Melanie Shaw Scott Burrus Meena Clowes A Comparative Typology of Student and Institutional Expectations of Online Faculty Melanie Shaw Scott Burrus Meena Clowes

What we know 5.8 million students enrolled in online courses, which represents a 263% increase in the past 12 years. Of those, 2/3 take online courses at public institutions. 75% of undergraduate students are 25 or older 90% of students believe online learning is as good or better than the traditional classroom experience For the first time in history, student loan debt is higher than credit card debt with the average student owing $35,000 for the class of 2015. Of the students who enrolled in online courses, 2.6 million are enrolled in fully online programs. Four in every five students at public institutions, or 82.5 percent, studied online in their state of residence, while 84.2 percent of students at for-profit institutions had their courses beamed in from a different state. Source: Online Learning Consortium (2016).

Research Questions What are some institutional expectations for online faculty-to-student engagement? What are some student expectations for online faculty-to-student engagement? What differences exist between institutional and student expectations of faculty-to- student engagement?

Comparative Typology Thematic buckets from institutional expectations (15 institutions) Sorted into student expectations (22 students)

Institutional Expectations Substantive Feedback Institutions require faculty to provide detailed feedback on student assignments noting strengths and weaknesses. Institutions require personalized comments provided to each student on all graded course activities. Institutions require faculty to provide comments to students on any rubric criterion not fully met. Institutions want faculty to share opportunities for academic growth based on comments provided to students.

Institutional Expectations Timeliness Institutions require faculty to grade student assignments on stated timelines. Institutions specify frequency requirements for LMS log ins. Institutions specify timelines within which faculty must respond to student inquiries. Institutions require faculty to post grading within specific timeframes after the semester or term ends.

Institutional Expectations Course Expectations Institutions require faculty to post content in the course such as a weekly announcement or faculty biography. Institutions require faculty to interact with students on specific activities such as first week student introductions or weekly discussions. Institutions require faculty to post contact information for students in the course such as a phone number or alternative contact like office hours.

Student Expectations Substantive Feedback Students want instructors to provide consistent feedback on assignments and clearly state what the student did incorrectly. Students do not want ‘canned’ feedback from faculty. Students want the same level of detail in feedback for great papers as they do for ones that need improvement. Students want faculty to minimize feedback on writing and formatting and emphasize feedback on content. Students want faculty to share feedback on their expertise.

Student Expectations Timeliness Students want instructors to follow or exceed institutional expectations for assignment grading. Students want comments on previous work before another assignment is due, so they can make improvements needed.

Student Expectations Course Expectations Students want courses that are relevant, updated, and well-functioning. Students want consistency in course structure so that navigation is predictable. Students want faculty held to the same expectations across courses. Students want helpful answers and guidance from faculty on content in the course.

So Why Do We care? Because Students Want… Consistency (format, expectations of faculty, policy enforcement, etc.) Faculty accessibility (fast grading, quick responses to outreach, engagement, etc.) Ownership of course content down to personalization (ID role? Updates?)

Questions for Discussion What differences are noted in your own institution about faculty expectations and student experiences? Who should matter more? What happens if we follow a student satisfaction model exclusively?

Thank YOU! All images creative commons – Bing Melanie Shaw (mshaw@ncu.edu) Scott Burrus (scott.burrus@phoenix.edu) Meena Clowes (mclowes@ncu.edu)