Issues and Strategies for Faculty Development Michelle Robinson DMD, MA Director of Informatics...

Issues and Strategies for Faculty Development

Michelle Robinson DMD, MA

Director of Informatics

Marquette University School of Dentistry

Reasons for Developing Faculty

Technology relies of faculty to use itFaculty more difficult to manage than technologyFaculty can provide insights on improving or developing new technologiesFaculty can provide opportunities for research

Barriers to Incorporation of Technology and InformaticsGeoghegan’s diffusion of innovation and technology transfer

Faculty motivation and attitudes

Psychosocial model of faculty development

Environmental challenges

Geoghegan’s Diffusion of Innovation and Technology

Transfer

Barriers

15% “Innovators” and “early adopters”

70% “mainstream” : most traditional faculty fit hereEarly and Late majority

15% “non-adopters”

Faculty Motivation and Attitudes

Barriers

“Motivating faculty to learn new teaching methods is difficult regardless of technology” (Rebaza, 1998)

GWU study1998 Top 5 motivatorsMonetary compensation, development of

new ideas, intellectual challenge, personal fulfillment, job satisfaction

Faculty want career advancement opportunities and adequate support

75% feel no pressure to use technology

Psychosocial Model of Faculty Development

Barriers

Paradoxical Disjunction Model: Faculty are more concerned with psychosocial factors than with new technologies to support teaching (Cravener 1999) Personal affective issues (WIIFM) Rewards and incentives Just-in-time training (convenience

learning)

Environmental Challenges

Barriers

• Proper planning and coordination of efforts

• Faculty and student support• Access• Marketing, where applicable• Evaluation techniques• Protocols for use or Standards,

where applicable

Recommendations for Overcoming Barriers

• Get buy-in: give deans an overview of technology and how to get involved

• Establish policies to guide expectations• Establish an office to act as a

clearinghouse for information, projects, etc.

• Address factors of concern• Implement a faculty development

program

A Faculty Development Program can address most factors of concern, provide training and support, and

measure impact of training

Models of Faculty Training and Development

Design of a faculty development program

Design of a training module

Alternative to traditional teaching and learning and/or media resource center

U. Delaware Faculty Institute on Teaching, Learning, &

TechnologySuccessful week-long faculty development program

1. Needs assessment survey2. Planning team (4 faculty from different

schools in the university)• Discuss survey results• Brainstorm ideas• Design program

Needs Assessments• Areas to cover

• Demographics• Skill sets and experience levels• Vision• Motivation/interest• Linking technology tools with teaching• Plausible approaches• Support mechanisms (financial, administrative,

technical)• Incentives• Evaluation mechanisms

Rate the following (1=most needed, 5=least needed)

training sessions that would enhance your teaching ability

PowerPointScanning and working with imagesBringing coursework to the web

with the Course Management System

Rate the following (1=most likely, 5=least likely) training

sessions that you would attendPowerPoint

Scanning and working with imagesBringing coursework to the web

with the Course Management System

Are you kidding! Who has time for training?

Models of Faculty Training and Development

Design of a faculty development program

Design of a training module

Alternative to traditional teaching and learning and/or media resource center

Anatomy of a Faculty Development Program

• Title• Focus• Participants• Time • Content: workshops,

demos, general sessions/presentations

• Location• Faculty involvement• Fees• Registration• Program evaluation• Faculty

Development web site

Models of Faculty Training and Development

Design of a faculty development program

Design of a training module

Alternative to traditional teaching and learning and/or media resource center

Anatomy of a Training Module1. Choose software platforms and establish

technical and administrative support systems2. Target audience and length of time3. Experienced trainer (familiar with adult education

and not just technology)4. Content (example = software training)5. Topics (what elements of the content item will

you cover?)6. Sample cases7. Personal consultation8. Supervised start-up

Models of Faculty Training and Development

Design of a faculty development program

Design of a training module

Alternative to traditional teaching and learning and/or media resource center

Alternative Models

Use teaching, learning, and technology centers to create “web-centric” developmentOnline guides, tips, tricksConvenience training with online

instructional tools

Alternative Models

Train the trainerSan Diego pilot program using “team

approach”Faculty with solid skill set receive

training with grad student assistantsThese faculty then mentor 2

additional faculty• These faculty then bring 2

additional faculty to training

Rewards and Incentives for Working with Technology

Definition of rewards for working with technology (Syllabus 2001)

Raises, promotion (not tenure), bonuses, travel, research stipends, office/lab space, lab equipment, decreased teaching load, support for the teaching environment

Incorporating Technology into Tenure Requirements

ScholarshipPublication in online journalsConference presentationsDevelopment of application software

TeachingOnline courses or web pagesUse of course or discipline-specific software

ServiceTechnical assistance to colleaguesCommunity workshopsService on technology-oriented committees

Compensation ModelsISP costsCampus service unitsSoftwareOverload payRelease timeTA/student workersMake funds available for:TravelConference feesDiscretionary account for faculty to use (NQA)

Assessment of Faculty – Competencies

Competency areasBasic technology: OS, word proc.,

email, webPedagogic: planning, presenting

content knowledge, evaluation

Guideline matrixDefine competency by person and

action

Competency Clinical Faculty

Administrator Non-clinical faculty

__ a basic understand-ing of imaging modalities

Demonstrate Promote and support

Develop

Assessment of Faculty – Behavioral Anchors

Competency

Technological knowledge

Behavioral anchors WebCT or

BlackBoard Interactive

videoconferencing Computer

hardware/software, Communication tools

Link competencies to behavioral anchors to authenticate learning

Thank You

michelle.robinson@marquette.edu