Effective strategies for supporting faculty in teaching high quality e-learning courses in post-secondary education

Abstract

Online and blended (e-learning) delivery models were shifting the face of post-secondary education. That shift caused gaps in the understanding of good practice for high quality e-learning course delivery, leading to a need to support teaching faculty in the development of new competencies. This major project sought to develop effective strategies to support teaching faculty in their development of the competencies needed to deliver high-quality e-learning experiences. A fully-online learning resource was planned in conjunction with the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning at Vancouver Island University and a review of the current literature. High quality e-learning was defined using two quality frameworks. In order to address all aspects of quality, three quality assurance tools were chosen to assess the learning resource. Constructive alignment was used to ensure the learning outcomes, content and activities were mutually supportive, and two design cycles were chosen to frame development. Two delivery models were chosen for future offerings of the learning resource. Beta testing revealed where the learning resource was not fully aligned to the quality frameworks or quality assurance tools. Improvements were made to the learning resource, and recommendations were made for its initial offering. Future research should include a research ethics approval so robust feedback can be gathered on the effectiveness of the learning resource in developing the competencies teaching faculty need to teach high-quality e-learning courses.