Online Teaching Blog

As colleges and universities across the nation rushed to triage education and push classes – and students – online quickly, we are beginning to see the outcome of the mass exodus of on-ground education into the online modality. This affords us an opportunity to assess what is going well, what could be improved, what lessons we have learned and what may be forever changed in the world of higher education.

The COVID-19 virus has taken a substantial toll on individual lives, the economy and the every day concerns we face. Among them is how to continue providing education services for our students and employment for faculty and staff while COVID-19, Novel Coronavirus, has disrupted the workplace and our daily activities. Administrators and faculty have a responsibility to do their part to avoid education interruption for learners who have committed to their program of study. However, not all colleges and universities, and not all faculty, are up to speed with some of the basics of online education. As instructional designers and information technology workers scramble to support and move courses online very quickly to avoid college shutdowns, we are relying on our technology and learning management systems more than ever. But, the system is only as good as the courses loaded, and in spite of the triage-type response the current climate necessitates we also need to use some good design and course load principles to avoid learner confusion, frustration or attrition.

It is rare to find an educator in 2018 that feels education has not changed much over the past decade. Change in itself is not a bad thing; in fact most of us as professors feel it’s something to encourage, embrace and teach students how to manage through. Most individuals, if well-equipped, can use change as a differentiator and improve their overall job position. It is because of change that I want to arm university leaders with information – information about why their good faculty are leaving. In this article, I will identify 16 reasons your best faculty are asking us to help them find a teaching job … and what administrators can do about it.

There is often a misunderstanding about whether regional accrediting bodies and the Department of Education work hand in hand. The regional Commissions maintain a relationship with the federal government and the Department of Education. HLC is considered a “gatekeeper agency” and therefore has specific responsibilities defined by the USDE regarding accreditation.

With a lot of miles (millions) under my belt and countless international trips to time zones not conducive to working from the minute you hit the ground, a good friend recently asked me for some tips for international travel to keep from going stir crazy when your hours hit 15 or more in the flying tin can. The truth is long hauls do not make me crazy, it feels like a bit of an office with wings; but her question is valid and points well taken.

I was asked by a few folks to share this with other educators who may also be traveling a lot. So here goes – my method to surviving long haul international trips and avoiding jet lag pretty much completely (admitting that lifelong insomnia plays an instrumental role in jetlag survival and staying awake for long periods of time without much downside beyond crankiness). My goal is to land, stay awake until nighttime after being awake the entire flight, sleep a full night, and hit the ground running the next day both at work and enjoying the new sights.

For many online faculty, morale is high. Professors look at the bright side of their jobs - the flexibility, ability to work from home, be a full time care-taker while earning an income, and make a substantial difference in the lives of others. And of course, the ongoing running joke in our forum that cats are better co-workers than most cubicle-mates and pajamas for daytime are perfectly acceptable attire. But for others, low morale can take a toll on job satisfaction, and cause schools to lose good faculty. Unsatisfied faculty may still perform high out of duty to students and fear, but managing in this way isn't setting the best tone for your college.

In the Make a Living Teaching Online group, I asked 6500 educators how they combat loneliness and feelings of isolation associated from working at home without peer interaction with the promise of posting an article to help others who may suffer from isolation or loneliness working remotely but without ideas or tools to cope. Here are some of the ideas; you can read through the entire thread in the group. (All respondents agreed to have their idea and name attributed; some paraphrased with context!)

Having worked in online education for over 15 years and working with thousands of clients while maintaining the confidence and anonymity of deans and administrators, I have learned a lot about why candidates don’t get that interview or get the job they were a perfect fit for. In this article, my goal is to share with you this candid feedback – even when it hurts to hear (or just shouldn’t be that way!)