In November 2022, we launched our first annual Missouri Online faculty and staff survey with the goal of learning more about how we can enhance our support and better communicate with faculty, staff and students. We were delighted to receive several insights into how we can prioritize our goals to better fit your needs.
We learned that faculty and staff members place a high value on collaboration, the student experience, professional development and one-on-one support from experts. An overwhelming majority of respondents indicated interest in receiving more training opportunities and increasing access to one-on-one assistance from Missouri Online staff members.
Respondents also said they wanted assistance with instructional design that enhances the student experience and furthers student learning success. They indicated a wish for greater assistance with the process of launching new online programs. Finally, nearly two-thirds said they would like to receive individualized suggestions for new academic technology tools that they can use in their courses. More specifically, many said that additional tools for peer review and discussion outside of Canvas would be especially helpful.
Action Steps From the Survey
From your feedback, leaders from Missouri Online’s academic technology and instructional design teams designated the following six actions as priorities for the coming year:
- Increase in-person and virtual outreach on all four campuses with more offerings like the current meet and greet sessions and training events held through campus teaching and learning centers.
- Research and test new peer review tools and discussion boards for increased functionality in those areas.
- Increase one-on-one support for and training in course and program design, further emphasizing the student experience.
- Increase quantity and variety of top-quality training events, professional development opportunities and online teaching certification paths.
- Provide increased support for academic units for new program development from the concept stage to implementation.
- Increase the number of channels for Missouri Online to receive feedback and communication from faculty members.
Our sixth action step, focused on communication, will be a cross-team endeavor for many years to come and will include the development of a Missouri Online Communications Committee. Our growth and success hinges on dynamic, ongoing engagement with colleagues throughout the University of Missouri System. We hope to see even more responses to our second annual survey this fall. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email, chat or phone at 855-675-0755 with your questions and ideas.
Author
Stephanie McClelland
Stephanie McClelland, M Ed, has led Missouri Online as Chief Online Learning Officer and Vice President of the University of Missouri System since February 2022. Before joining the UM System, she served as the Director of the Center for Instructional Design and Training for the University of Florida. A strong commitment to the promise of online learning in higher education has guided her career and education. She earned her master’s in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she honed expertise in digital instructional design, online instructor training and leadership.
