Efficient Online Instruction: Maximum Impact in Minimal Time
Higher education faculty have numerous responsibilities that are not limited to instruction of classes. While it is well established in literature that faculty have a diverse set of responsibilities that extend well beyond a 40-hour work week, this information has yet to be cohesively transferred into suggestions for institutions to utilize when promoting instructional efficiency. The present study offers both a conceptual and operational definition of faculty workload in higher education, while addressing faculty workload perceptions and the value of efficiency. In addition, this study offers specific recommendations for instructional efficiency that faculty and institutions of higher education can put into practice. This quantitative study surveyed full-time (n=50) and adjunct faculty (n=368) at a Southwest university. Survey results indicated adjunct faculty rated automatic notification higher than full-time faculty, while both faculty roles agree integration of feedback banks are valuable for increasing teaching efficiency (x̅=3.91, SD=1.18); as well as push notifications to students outside the online classroom (x̅=3.74, SD=1.23). Overall findings concluded that all faculty believed pedagogical tools had value in increasing the efficiency in online teaching. Therefore, recognition of instructional supplements may foster the efficiency and impact of teaching time. Higher education administrators and curriculum developers can use this evidence to promote decisions supporting improvement of pedagogical tools within online classrooms.
