1. Adjunct Instructors in Distance Education
Designing an Effective Digital infrastructure for Best Practices
Stephen Cummings, LISW, ACSW
Julia Kleinshmit, JD, MSW

2. Acknowledgements University of Iowa School of Social Work
University of Iowa Division of Continuing Education

3. Adjunct instructor model
Electives
Focus on specific areas of practice, knowledge base
Core courses
Increasing involvement

4. Adjunct Instructors at UI SSW
Full-time employment or in retirement
Average time spent with the school: Many, several years, but we’re bringing on new folks …

5. University of Iowa School of Social Work: One School, 4 sites
Full or part-time:
Iowa City
Des Moines
3 year cohorts:
Sioux City
Quad Cities

6. Key challenges Adjuncts are serving across all centers
Some adjuncts instruct on a very part-time cycle
Course delivery shifting to a fully-online or hybrid delivery model
Create relationship with staff across time and distance

7. Adjunct Instructor Hub
D2L Platform (Iowa Course Online)
Connects adjuncts across all centers
Emphasis on facilitation of information
Teaching the platform while learning on it
Mentoring
Benefits

8. Also, an orientation to ICON
A little homework for you:
1. Upload your resume into the Dropbox, "Instructor Resumes"
2. Participate in at least one discussion forum. You can choose from:
A. Questions I have about teaching for the School of Social Work, found in the "I've been hired to teach. Now what?" module; and
B. Working with students, found in the "Teaching Tools" module; This forum has two topics:
Things that have worked for me
Looking for ideas for help with ...
3. Take a quiz, "What I learned from this site"
You can access all of the above via the Content page.
Also, an orientation to ICON

9. Welcome Page

10. Distance Ed Director Welcome

11. Content Modules What can I do with my HawkID? Teaching tools
University of Iowa libraries
Especially for…
Sioux City Instructors
Des Moines instructors
Quad Cities instructors
Iowa City instructors
HR Considerations & Resources*
Teaching Communities*
Content Modules
I’ve been hired to teach. Now what?
Key policies and training
Learning how to use dropbox
*still in development

12. What information and supports do you think adjunct instructors need?

13. I’ve been hired to teach? Now what?
Course outlines
How can I use ICON
ACE online (course evaluations)

14. Questions I have about teaching at the School of Social Work

15. Key policies and training
FERPA
Sexual Misconduct
MSW Advancement Policy
Key U of I policy
Undergrad/
Grad handbooks

16. MSW Program Director Narrated Powerpoint Explanation of process
Who to contact

17. Learning to use Dropbox
Explanation of value
Experience: Upload resume

18. What can I do with my HawkID?
Virtual Desktop
Accessing library materials
Lynda.com

19. Teaching tools Classroom technology Rubrics
Working with students: Things that worked for me
Working with students: Looking for ideas to help

20. University of Iowa Libraries & Support

21. Quiz: What I learned from this site

22. Sample Question
The dropbox is handy tool for students. What is the dropbox for?
Students can drop you a message. 
Students can transfer cash to you.
Students can upload assignments here.
Students can drop their class. 

23. Process: Enrolled all adjunct instructors in ICON site
ed instructors asking them to:
Take Qualtrics pre-test
Experience the site, do activities, including quiz
Take Qualtrics post-test

24. What we’re learning so far:
What’s good:
What’s next:
Adjunct instructors are expressing positive feedback on the hub.
Appears as if the hub is starting to address a void that some instructors have identified
Continue to develop programming that goes beyond the hub
Solidify mentoring process that includes support for teaching
Provide possible steps for stronger “buy in” (other leadership opportunities)

25. Please tell us what YOU think 

26. Selected bibilography
Caye, J.S. & Zerden, L. S. (2014). Development of promotion materials for social work non-tenure track faculty: internal and external factors. Journal of Social Work Education, 50:3, DOI:
Durso, M.C. (2011). Reflections from an adjunct: how the scholarship of teaching and learning empowers the part-time instructor. Insight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching. 6,
Fagan-Wilen, R., Springer, D.W., Ambrosino, B., White, B.W. (2006). The support of adjunct faculty: an academic imperative. Social Work Education. 25:1,
Pearlman, C. (2013). Adjuncts in social work programs: good practice or unethical? Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 33:2, DOI: