Perception and preferences of faculty for online learning

Abstract

"Online learning now depends more on the ability of educators and trainers to tutor and support learners online than on the technology itself." Dr. Ian Heywood, 2000 World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition, Birmingham, England. Online learning has been widely accepted as a growth strategy for degree programs since it can also attract working adults by providing convenience and flexibility both in terms of location and scheduling. As in the design of any system, customers' (i.e. students') needs should come first for a successful program implementation. On the other hand, often a secondary or neglected aspect is the needs and p of faculty for teaching online classes. The purpose of this study is to assess the perception of faculty towards online courses compared to the traditional on-campus courses, and to understand their p for different online course delivery techniques. Differences between different disciplines, including Engineering Management, are also investigated. The results of a survey study conducted among faculty are presented here to answer these research questions. The results show that there are variations among disciplines, thus an online learning program needs to be designed to address not only the needs of different types of learners from different disciplines but also p of faculty. We are going to also report some of the initial experiences of a recent Online MS Degree in Engineering Management that was established as a strategic growth initiative at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.