Hello, HEO!
If you are not aware, that is my acronym for those of us who teach college courses online. It stands for Higher Educator Online. Yes, distance learning is an aspect of higher education that is here to stay and is never going away. No matter how you felt about it in the past, if you have taught at a college or university since 2020, I am sure that you have taught at least one course online. In fact, that is probably why you are here reading this blog and I thank you for sharing your time with me.
Well, I have been teaching online, joyfully, since 2004, but have noticed something that has really grieved my heart from the very beginning. This something does not just pertain to online faculty but to programs and departments in higher ed, in general. As one who migrated from the K-12 space, I immediately noticed that something major was missing in higher education.
Can you guess what it was and still is?
There was never a focus on how well the faculty were teaching.
Yes, I know you have those Student Rating Inventories at the end of a course and they are used to help people earn teaching awards, but that is not what I am talking about. In fact, I have never known a person who earned a teaching award to conduct any kind of professional development or share any tips on the instructional strategies that they were implementing that made their courses so impactful. I have been proud of several colleagues who have earned them and yet have always wondered what their courses were like.
No one ever talked about what seemed to be a “secret.”
I remember suggesting “instructional strategy of the month” as a part of our faculty meetings about 15 years ago. Well, let’s just say that it never happened. We continued to discuss campus events, accreditation requirements, accomplishments of faculty, capstone projects (which were also a part of accreditation), and e-portfolios like Foliotek or Taskstream (which was also a part of accreditation) but we never ever looked at student data, discussed student characteristics or discussed instructional strategies that work with our students.
Now, perhaps, this just happened at the institution where I work, but I doubt it. I have talked to colleagues at other institutions and these conversations, this kind of focus is not “a thing” in higher education. In some ways, I understand it a little. Most people in higher ed are on a tenure track or have reached that milestone, so they are more focused on research, publications, leadership, and service. Participating in discussions about teaching, innovation within the department, trends in the marketplace that may impact course design and delivery, etc. are not top of mind. But, then again, I wonder, how can this be? The education at our institutions is supposed to be “higher”, right? So, then the quality of the education has to be of utmost priority.
This reality was and is extremely difficult for me to accept as a former elementary educator, reading specialist, curriculum facilitator, and now instructional designer. How can the needed transformation that must take place in every college course not be a priority? It is as if academia stands on this falsehood that because one has a graduate or terminal degree, one automatically knows how to teach. There is no research to back this claim.
So, let me say that I am continuously disturbed by this issue because so many programs do not offer students what they claim they will offer them. They do not deliver on ensuring that students are “market ready” upon graduation and it is not fair. The reason is that there is no professional learning community.
Well, I journaled for 16 weeks straight and the void that I felt from not being a part of a professional learning community rose to the surface. In this week’s episode, I share my “commentary” on this issue. I offer four reasons you need a PLC. And, yes, I chose the term “need” on purpose, because you can certainly miss what you never had or suffer the consequences and repercussions of not having it.
Please listen to what I share below or you can watch the video that pairs with this audio here.
Community is essential to humans. I share why in this post. Also, definitions for professional learning community by various organizations are offered.
Finally, I provide the four reasons that you need a professional learning community.
- Professional learning communities propel growth through collaboration.
- Professional learning communities promote meaningful and relevant professional development that aligns with the department or program’s mission or vision.
- Professional learning communities encourage innovation and adaptability.
- Professional learning communities cultivate a supportive and inclusive culture.
I seek to answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” after I share each reason so that you are clear on its benefits but also how you contribute to the community as well.
Are you a member of a PLC at your institution? Do you consider yourself an effective facilitator face-to-face, online, or in a hybrid design? Have you found that there are faculty who are experts in their fields but still do not teach well? (And by teach, I do not mean provide a good lecture.)
Please share your thoughts. Also, I would love for you to join my HEO family on YouTube here.
June is my favorite month so I hate to see it come to an end, but enjoy the remaining days left in it and have an incredible summer!