Faculty Development On Online Instructional Methods:A Protocol For Counselor Educators

Gina Cicco*
Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, St. John's University, Queens, New York.
Periodicity:July - September'2013
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.10.2.2408

Abstract

This article will address the importance of properly training faculty members to teach online courses within graduate counseling programs. The number of online course offerings among graduate education programs is steadily increasing across colleges and universities. This trend is of particular interest for counselor educators because counseling courses, particularly those that teach and assess counseling skills and techniques, have traditionally been delivered in the face-to-face classroom setting. Converting skills-based courses to the online modality requires appropriate faculty preparation, ongoing and strategic planning, and frequent evaluation exercises (Cicco, 2013; Fish & Wickersham, 2009). This article will present counseling and other education faculty members with a protocol for faculty development on online instructional methods. The protocol consists of five major steps including an introduction to navigating through online courses, learning-styles training, online course simulation experiences, review of tools for relationship-building, and finally the launching of an actual online course under the supervision of a mentor. Faculty members that are assigned to teach online courses should complete a series of training sessions, such as those presented in this sample protocol, prior to the start of their first online course. The protocol is intended to serve as a training model for novice online instructors, who have not previously taught completely online courses, especially those who have a commitment to teaching within the online classroom. Participation in this type of faculty development is encouraged because appropriate training and preparedness typically result in improved levels of faculty and student performance and satisfaction in online courses (Cicco, 2012; Santovec, 2004).

Keywords

Counselor Educators, Faculty Development, Faculty Training Protocol, Instructional Methods, Learning Modules, Learning Styles, Online Classroom, Online Courses, Online Instruction, Virtual Classroom.

How to Cite this Article?

Cicco , G.(2013). Faculty Development on Online Instructional Methods: A Protocol for Counselor Educators. i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.10.2.2408

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