What are the Benefits for Faculty to Build an Online Course?
Dear Faculty Member,
If you haven’t already considered building an online course, you should! Here are 5 good reasons why.
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Publish or Perish
The meaning of this old saying is changing. Originally publishing was how you stayed relevant in your field; nowadays staying relevant has taken on a new meaning. Speaking at seminars, engaging in social media, creating online courses are all ways to stay relevant. The same way that faculty publish work and retain intellectual property, online courses are no different. Any content created by faculty for online courses OUGHT to be the same.
Dear Faculty Member,
If you haven’t established that the content you contribute for online courses are YOUR intellectual property, please get your head out of your ass. Thank you.
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Case for more cash
Typically academic leaders want their faculty to build out courses over adjuncts or contracted SME’s. This gives faculty leeway in their departments. The average pay range for course development is $1500 – $5000 – That’s just the development part, not teaching. Money isn’t the only negotiable factor. Laptops, I-Pads, software and hell, maybe even a new chair… make that a new office, are all negotiable factors. In most cases, faculty have the upper hand.
Dear Faculty Member,
Be a smart negotiator and make it work for you!
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Work | Life Balance
Remember those small people you live with that you sometimes call your kids? Well, because of the beautiful, flexible nature of online education, you can see them again and again and again….Hell, you may even get the chance to show off how often you spend time with them via Facebook and Instagram….Ok, let’s be serious. One of the main draws of online education is its flexibility, not only for students but course builders and instructors alike. Faculty have the opportunity to do work from home even more than before.
Dear Faculty Member,
Go to your kids’ soccer practice, cheer from the sidelines with abandon, then go home, stay up late creating course content for your bad-ass, online ethics course with a warm cup of expensive coffee you know you’ve earned. Wake up the next morning, maybe a little tired but knowing your awesome- and nothing less.
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Course Builder = Resume Builder
With the charging demand of online education, the need for faculty who have online experience is growing. Experience with the course creation process, teaching online with different platforms and understanding the EdTech jargon are all vital assets to any academic institution.
Dear Faculty Member,
I know you thought you would work your ass off, get your phd and be spared from LinkedIn and anything resume, but sadly, you know now that’s not true. With the world of education changing, please be your biggest advocate. Because if you don’t believe in you, well, quite frankly, you’re not fooling anyone else- even if you have a phd.
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Larger Legacy
No one teaches faculty to teach yet they are expected to teach- that sound right? Some faculty don’t care about teaching – let’s be honest- and others, have a conscious. Faculty who realize that students are their legacy fare much better than those who decide to live in their lonely, academic bubble (and let’s not forget: without students, where would faculty get their stipend? yeah, think on that one..). Building and teaching an online course allows you to expand your impact on society. It’s easy to get caught up in the politics of higher education, but it is vital to embrace the role of impact that teachers have on younger minds. It’s no question that younger generations rely heavily on media mediums for information. If faculty don’t feed their young minds, who will?
Dear Faculty Member,
“I touch the future. I teach” – Christa McAuliffe
Kindly Yours,
Sympathizing Instructional Designer
Resources:
Hollands, F. M., & Tirthali, D. (2014). MOOCs: expectations and reality. Full report. Center for Benefit- Cost Studies of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY. Retrieved from: http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2014/05/MOOCs_Expectations_and_Reality.pdf
Butrymowicz, Sarah; http://nation.time.com/2014/03/01/online-courses-moocs-ownership/
http://www.geteducated.com/teaching-online-courses/253-online-teaching-opportunities