Faculty Development for E-Learning: A Multi-Campus Community of Practice (COP) Approach

Authors

  • Janet Reilly University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
  • Christine Vandenhouten University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
  • Susan Gallagher-Lepak University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
  • Penny Ralston-Berg Penn State World Campus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v16i2.249

Keywords:

Faculty development, e-learning, online teaching, community of practice

Abstract

Faculty development is a critical process, enabling instructors to remain abreast of new discipline specific content and innovations in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The explosion of online higher education and unbounded advances in technology provide examples and rationale for why faculty development for e-learning is needed. Literature on faculty development and e-learning is reviewed and a multi-campus faculty development program using distance technology and a community of practice model for nursing educators will be described. Successful strategies, barriers and an evaluation of the multi-campus faculty development model experience will be presented in a format that allows for replication across disciplines.

Author Biographies

Janet Reilly, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Janet Reilly, DNP, APRN-BC, is an Assistant Professor in the Professional Program in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, and has taught online courses for eight years. With a focus on innovative technologies in nursing education (specifically e-learning) and nursing practice, she coordinated a year of multi-campus faculty development and the culminating conference: E-Learning in Nursing: Design, Innovation, Delivery, and Evaluation. She holds and M.S.N. degree is from Concordia University, Wisconsin and a D.N.P. degree is from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Christine Vandenhouten, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Christine Vandenhouten, PhD, RN, APHN-BC, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay. She has facilitated the assessment and evaluation committee at two colleges and is sought out for her expertise in program evaluation.

Susan Gallagher-Lepak, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Susan Gallagher-Lepak, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Professional Program in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. She teaches online courses and publishes on innovation and pedagogy in online teaching.

Penny Ralston-Berg, Penn State World Campus

Penny Ralston-Berg, MS, has designed online courses since 1997. She is currently an instructional designer for the Penn State World Campus and telecommutes from her home in Menomonie, WI. Her research interests include student perspectives of quality and how this impacts the design practice. She has also served on conference planning committees, the UCEA Research Committee and is currently a member of the Quality Matters Academic Advisory Council.

Published

2012-03-31

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Faculty Issues

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