| A 2002 report from the National Center for Education Statistics reported that between 73-75% of undergraduate students today have one or more of the characteristics of a nontraditional student. While online courses provide access to higher education for underserved and underprepared students, the greater challenge is determining the intrinsic or extrinsic motivators for keeping these students in the classes (Belanger & Jordan 2000; Carr, 2000; Kearsley, 2000). Faculty selection and preparation to teach underprepared learners has become even more paramount as this student population increases. Faculty who teach courses with high numbers of underprepared learners need more than just the appropriate degrees and training; they also need personalities and core beliefs that will enable them to interact with their students appropriately and empathetically (Eney & Davidson, 2006). As online classes become more of the standard method for course delivery in higher education, underprepared educators present a problem for colleges and universities that are increasingly using online classes to serve these underprepared students. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationship between online faculty training programs and the ability of instructors to assist at risk learners in benefiting from the university's learning community. |
