Supporting the Faculty: the Benefits of College-Level Electronic Education Directors

Presenter(s)
Tamara Powell (Kennesaw State University, US)
Justin Cochran (Kennesaw State University, US)
Julie Moore (Kennesaw State University, US)
Session Information
November 5, 2010 - 9:40am
Track: 
Faculty Development and Support
Areas of Special Interest: 
Open Educational Resources
Major Emphasis of Presentation: 
Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Multiple Levels
Session Type: 
Group Presentation
Location: 
Grand Sierra C
Session Duration: 
80
Concurrent Session: 
7
Virtual Session
Abstract

At Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, college-level electronic education directors benefit KSU students, faculty, colleges, the university, and the community as a whole. This presentation will share these directors' successes and make available resources created by the directors.

Extended Abstract

Many who have been involved with electronic education on university campuses in the past 15 years are familiar with the faculty development model where electronic learning consultants zoom onto campuses to deliver short faculty professional development programs. The consultant model lacks the immersion that on campus roles have and has been replaced in recent years with the practice of hiring a college or university electronic education director to oversee development and implementation of electronic learning either at the university level or at the college level. The rationale behind this practice is that a director with a background within a particular college can better serve that college, and that faculty need not just a quick faculty development session but someone they can turn to for support throughout the school year. At Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, three colleges, Bagwell College of Education, Coles College of Business, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have hired directors of electronic education to coordinate electronic education and instructional technology use within each college. The directors also collaborate both with each other and with the university-wide electronic learning organizations to advance electronic learning at KSU. What the directors do, specifically, is work together and independently to train faculty and improve courses, exchange information, and help set distance education policies that benefit KSU students, faculty, colleges, the university, and the community as a whole. This collaboration works not because the three directors employ similar philosophies and approaches, but rather because each one has a unique background and perspective. The diversity within this trio has created a powerful team that triples the benefits each college receives from having an electronic education director. For example, Dr. Justin Cochran, Director of Distance Education in Coles College of Business, creates multimedia learning tutorials and puts together a faculty-driven, online e-zine called Talon Tips that he shares with the other directors and colleges. Talon Tips includes submissions not just from Coles College of Business, but from all over the university. It functions as an asynchronous collaboration tool for all interested in electronic education at KSU. Dr. Tamara Powell, Director of Distance Education in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, implemented a study of factors that motivate faculty to adopt instructional technology. Dr. Julia Moore, Director of Distance Education in Bagwell College of Education is implementing the second round of the study, and the two will use the findings to improve faculty support at KSU. This presentation has two main goals: to share the successes gained from the college electronic education director approach and to make available resources created by the directors.

Lead Presenter

Dr. Tamara Powell is an Associate Professor of English at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Atlanta, USA. She is also the Director of Distance Education for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She received her Ph.D.from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. Research interests include technical writing, instructional technology, and multiethnic American literature.