A Qualitative Study On Faculty Development And Teaching Innovation In The Age Of The "Internet+"

The organizational modes of production in traditional industries are experiencing a reconstruction process,which caused by the very rapid development of internet communication technology,big data,cloud computing and a series of information technology.The level of science and technology in every industry is rising including the field of education.In the age of the "internet+",higher education is also undergoing profound changes.Many kinds of teaching innovation based on mobile internet technology have been emerging in endlessly,such as MOOCs(Massive Open Online Courses),Micro-course online video,flipped classroom,interactive response system,and network education platform.Many universities have started to establish faculty development centers to provide professional service for improving university teachers' capacity on IT,and help them to adapt to the challenges in the age of the"internet+".This study is a qualitative research focus on faculty development and teaching innovation practice in four universities or colleges in China,using the methods of literature study,case study and semi-structured interview to collect data.Based on the theoretical framework of Niess's TPACK(Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge)and the features of different research objects,the research interviewed the executive directors of faculty development center and the front-line teachers of four case universities/colleges,to understand institutional management policies and measures for faculty development on IT capacity in the age of the "intemet+",and on the individual level,the teachers' knowledge and ideas,confusions and problems,expectations and suggestions during the process they integrate information technology into their teaching classroom.Some research findings are concluded as follow:1)Personal features of teachers and organizational environment of universities are the key factors which influence faculty development on IT capacity;2)There are consensus on ideas and difference on attitudes among the teachers;3)It's a dynamic long-term construction process for faculty to integrate informational technology into their teaching innovation activities;4)External support are especially needed when university teachers try to transformtheir teaching methods and redesign the curricula with informational technology;5)Knowledge on students is the weak spot of teachers when they do the integration.Based on the research findings and conclusions,some suggestions are provided from two aspects.Firstly,on the institutional level,many measures are important such as to organize a professional team of developers who focus on faculty informational development,to build the training courses system on university teachers' IT capacity,to enrich the ways of faculty informational development,and to build external assurance system and incentive mechanism,and to form the atmosphere of pursuing teaching excellence.Secondly,on the individual level,to encourage the integration of information technology and teaching,teahcers should also establish consciousness on professional development,be "student-centered" and pay more attention to students,online learning process,set up the concepts of the scholarship of teaching and teamwork,and develop a habit of reflection.