| Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to develop a planning strategy for the development of online courses for Workforce Teacher Education (WTE) programs at the University Council for Workforce and Human Resources Education (UCWHRE) institutions. Forty four faculty from eleven UCWHRE institutions who have delivered various forms of distance classes were involved in the study. A modified Delphi technique was used and four surveys were conducted to complete the study. Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance (Kendall W) and Chi Square were used for analyzing the correlation and relationship of the responses.; Findings and conclusions. Eight elements were suggested and considered to be important for the strategy---Course selection, Instructional strategies, Delivery technology, Faculty delivery/Teaching preference, Student learning preference, Technology skills, Student evaluation, and Course/faculty evaluation. The value of Kendall W for the order of sequence of the elements was 0.5643 and was 0.333 for the order of importance of the elements respectively. Also, 42 factors and 135 sub-factors were generated from the analysis of the data. The faculty indicated that online courses could be the future educational mainstream approach; the planning strategy would help faculty in WTE plan, design, and develop their online courses. A systematic planning approach was important to enhance planning of online courses. More experienced faculty faced unique challenges to online teaching because their teaching experiences tended to have them focus on methodology rather than application of technology. |
