Faculty Development Resources

This site is a supplement to the article Faculty Development For E-Learning: A Multi-Campus Community Of Practice (Cop) Approach (2012) by Janet Resop Reilly, Christine Vandenhouten, Susan Gallagher-Lepak, and Penny Ralston-Berg published in the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks (JALN).

Khan's Framework and Faculty Development

The Khan model is the Framework for E-learning which addresses online issues, strategies, and practices for flexible, open and distance learning environments. E-learning faculty development needs to consider the following areas: Pedagogical, Technological, Interface Design, Evaluation, Management, Resource Support, Ethical, and Institutional.

This Framework began with the question:

What does it take to provide the best and most meaningful flexible learning environments for learners worldwide?
-- Badrul H. Khan

Mouseover each dimension of the framework for a brief description.

More details are provided in the table below.

How can the framework be used to inform and enhance faculty development?

The eight dimension of the e-learning framework, a brief description, and sample survey questions are provided in the table below. The survey questions are intended to assess the presence of the framework dimensions at an institution as well as identify areas where adjustments to infrastructure, process, practice, or faculty development may be considered.

Dimension	Description	Sample Survey Questions
Pedagogical	Addresses teaching and learning issues concerning content analysis, audience analysis, goal analysis, media analysis, design approach, organization and methods and strategies of e-learning environments.	Are students surveyed on what they expect to learn prior to the course? Are course assignments, reports and discussions flexible enough to accommodate students’ own learning goals? What is the instructor’s predominant role in the online course? Does the course support interaction? How so?
Technological	Examines issues of technology infrastructure in e-learning environments including infrastructure planning, hardware and software.	Does the institution have a technology plan that clearly describes the process of acquiring, maintaining, and upgrading hardware & software required of e-learning? Are minimum technical requirements provided for students? Is technical training available for students prior to course start? Is the cost of required hardware, software, and Internet capability a deterrent to taking this course? Does the institution have arrangements with vendors to offer students special prices for hardware and/or software? Are students allocated storage space on the institution’s server?
Interface Design	Encompasses overall look and feel of online programs including page and site design, content design, navigation, and usability testing.	Do courses within a program contain similar design elements? Are courses well organized and easily navigated? Are courses tested for usability and accessibility prior to use by students?
Evaluation	Includes both assessment of learners and evaluation of the instruction and learning environment.	Who evaluates student work? What types of grading criteria are used? How is feedback shared with students? Is the course grading policy clear and easily understood by students? What strategies are used to reduce academic misconduct (e.g. students’ work is their own)?
Management	Refers to the maintenance of the learning environment and distribution of information.	Does the e-learning budget allow for support staff? What clearly defined roles exist for e-learning support? What type of training or professional development do subject matter experts receive prior to authoring and/or teaching an e-learning course? What backup plans are in place in the event the course management system is not operating properly or unavailable? Is course evaluation the same for online & F2F courses? Are students efficiently notified of course changes? How so?
Resource Support	Examines the online support and resources required to foster meaningful learning environments.	What types of online support are available? Is there a technical support for distance learners? Are technical support contact information and hours of availability provided to students? Are student provided with an introduction to online learning?
Ethical	Relates to social and political influence, cultural diversity, bias, geographical diversity, learner diversity, information accessibility, etiquette, and the legal issues.	Are teaching strategies adjusted for varying learning preferences? Do courses accommodate students with disabilities? Are views of controversial issues presented via resources, course content, and teaching strategies? Do courses demonstrate sensitivity to student’s location, internet accessibility, and holidays? Is content designed for those with little computer experience? Are copyright, plagiarism, and privacy policies clearly defined?
Institutional	Concerned with issues of administrative affairs, academic affairs and student services related to e-learning.	What does the E-Learning budget for the institution include for course development, designers, programmers, graphic artists, software and technology acquisition, marketing and students recruitment and is there a periodic “return on investment,” analysis? What partnerships exist with other institutions under which credits transfer that meet program requirements &/or with which resources are shared? (e.g., on-line libraries, bookstores, compatible technologies,etc.? Is there a single point of entry for all program functions, i.e., one email address, password per student? If not, what possibilities exist for making student entry more user friendly?

Adapted from: http://bookstoread.com/framework. Framework graphic is used with permission of Badrul Khan.

Additional Resources

Biography for Badrul Khan:
http://badrulkhan.com/