Sloan Study of Online Learning, Chaired by UMass President Jack Wilson, Gains Key Faculty Insights
More than one-third of public university faculty have taught an online course while more than one-half have recommended an online course to students, according to an unprecedented study of administrative and faculty views toward online learning released today by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning.
Those facts come from the 2-volumne report, Online Learning as a Strategic Asset, about the Commission’s findings which were based on a broad survey that included faculty members who have, and have not, taught an online course. In all, according to the news story, 231 interviews were conducted with administrators, faculty, and students at 45 public institutions across the country and the study included more than 10,700 responses from faculty across the spectrum of teaching positions – tenure/non-tenure track; full- and part-time; and both those who have and those who have not taught online.
Key takeaways included the feeling among faculty that more support for online program development is needed along with better recognition and incentives for teaching online, which many find more difficult, more intense, and simply more time consuming. Commenting on these findings, University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson said they are apt to give public colleges an improved roadmap for further, strategic, online program development:
“We’re hopeful that the Benchmarking Study will provide fresh insights and guidance to campus leaders and senior administrators striving to establish, sustain and grow strategic online learning programs,” said Jack M. Wilson, president of the University of Massachusetts and chair of the A?P?L?U-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning. “We also hope the observations will lead to an increase in the number of strategic online learning initiatives at public colleges and universities across the nation.”
I am happy, and frankly excited, that these messages are coming from the President’s Office. Distance and non-traditional education has been an important part of the way many Land Grant Universities have supported their service mission. With support from administrative and academic leadership throughout the university, online learning has become an important part of articulating the land grant mission and its service to the Commonwealth. I believe that better using online options for distance and blended learning can extend beyond the core academic teaching and learning functions to enhance the effectiveness of university extension services and the larger university Outreach effort.
I also think that it is worth noting that Massachusetts has the good fortune of having two Land Grant Universities. There is the University of Massachusetts and there is also the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both of these institutions have strong connections to the land grant mission, providing social and economic capital to the Commonwealth and beyond. In addition, both UMASS and MIT have made different, but major and complementary contributions to the dissemination of knowledge through the use of electronic media. Although MIT does not participate in online distance education, as does UMASS through UMassOnline, it has taken work leadership in the development of the Open CourseWare initiative. Both of these efforts, online programming and OCW, are intended to enhance access to education and liberate the dissemination of knowledge. This connection certainly points to another blog posting.
by Ken Udas
