Online Faculty Learning Communities (OFLCs): How Connected Do Part-time Instructors Feel?

Dr. Robin James, Chair, School of Graduate Education, Kaplan University

Dr. Drew Ross, Dean, School of Graduate Education, Kaplan University

AgendaAgenda• Measuring connectedness• Rovai’s scale and our quantitative survey• Qualitative follow-up• Interview themes• Next steps

Research questionsResearch questions

1. Is the Classroom Community Scale developed by Rovai (2002) an effective tool for measuring OFLC connectedness?

2. How does connectedness fit into a contextualized understanding of faculty development?

3. Pragmatically, what lessons can we learn from faculty that will help us build a stronger sense of community among adjunct instructors?

Research designResearch design

• Mixed methodology design based on focus group interviews with participating OFLC members

• Qualitative pre-testing questionnaires and follow-up group interviews with OFLC members

• Phenomenological, audience-centered perspective

Measuring connectedness: Community index scaleMeasuring connectedness: Community index scale

Do I really fit in with this group?

Are members really being honest

with me?

Am I in control of my learning process here?

Rovai, A. (2002). Development of an instrument to measure classroom community. Internet and Higher Education 5, 197-211.

Some survey itemsSome survey items

• Mixed methodology design based on focus group interviews with participating OFLC members

• Qualitative pre-testing questionnaires and follow-up group interviews with OFLC members

• Phenomenological, audience-centered perspective

• I feel excited about my Online Faculty Learning Community • I feel that others in my Online Faculty Learning Community are concerned

about my well-being • I feel that there is not much interaction with the facilitator• I feel that my Online Faculty Learning Community is not learner-centered • I feel that there is no group identity • I trust other learning community members• I feel that I am encouraged to ask questions• I feel that I learn useful skills in my Online Faculty Learning Community • I feel a sense of cohesion with other instructors • I feel that I receive insincere feedback from other learning community members • I feel that I learn a lot from other learning community members

Some quantitative findings: n=29Some quantitative findings: n=29

I trust other learning community members.

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

33.3% 50% 12.5% 0% 4.2%

I feel a sense of cohesion with other instructors.

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

40% 24% 24% 12% 0%

Some quantitative findings: n=29Some quantitative findings: n=29

I feel that there is no group identity

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

0% 13% 22% 26% 39%

I feel that I learn a lot from other learning community members

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

44% 36% 16% 4% 0%

Survey comments indicated gapsSurvey comments indicated gaps

A qualitative follow-up was scheduled to investigate• Three 30-minute focus-group interviews were held• Total of 12 participants• Six or seven open-ended questions in focused interview

Follow-up interview questionsFollow-up interview questions1. Tell me about the feedback you have received from other instructors in

your learning community.2. What do you think about the way learning community meetings are

structured? Do you recommend any changes to their set up or process?3. How does the learning community fit with your professional

learning/development process?4. Talk to me about how cohesive your learning community is as a group…

how important do you think this cohesion is to its (the learning community’s) success?

5. What kind of input should members have in creating a learning community? In other words, if you had to create it from scratch, what would you do differently?

6. How does participating in the learning community connect to your sense of feeling part of the school or university?

7. Do you trust people in your learning community? How important is trust to the success of the learning community?

Qualitative data analysisQualitative data analysis• Phone interviews were transcribed and analyzed using

a grounded theory approach (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Strauss and Corbin, 1990).

• ATLAS/ti 5.0 used to assist with coding• Three-pass system of reading, memoing, coding, and

theme-building• Four overarching themes were identified

Participants saw their OFLCs as:Participants saw their OFLCs as:

1. A virtual place where they could go to hear a diversity of opinions about teaching and learning

2. A virtual place where they could learn more about their colleagues and establish collaborative relationships

3. A virtual place where they could derive benefit passively as well as actively

4. A means of enhancing their group interactions with new modalities

LimitationsLimitations

Small sample size Not all instructors had participated in the OFLCs for the

same amount of time (veterans vs. new hires) Different chairs facilitated the OFLCs, so process was

different across groups

Findings: Do members feel connected?Findings: Do members feel connected?• Many say they do, both in the survey and in the

interview• Connectedness may have a strong passive component• Connectedness may also benefit from mild discord• Increasing possibilities for interactions that are not text-

based (CMC or writing) seems to breed a sense of connectedness with these instructors

Next steps/ mini-conclusionsNext steps/ mini-conclusions

• Encouraging openness and candor by decoupling participation from evaluation/assessment

• Adding opportunities to expand OFLC sessions beyond telephone Adobe Connect sessions, Blogs, Podcasts, Twitter

• Focus on passive participants to see how they derive benefit and if it is possible (or even wise) to convert them into active participants