One of the truths about people is that incentives help compel us to perform our tasks, whether nuanced or mundane, for survival or banal reasons. In other words, we work because we believe there will be some type of reward as Easterly (2002) noted, "people respond to incentives" (p. 27). Hence, if certain tasks, behaviors, or functions receive incentives, people will work toward adapting themselves to better perforce the task, exhibit the behavior, or perform the function. This does not entail that we continually strive to increase personal wealth and prestige at the express of others, only that there are reasons, both extrinsic and intrinsic that compel us to complete the work we are assigned.
Online faculty are no different from anyone else when it comes to motivating factor. Yes, intrinsic factors may motivate us more than say, a banker who may have an orientation toward monetary rewards, but understanding what those factors are can help us to share our daily routine as well as develop short- , meso-, and long-term goals. Cook, Ley, Crawford, and Warner (2009) researched past studies to ascertain the motivating factor for faculty teaching in an online setting. Cook et al. researched four studies: one study prior to 2002, two studies during 2002, and a post-2002 study, to identify emerging trends.
While the findings from the different studies vary, and it is outside of the parameters of this blog to explain the findings in-depth, some common themes emerged. The number one reason faculty teach online as indicated by the four studies were the ability to reach a new audience, it is an intellectual challenge, ones' personal motivation to use new technology, and the opportunity to serve (Cook et al., 2009). These findings, in general, seem to indicate intrinsic motivations are at the center of online education.
I am curious what motivates you to teach in the online format. Although there are similarities between online and ground-based teaching, there are also many differences. For those of you who have thought on ground before, does the basic motivation for teaching between the two modalities changes, does it matter? For those of you who are working professionals and adjunct a course or two, what makes you take on this challenges outside of your "day job"?
Thanks,
Eric
Reference:
Cook, R. G. Ley, K., Crawford, C., & Warner, A. (2009). Motivators and inhibitors for university faculty in distance and e-learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 1, 149-163. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8538.2008.00845.x
Easterly, W. (2002). The elusive question for growth: Economist' adventures and misadventures in the tropics. Boston: MIT Press
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7 Comments
Hi Eric,
I think that one of the intrinsic motivators for me is in the population that online education reaches. For myself, i would not have been able to earn a degree in a traditional university setting once I had family and career obligations. My first master's degree was earned in a cohort situation, which took my entire weekends twice each month for 15 months. While it was great to have this option, it was very difficult due to the schedule constraints. Online education has broken down the time and location barriers that were often the reason that adults were unable to attend classes. I feel that we are erforming a great service for this population of working adult students.
Hello Rick:
As the economy continues to change into one necessitating that individuals receive at least a college degree, expanding the opportunities for people to become college graduates through different modalities will increase in importance. I thank you for sharing your story and I think it echoes to many non-traditional students who desire a collage education, but who face outside circumstances (whatever they might be) have made the ability to attend college in a ground-based setting impossible. Thus, there is a need to meet the needs of our students by delivering a quality college education in a format that aligns with their schedules. Thanks for your thoughts.
Eric
I actually had to step back and consider my own style of teaching. There is contractual obligation with the university to convey the knowledge required in a course. Is this why some instructors are more stiff-life and unresponsive; do they fear losing sight of the objectives? I will venture that many of us are prone to this focus when trying to cover a large amount of data in the text.
Reviewing an interview with Bruner (Levorato, 2008), I found his reasoning connected with me. The development of the individual is shaped as much with cultural norms as the individual's physical development of hormones. Simply regurgitating the information is not sufficient; the internalization and application toward social problems is an important step. Therefore, the role of the instructor transcends giving out data or knowledge, but guides the student toward creating their own knowledge. Bruner wants behavioral change during the student's exposure to the instructor, not simply verifying they have intellect.
This makes me wonder if emotional intelligence is a good judge for student success; could we test for that at entry points? The student's willingness and readiness to learn is one condition that helps the instructor move the student forward.
Levorato, C. (2008). Jerome Bruner: Reflections of a developmental psychologist. Human Development, 51, 101-103. DOI 10.1159/000113159
Thanks for your ideas and thoughts and for posting this question here.
I was a public educator for 21 years; I have taught special education from preschool on up through 12th grade and enjoyed every minute of it. I have also been an online adjunct faculty for GCU since 2010 and I recently began here as full-time online faculty.
Here are my observations about the reasons why I enjoy teaching online versus in person. I enjoy getting to know a variety of people from all over the country (and sometimes the world). I have "met" the most interesting people and had a wider influence than I ever could have in person. I have touched the lives of people living in places I have never even visited. I have shared my experiences while learning more about the experiences of people who have not lived in Arizona their whole lives, as I have. I have learned from and along with so many people.
I feel teaching online helps me with my vision of sharing my experiences and reaching students all over the country. While I may no longer teach in a classroom with walls and eager students, I now know the joys of teaching in a place without walls and time barriers.
While I enjoyed my time in the classroom and I would certainly teach in a ground classroom again, I value my experiences as an online instructor more than I ever thought I would. :)
Kimber
Hello Barbra:
Thank you for your edifying and heart-felt response. I think the main point you are making is that teaching-whether online or in a ground-based setting-is a transformation relationship between the teacher and student rather than a transactional one. This entails that we, as you put it, transcend the prescribed curriculum toward a holistic paradigm. When we are able to teach our students to apply the knowledge gained in our courses to their everyday lives to foment social, economic, or political change, then we have mastered and exhibited both the art and science of teaching. You bring up an excellent point about testing for emotional intelligence, how do you believe we can achieve this in an online setting?
Thanks,
Eric
Hello Kimber:
I think the online educational milieu allow us to reach a more diverse and geographically disparate population than we could within a traditional classroom setting. Although there are certain shortcomings with the modality, there are also many new and emerging opportunities. One thing your shared was rather poignant, about sharing your vision with a diverse audience of students. I am curious what is your vision and how do you see it correlating with the online modality of education?
Thanks,
Eric
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