Perceived learning needs of post-secondary faculty of institutions moving towards online course delivery

This qualitative study sought to investigate the perceptions of faculty at small post secondary institutions as they learn to make the transition to online teaching. It also gathered information related to the types of learning strategies employed by faculty in meeting these needs and the kinds of institutional support mechanisms they believed to be important in supporting their efforts. The study involved semi-structured interviews with eight faculty members from two institutions.; Analysis of the data showed that faculty moving into online teaching perceive that they need to learn about technology, about educational theory and teaching and about how to make best use of the technology to support student learning. What faculty members perceived they needed to know varied from individual to individual and seemed directly related to their educational backgrounds and experience with technology. All of the participants felt that institutional support was important in meeting their needs. The learning patterns described by faculty related to how they approached learning about online teaching were consistent with well-established principles of adult learning. Specifically, the data revealed strong themes of self-directedness, experiential learning and reliance on accumulated experience, preference for practical and timely application of new knowledge and motivation that is influenced by both internal and external factors. In addition, the faculty members in this study showed strong reliance on collaboration and working with others in support of their learning. They also described ongoing reflection on practice and experience as part of a constructive learning process.; The findings of the study strongly indicate that post secondary institutions wishing to move towards online delivery models must assume responsibility for institutional support mechanisms in support of faculty attempting to become online teachers. Models need to be multi-faceted and designed around principles of adult learning. Based on study findings and the literature, specific recommendations regarding the design of institutional support for faculty are made in the thesis.