Creating a Dynamic Community for Online Instructors Michelle Kosalka

Session Goals Best Practices in Community-Building Faculty-Guided Process Model Outline Leave with Ideas Start Your Plan!

Interactive Community-Building Why are YOU here? Why am I here?

Your Reasons and Motivations

Why am I here? Many of the same questions and concerns: Cost-effective program Innovation Engaging Instructors Community-building Incentive to learn more To model and share my experience building an effective community hub To showcase unique needs and desires of online instructors

And, because... What we just did together -- community- building group interaction -- online instructors cannot do in the same way. “Normal” Exchange Model Eye Contact Nonverbal Cues Seeing and Listening

Community Organizing Approach People will support that which they help to build.

Look Closely At Your Current Structure Interactive Process- Oriented Group- Oriented Is your structure too top-down? Educators are trained to be collaborators—tap into that core desire. Educators Are:

Model For Success 1.Identify administrative needs 2.Identify faculty needs 3.Identify IT needs 4.Design a space 5.Continually revise/re-envision

What are your administrative needs? Specific requirements for faculty professional development? Forms and templates that must be followed? Rules/regulations for information? Documentation and privacy concerns? Oversight and Building/Design? Specific requirements for faculty professional development? Forms and templates that must be followed? Rules/regulations for information? Documentation and privacy concerns? Oversight and Building/Design?

Identify Faculty Needs Surveys Feedback Forums 1:1 Discussions Key Players What will Guarantee Buy-in?

Surveys and Feedback Forums What’s going well? What’s not going well? What should we do differently? How would you like to see things change? What can we do together to make a difference? What strengths can you contribute to our efforts? Targeted Questions Specific Needs Collaboration Sessions

The Personal Touch One-on-one follow up to surveys or feedback forums Get each faculty member’s “Top 3 List”

Identify Key Players

Key Players Go-to Crew Who do you call on when it matters most? Passion Who loves what they do, and it shows? Well- respected Who do you trust?

Identify Tech Needs Where will info be housed? Who will build the space? What options do we have, at what cost? Are there security concerns? Do we have data size limitations?

YOUR OUTLINE: TIME FOR REFLECTION Take a moment now to write down your own notes/ideas on the outline form provided to you during the session.

How Did We Do It? Faculty Notes Faculty Input “Something is missing” “I feel lonely, disconnected” “Communication is poor” “I only hear from someone when something is wrong or needed” “Something is missing” “I feel lonely, disconnected” “Communication is poor” “I only hear from someone when something is wrong or needed” Easy access, easy use One-stop-shop Interactive, Collaborative Communication center Safe space “Playground” for ideas and use of new tech Focus on online teaching Easy access, easy use One-stop-shop Interactive, Collaborative Communication center Safe space “Playground” for ideas and use of new tech Focus on online teaching

How Did We Do It? Admin Questions What is the easiest way to build what faculty need? What is most cost- effective? What do we want faculty to gain? What do we need from this space, too? Admin Input Use resources already available Centralize communication Enable team-building Empower individuals Mentoring and Strategic Skills growth Document housing Information sharing Use resources already available Centralize communication Enable team-building Empower individuals Mentoring and Strategic Skills growth Document housing Information sharing

Implementation

Decisions… Blackboard 9.1 course shell Communication Announcements cut down on Forms housed in one place Discussion Board safe space for faculty sharing Professional Development Resource Sharing (links, training, articles) New Tech Playground to test in course shell, troubleshoot

Designing The Hub

The EN Faculty Hub Course Menu Links created for each area of the course Access to need-to-know information in one spot Course and Training Info Personal Professional Development Documentation Housing Collaboration Centers Space to experiment!

Announcements Immediate Attention in Red (deadlines) Less Immediate in Green Professional Development in Blue

Important Info

Faculty Lounge Ongoing discussion board area Houses variety of topics: Get-to-Know-You What We’re Reading Trending Now Professional Development Course-Specific Ideas Feedback on Processes Re-Visioning Course Design Meet-And-Greet What we’re reading Current Research Bios Professional Development Training Online-Specific Methodology Workshop Opportunities Feedback on Processes Re-Visioning Course Design and Teaching Methodology University Communication

Sharing Space Articles, links, resources Collaborative sharing Folder structure to house info

Wiki and Blog Central, Playground Experimental Area Encourages innovation Provides safe space to attempt using new tech Empowers those who are wary to try things out Collaborative evaluation of tool’s usefulness in classroom

Questions? Feedback?

Dynamic Discussion Opportunities Wiki Michelle