Faculty work in developing and teaching web‐based distance courses: A case study of time and effort

Abstract

Using an experiential case approach, this study explores the conventional wisdom that distance education courses require greater faculty work effort and time commitment than traditionally taught courses. The study's basis for analysis is an instructor's time and effort in developing and delivering a graduate-level course in public administration, for both a distance course (a modality with which he had no previous experience) and his traditional classroom courses. The study finds support for the conventional wisdom. But it also suggests hypotheses for future comparative analysis that development and delivery time and effort may partially depend on the accumulation of instructor experience and the level of institutional support. This article also identifies some implications for future research and faculty participation in distance education.

Faculty Teaching Time: A Comparison of Web-Based and Face-to-Face Graduate Nursing Courses

“…The difference of essentially a full work day per credit during a semester does represent an increased demand on faculty time if this difference were demonstrated in further research. This finding is different than Visser (2000) and DiBiase (2000) who found that fewer hours were required, after web course development was complete, to teach a single web-based than the same face to face course. Our small sample was a limitation.…”

“…Visser (2000) offered a 12 week graduate public administration course in the faceto-face and in a distance format. He kept daily records during the eight month period of course development and delivery including course development activities (e.g., reading selection, syllabus preparation, preparation of assignments and tests) time required to adapt the course to the web (course web site design, distance education training) and time spent in course delivery.…”

Faculty Workload Comparison Between a Campus-based and Internet-based Patient Assessment Course

“…Many articles report that the course development and maintenance of an Internetbased program dramatically increases instructor workload. 1,[3][4][5][6][7] One study, however, did conclude that instructor workload was less with an Internet-based course compared to a similar campus-based course. 3 A survey conducted by the National Education Association in 2000 indicated that of the faculty members who have taught a distance education course, 53% said they spent more hours per week preparing and delivering the course material compared with teaching a campusbased course.…”

Ontwerp en implementatie van de masteropleiding Special Educational Needs via e-learning

“…Dergelijke katalyserende vaardigheden zijn uiteraard ook van groot belang in regulier onderwijs (Shelton, Lane, & Waldhart, 1999) (Coppola, et al, 2002;Hartman, Dziuban, & Moskal, 2001;Schifter, 2000) geven docenten doorgaans aan dat zij een zwaardere werkbelasting ervaren als zij online doceren. Uit onderzoeken waarin daadwerkelijk tijd wordt gemeten komt een meer wisselend beeld naar voren dat niet in alle gevallen de perceptie van de online docenten bevestigt (Bender, Wood, & Vredevoogd, 2004;DiBiase, 2000;Hislop,2001;Hislop & Ellis, 2004;Visser, 2000). De onderzoeken waarin tijd gemeten wordt, zijn niet heel makkelijk met elkaar te vergelijken omdat de taken van online docenten per opleiding kunnen verschillen.…”