1 Learning to Teach and Teaching Online: Faculty-Faculty Interactions in Online Environments

Past research has shown that peer support helps improve several areas of faculty activities such as research, teaching, and technology competencies. Using a mixed method design, this research study investigated resources available to faculty as they teach or prepare to teach online at a large midwestern university. In addition, the study explored the nature of peer interactions that existed between faculty who taught or planned to teach online. The determinants of such interactions as well as the benefits and challenges involved in initiating and maintaining the interactions were examined. Findings from this study have implications for the development and implementation of training and support programs intended for faculty as they learn to teach online. Background to the Study Efforts to meet the demands of the 21st century learner have resulted in dramatic increases in the number of online courses offered by institutions of higher learning today. A large number of colleges and universities across the United States are now transitioning traditional face-to-face classes into fully online, blended, or web-facilitated courses in order to maintain a competitive edge and make classes accessible to a growing student population. The most current statistics suggest that almost 64 percent of all institutions offer at least one online course and 5 percent of all institutions offer at least one blended course (Allen, Seaman, & Garret, 2007). As a result, at some point i