Faculty Perceptions of Teaching Online During the COVID-19 University Transition of Courses to an Online Format
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Abstract
As a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many universities were required to make quick decisions to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Cherished university events such as commencement and spring convocations were postponed or cancelled. Such decisions were made in an effort to curb the number of people infected with the virus. Institutions were also forced to consider how to continue educating students in the midst of a pandemic. In many instances, faculty were required to transition their face to face courses to an online format. Some instructors were familiar with the instructional strategies and technological tools needed for effective online teaching. Whereas, other novice faculty were hesitant or even resistant to the idea of online teaching and learning. This case study at a Midwest Masters level university, examines the perceptions of faculty (n=158) regarding the quick adoption of their courses to an online medium during the Spring 2020 semester. The web-based survey instrument consists of two sections. Section I had 10 demographic questions, section II had 28 statements with a seven-point Likert-type scale measurement that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Section II assessed perceptions and attitudes about the quick transition to online, and comparison of students’ engagement for the courses during the spring semester face-to-face vs the online format during COVID-19, and professors’ level of satisfaction with the transition. The data was analyzed using frequency, mean and ANCOVA with SPSS version 23. Findings revealed that generally faculty felt that course quality remained the same, that students’ engagement and performance declined during the pandemic and satisfaction levels with the transition were low.
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