Faculty Development Using Virtual Communities of Practice

Russell Pimmel; Ann McKenna; Norman Fortenberry; Brian Yoder; Rocio Chavela Guerra

doi:10.18260/1-2--19608

An extensive series of national reports has described a continuing need for advancement in engineering education by adopting research-based approaches. The short-term, one-shot, face-to-face faculty workshops will not meet this need because they are inherently flawed and not scalable and so a new faculty professional development model is essential for the success of these efforts. This project deals with a critical problem by developing a sustainable, economical,and effective mechanism for helping faculty members understand and implement research-based instruction approaches. The approach builds on the existing face-to-face faculty development models, on the engaging community of practice models, and on the rapidly developing and increasingly accepted web-based social networking and content management tools. The model,referred to as the virtual community of practice (VCP) model, engages communities of 20 to 30 faculty members over two semesters through regularly scheduled Internet-based session as they work collaboratively to develop the knowledge and skills required for using these new instructional approaches and to provide the support and encouragement needed to sustain their implementation efforts. In the first round, the project is focusing on the introductory engineering science courses: electric circuits, mechanics, thermodynamics, digital systems, and chemical processes. Co-leaders for these faculty oriented VCPs are members of another leadership VCP that is operating to prepare and support them as they guide their course area VCPs. The project’s research and evaluation effort is designed to investigate two issues: (1) the involvement and satisfaction of the VCP participants and (2) the relationship between the characteristics of the VCPs and the changes in the participants’ instructional activities. To understand the first issue we are using web metrics of participation and embedded surveys to collect feedback on usefulness of the VCPs. We are collecting and analyzing: meeting agendas,meeting minutes/notes, participant satisfaction surveys, participant/attendee list, and self-report surveys assesses faculty changes towards using research-based instructional approaches. For the second issue, we are collecting qualitative measures that enable more in-depth exploration of the nature of virtual participation, and the potential impact of the VCP on faculty teaching practices. In order to characterize participation in the VCP, and potential impact on faculty teaching practices, we will collect and analyze course syllabi, before and after participation,entries in journal logs that include faculty reflections on defining learning outcomes, and approaches to instruction and assessment, course materials including syllabi, and follow-up interviews with a representative sample of VCP participants.In this study, we are taking a “theory-driven approach” in which we explicate a “theory of change”and investigate how the program contributes to intended or observed outcomes (i.e., what factors support and inhibit faculty changing their instructional activities). The theory of change is based on Rogers’ model for the diffusion on innovations. Rogers’ model includes the five stages: (1)Awareness—Awareness of the innovation, but lacking complete information about it; (2)Interest—Growing interest and information seeking; (3) Evaluation—Decision whether or not totry innovation based on present and future situation; (4) Trial—Making use of the innovation; (5)Adoption—Continued full use of the innovation. The project will start collecting data in the Winter 2013 Semester and will have a complete set of data by the end of that semester.

Faculty Development Using Virtual Communities of Practice

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Details

Metrics