Context This research study was conducted at a campus college of a large Research I institution of higher education in central Pennsylvania. The purposeful sample included six full-time and one adjunct faculty, teaching a mix of undergraduate and graduate courses in education, engineering, and public affairs. All had a desire to move toward online teaching by preparing a course for hybrid delivery during the fall semester of 2009. Questions The purpose of this action research study was to explore how faculty learn to teach online and how that may influence their face-to-face teaching. The research questions were: 1.Which aspects of the professional development activities do faculty perceive as being most effective in helping them to reflect on and question their previously held assumptions and beliefs about teaching? 2. Do faculty experience changes in their previously held assumptions and beliefs about teaching as a result of learning to teach online and, if so, how does transformative learning explain the changes? 3. What impact does learning to teach online have on face-to-face teaching practices? Methods This study used a qualitative action research methodology. The questions addressed by this study required a research paradigm and methodology that tried to understand faculty as unique individuals with a variety of assumptions, beliefs, and lived experiences that have informed how they teach. Action research consists of a cyclical process of planning, acting and observing, reflecting. Planning The first phase of planning, which involves problem identification, was completed through a literature review, my own previous research, and dialogue with faculty who considered changes to their face-to-face teaching after teaching online. The second step of the planning phase defined the details of the action research project including intervention strategies, when and how to begin, and how to involve the participants. These details were determined through a review of multiple faculty professional development programs to teach online, by incorporating the essential attributes needed in a faculty professional development program that is framed within adult education, and by integrating intervention strategies that could facilitate transformative learning. These strategies included individual pre- and post-interviews, journal writing and classroom observations. The major portion of this project was implemented in 2009 during a six-week summer session and concluded close to the end of the fall semester. The project began with individual interviews in which the faculty shared their needs, concerns, and personal goals for the program. They were given readings related to online teaching, and access to an online reflection journal and encouraged to complete the readings and post their first journal entry prior to our first face-to-face group meeting. In the third step of the planning phase, decisions were made regarding evaluation measures, length of study, and how the action and change would be observed and documented (Kuhne & Quigley, 1997). Faculty completed an evaluation after their group face-to-face session. They were also given periodic writing prompts for their personal reflection journals that allowed them to share their learning and ask questions throughout the program. Acting and Observing During this phase, the action was implemented and data was collected. The pre-interviews, which were recorded and transcribed, lasted between thirty and sixty minutes. The questions were meant to bring awareness to the assumptions and beliefs upon which their teaching practices are based. Post-interviews were conducted at the conclusion of the faculty professional development program to document changes in their assumptions and beliefs from the pre-interviews. Reflecting In the third phase of the action research project, results are evaluated and outcomes reflected upon. The data are analyzed for patterns and insights (Kincheloe, 2003). In this study, each data collection and evaluation period provided an opportunity to determine whether faculty had an opportunity to reflect on their previously held assumptions and beliefs about teaching. If little or no reflection occurred, a new cycle of action research with a different activity or approach was planned. Alternately, when reflection did occur, then repeating the activity was considered in the next cycle of research. Three cycles of action research were completed so new action could lead to new reflection, which led to more action, and so on. Each cycle provided more learning about the problem and interventions. Preliminary Results and Conclusions Data analysis is ongoing, but will be completed by the conference. Faculty found the following elements to be the most effective aspects of the professional development program: • Reflection journal to think more deeply about changes they were considering and document their process of preparation; • Face-to-face consultations and talking to colleagues to discuss options and rehearse new ideas; • Seeing examples for visual comprehension, different ways to organize an online course in course management system. Transformative learning explained changes in previously help assumptions and beliefs about teaching as a result of learning to teach online. This was most clearly evident in the difference between faculty's expectations of teaching online and what actually happened when they taught online. Learning was better than they expected. Learning to teach online impacted face-to-face teaching practices. Beth was able to be more open and flexible, tailoring their classroom time based on their online discussion. Ralph used to believe that if students were not in class they could not learn, but there was more soft learning online than in the classroom. Kay stepped away from PowerPoint and replaced it with classroom discussion that was more student-driven based on their online discussions.. Discussion/Interpretation The final results from the professional development program to prepare faculty to teach online will be shared and discussed with the participants, including the effectiveness of the various approaches employed, the changes in faculty's assumptions and beliefs about teaching, and the impact on their face-to-face teaching practices.
