An evaluation study of a training program to prepare community college faculty for online teaching

Effective training programs for faculty who teach in an online environment are crucial to faculty's responsibility to provide the highest quality learning experiences possible for their students. Successful programs seek evidence that the learning experiences designed are effective and accountable. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community college program that trains faculty for online teaching. While this study included information about the characteristics of the training activities in general, such as the pedagogy of online teaching and the course development and presentation process, the primary focus was on evaluating and identifying the training components that contribute to successful online teaching. The study also sought to capture faculty member's perceptions of the program's relevancy and effectiveness in preparing them to teach online. The results of the study provided a researched-based evaluation framework which the college under study as well as other institutions can use to make strategic decisions about their distance education training mission, vision, strategies, structures, and processes. Furthermore, evaluation has significant value as a check-and-balance tool when information is gathered from multiple sources and perspectives and used for program improvement.