purpose

Process

(Palloff & Pratt, 2007)

FACULTY EVALUATIONTraditional Online Virtual communityOnline 5 of 7 daysResponds to students

questions in 24 hoursResponds to each

student’s initial postHas a minimum of 18%

of total postsPosts grades to grade

book by day 3 of the following online week

Establishes social presenceProjects self as a “real”

personEstablished an open line of

communicationNegotiated and maintains

personal boundariesHandles crisis professionallyKept learning community

centeredEffective use of group

dynamics

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING USING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING IN

TEACHING ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT

RATIONALEClinical Competence in the 21st centuryPreceptor readinessStudent satisfaction and preparednessFaculty satisfaction Positive patient outcomesTraditional methods deemed ineffectiveGoing from complete PE to episodic

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNINGDefinition- Curriculum organized around

problems relevant to desired learning outcomes – not by topics

Small group work, self-directed learner, independent study, functional knowledge, CT, life-long learning and self-evolution

Rideout, E. (2001). Transforming nursing education through problem based learning.

Survey Results (n=25)91%- More information seeking82%- More classroom flexibility56%- Improved creativity55%- Resulted in less work55% - Developed CT skills52% - Improved Knowledge RetentionMost not sure if it better prepared them

for first clinical encounter

Results: Student CommentsDifficulty in understanding content that

was “important to know” and studySeemed unorganizedWanted more test questionsThose with more clinical experience had

better outcomesPBL helped me remember information

better

Results: Student CommentsTook some getting used to – did not have

this beforeShould be used in the last semester onlyResulted in an exchange of information

among faculty and studentsUse more small group work – large groups

did not seem to work well.

Recommendations for SuccessDON’T:

Assume that PBL works for everyone and every situation

Assume new faculty are capable of implementing PBL in the classroom – they will need mentoring

Do not give up – it gets better over time

Recommendations for SuccessDO: Prepare students for the change

Start with a hybrid mix of classesUse more short-answer quizzes to assess

knowledge to ensure student’s they are being “tested”

Offer guidance at each class along with research into PBL effectiveness. Incorporate EBP at the same time

Arrange hands-on clinical experience to fit learning needs if possible

Keep going! PBL is difficult in the beginning

Resources & ReferencesSloane Consortium (Sloane-c.org)Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online

learning communities. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco

Journal of Internet CommerceQuarterly Review of Distance EducationTeaching in Higher EducationInnovative Higher EducationThe American Journal of Distance Education

Resources & ReferencesEDUCAUSE (educause.edu)Secondlife (secondlife.com)International Society for Technology in

Education (iste.org)