Faculty Perspectives on Online Learning

Faculty Perspectives on Online Learning

Introduction

At the international stage, both teaching and learning methods are changing fast due to factors such as technological advancements and globalization. Currently, learning institutions must develop flexible programs that can accommodate the various needs of the students. Globalization has made it possible for individuals to interact with international economies and societies freely. Thus, it is prudent for learning institutions to accommodate learners from wherever they are beyond the traditional classroom setup. This is primarily done through online learning. The universities and colleges require competent faculty to ensure the success of the distance learning modules. The tutors should be sufficiently equipped to work in a virtual space whereby there is limited interaction with their students. This paper shall critique the article by Ladyshewsky, The Virtual Professor and Online Teaching, Administration, and Research: Issues for Globally Dispersed Business Faculty (2016). The author focuses the study on the experiences of a professor who teaches virtually on a campus that is different from the parent university.

Critique

Ladyshewsky (2016) provides evidence on the experiences and perspectives of the higher education faculty on online learning. The recruitment of virtual staff is mainly dependent on an individual’s ability to interact and use modern technology effectively (Ladyshewsky, 2016). According to the author, the global shortage of tech-savvy faculty personnel has limited the full implementation of online learning programs. A shift to virtual staff would help the universities and colleges to deal with the shortage of residences for permanent employees. In Australia, where the study was taken, a majority of the faculty are aging, and they will retire soon.

Unfortunately, a majority of young talent is seeking to work in a different environment, or they are shying away from the profession altogether (Ladyshewsky, 2016). Thus, the employment of staff to teach in virtual classrooms is an innovative way of ensuring retention of the workforce. As virtual faculty, the young tutors can work in different capacities at different locations at the same time. The author posits that it is essential to employ the virtual staff in full-time positions as opposed to giving them part-time roles. The permanent staff tends to post better performances because they can maintain more robust leaner engagements even when they are not in constant physical. Ladyshewsky (2016) argues that allowing the team to take up virtual roles will make them develop values such as self-discipline, time efficiency, and strong management skills.

The article provides sufficient evidence that shows it is beneficial for a campus to develop online learning programs. Teleworking programs are vital tools that help institutions of higher learning to keep their top talents (Ladyshewsky, 2016). The virtual tutor can teach while participating in other activities of their interest. For instance, the virtual professor who was interviewed during the study indicated that a flexible online teaching plan gave him more time to research in their field of interest. The ability to partake matters on areas of interest provides an individual with a sense of satisfaction that makes them appreciate the nature of the work that they do. Also, the faculty reported that the employment of staff as virtual tutors improved their skills (Ladyshewsky, 2016). To effectively teach online classes, a virtual tutor has to learn how to teach within a paperless environment. Furthermore, they continuously have to be aware of the technological advancements and the impacts on their fields. The adoption of online learning programs also helps an institution to cut down on costs. For instance, the university would not have to maintain a physical office for the virtual tutor.

The author postulates that at least two factors determine the effectiveness of a tutor to handle online learning. First, the success of a virtual faculty member depends on the type of technology that they have at their disposal (Ladyshewsky, 2016). It would be impossible for a professor to supervise distance learning if they are not provided a computer and a microphone. Also, the teaching programs require adequate data backup tools that can facilitate the storage of information relayed during the virtual classes. Secondly, the chain of communication during the online courses is quite vital to ensure the program succeeds. Thus, it crucial to ensure that proper technological infrastructure is put in place to facilitate how the virtual professor could maintain close contact with the administration and the students. The continuous communication between the top leadership of the institution and the virtual faculty makes the tutors feel as though they have the support of the administration. Hence, the faculty perspectives show that physical distance does not limit the effectiveness of the communication done within the different levels of faculty staff. Software such as SKYPE is crucial in ensuring that the teleworking team gets essential information that affects the entire institution.

The challenges highlighted by the author focus mainly on the functionality of technological devices. The author does not provide a case on the effectiveness of the online learning systems on learner development. For instance, the article argues that off-site teaching denied the management the chance to have some particular meetings that are essential for the running of virtual campuses (Ladyshewsky, 2016). The limitation is based on the fact that the software used by the institution under study did not have digital signatures. Also, the author posits that online learning may be crippled when technological infrastructure collapses. A breakdown of the software or hardware would make the online classes to be unachievable. Hence, the program remains vulnerable to external interference, such as hacking, which may result in a complete shutdown. The author argues that the implementation of virtual faculty on a large scale may affect the faculty culture in institutions of higher learning. The on-site staff will feel isolated at the offices, and this will make them opt to work from home (Ladyshewsky, 2016).

However, the article fails to provide sufficient information on the success rates associated with distance learning. Moreover, the report does not give any financial data that is relevant to the implementation of online learning programs. For instance, information on the expenses involved to facilitate the environment within which a virtual tutor operates is crucial to determine the effectiveness of the system. Furthermore, the article fails to explain the challenges that the creation of a virtual faculty poses on the main campus. Although teleworking ensures retention of the top talent tutors, the traditional classroom students miss out on the chance to have physical engagements with their professors. Investment in virtual faculty could result in the sacrifice of the needs of the regular students.

Conclusion

The digital era provides immense opportunities through which distance learning can be implemented effectively. The adoption of online learning modules is a crucial step towards ensuring that education is readily accessible to all persons. To tackle the dynamic needs of the current generation of tutors, the institutions of higher learning need virtual staffs. Faculty perspectives on online education have indicated that the program is quite useful if the necessary technological infrastructure is put in place. Standard curriculum instruction methods such as the use of blackboards can be adopted for use in online classes to ensure the students and the virtual faculty have significant contact during the learning sessions. Also, the adoption of online learning programs enhances the skills of the off-site and on-site tutors due to the constant interaction with technology. Therefore, universities and colleges have to consider the implementation of distance learning to ensure that they satisfy the needs of the students and the tutors.

 

 

References

Ladyshewsky, R. K. (2016). The virtual professor and online teaching, administration and

research: Issues for globally dispersed business faculty. Journal of Distance Education (Online), 31(2), 1.