This session provides an overview of the three-tiered approach to online faculty development used by Drexel University's Goodwin College of Professional Studies. With over 15 online programs and 1900 students, Goodwin delivers approximately 300 online courses each term. This process is supported by a team of six instructional designers, five multimedia developers, and one technical support person. Research has shown that faculty satisfaction and training have a critical impact on online course quality and the learning experience of online students, creating a strong need for support and training for online faculty. However, the pedagogical and technical expertise of online faculty varies greatly, as does the preference for delivery of training and support. While many articles and presentations showcase a best practice or comprehensive training course, Goodwin College's instructional design team has attempted to meet these diverse needs with an innovative approach to faculty development. We have designed our three-tiered approach to faculty development with the premise that no single method meets the needs of every faculty member. The first tier includes workshops and courses, both online and face-to-face, which are conducted at set times and focus on specific topics of interest. The second tier provides just-in-time support through resource portals and a catalog of job aids that are available online. The third tier is based on a one-to-one relationship between a faculty member and the instructional designer he/she works with on designing and delivering an online course. Also, faculty are an inherent part in the development of content and delivery of the training, creating a system in which faculty are naturally invested and engaged. The impact of the three-tiered approach will be discussed by sharing the results of a faculty survey on support and training for online learning, demonstrating that this approach to faculty development is effective, scalable, and creates a higher level of faculty satisfaction for online teaching. The goals of this session are to share a novel approach to online faculty support and training that addresses both technical and pedagogical topics, demonstrate the potential effectiveness of a multi-tiered approach by sharing faculty survey results, and provide attendees with specific examples used in each tier. The multi-tiered approach can be utilized in many settings, including four-year universities, community colleges, and corporations. Anyone involved in online learning in any of these domains, from faculty to instructional designers to administrators, will benefit from this session. Specifically, the attendees will leave the session with a potential roadmap for developing their own multi-tiered approach to faculty development as well as an instrument for measuring the results of their training and support efforts. The presenters will provide an explanation of each of the three tiers, using specific examples and sharing online resources with the audience. The audience members will be polled as to their own specific needs for online faculty development in an effort to show that even in small groups, needs can be quite diverse. A discussion of how to create a multi-tiered approach will allow for interaction between the presenters and the audience and help create a valuable take-away for the audience.
