Measuring the effectiveness of online faculty development: Exploring factors leading to the integration of universal design concepts by community college professors

This study is a quantitative analysis examining the effectiveness of delivering an online faculty development module about integrating materials and methods of instruction created according to universal design (UD) principles intended to effectively instruct a diverse range of students. The study focused on full-time, part-time, and adjunct professors employed as instructors at any of Virginia's 23 community colleges. The initial sample included 75 professors from across the state representing a wide range of disciplines, ages, and years of postsecondary teaching experience. Subjects completed an online faculty development module that introduced them to the concept of universal design and provided them with the context of how UD practices and applications will help to create an environment and materials to effectively instruct all learners regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, learning style, or disability. The module received a high effectiveness rating from those who completed it, most of whom were new to the idea of universal design. A majority of the participants reported that they would review their current instructional materials for UD characteristics and that they would seek out or create universally designed materials for instructional use.; Study participants who agreed to continue in the study to provide additional follow-up input beyond the module's completion were randomly selected for inclusion into either an experimental or control group. Experimental group members received supplemental materials (in the form of articles about applying UD concepts into their instruction) via email at predetermined points in the study. Members of the control group received no additional materials about universal design. At two predetermined points, all of the follow-up participants representing both groups were contacted by email to complete identical online follow-up questionnaires. The data gathered were analyzed and compared to determine if differences existed between the groups in how they applied the concepts of the initial module and to determine if the experimental group members demonstrated higher incidences of integrating universal design into their instruction. After careful examination of the data, no statistical significance was found between the rate of integration of UD concepts into the instruction of the groups in this study.