A qualitative study of education faculty's experiences in online instruction /by Wen-Chi Hu.

Online education has gained popularity because its flexibility and convenience for instructors and students and its ability to generate reverence for colleges. While it has became a trend it does raise various issues and concerns for faculty as well as students and colleges. This study utilized a constructivist paradigm to understand faculty members' experiences in online teaching and their perceptions of quality online courses. From the participants' lived experiences in online courses obtained through this qualitative study three major themes emerged: (1) reasons for College of Education faculty transitioning to online courses, (2) challenging context of their online courses, and (3) faculty's frustrations with online support. The study findings suggest all stakeholders pay more attention to (1) the issues behind online education, (2) characteristics of online students, (3) online instructors' challenges and needs, and (4) need for more social interaction to support participation and learning.Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, Spring 2009