Using videoconferencing mediated mentoring to support an adjunct faculty
Main Article Content
Abstract
Mentoring is an effective way to orient new employees to an organization’s work climate. Many colleges operating in multiple locations and providing programs for working adults through evening classes rely on the expertise of adjunct faculty to provide instructional methods. The research literature about mentoring in a higher education context mainly focuses on mentoring full time faculty members. Therefore, this case study is believed to address the gap as it focuses on understanding the mentoring of adjunct faculty. The researchers of the present study believe that utilizing videoconferencing as a tool to mentor new adjunct faculty could be beneficial in the context of any college serving in multiple sites. The purpose of the study is to (a) to determine if videoconferencing is an effective tool in mentoring adjunct faculty, and (b) to determine if videoconferencing mediated mentoring (VMM) is effective for full time faculty in disseminating the strategies and skills to qualified adjunct faculty. VMM implemented in the study includes essential segments – pre-course professional development section, interim course hands-on training and support section, and the post course section to evaluate findings. Data analysis through mentor and mentee logs and surveys proved that VMM is a valuable medium to utilize for training purposes. This type of technology provides a platform for the full time faculty member to build a professional relationship and share the standard of excellence for a given field of study to new adjunct faculty member.
Downloads
Article Details
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology (JoTLT) right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, (CC-BY) 4.0 International, allowing others to share the work with proper acknowledgement and citation of the work's authorship and initial publication in JoTLT.
- Authors are able to enter separate, additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in JoTLT.
- In pursuit of manuscripts of the highest quality, multiple opportunities for mentoring, and greater reach and citation of JoTLT publications, JoTLT encourages authors to share their drafts to seek feedback from relevant communities unless the manuscript is already under review or in the publication queue after being accepted. In other words, to be eligible for publication in JoTLT, manuscripts should not be shared publicly (e.g., online), while under review (after being initially submitted, or after being revised and resubmitted for reconsideration), or upon notice of acceptance and before publication. Once published, authors are strongly encouraged to share the published version widely, with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in JoTLT.
References
adjunct 1 a-j(k)t. (2004). In Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.moc.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/mwcollegiate/adjunct_1_a_j_k_t
Anderson, D. C. (2007). Mentoring new adjunct faculty to teach science laboratories. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 18 (2), 61-78.
Bergman, D. M. (2011). A study of adjunct faculty (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2011/bergmann/BergmannD0811.pdf
Bryant-Shanklin, M., & Brumage, W. N. (2011). Collaborative responsive education mentoring: Mentoring for professional development in higher education. Florida Journal of Educational Administration & Policy, 5(1), 42-53.
Budge, S. (2006). Peer mentoring in post-secondary education: Implications for research and practice. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 37(1), 73-87.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1999). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine De Gruyter.
Hare, C., & Eaton , S. (2010, January). Evaluation of videoconferencing pilot project: Educating for volunteer literacy tutors for speakers of English as an additional language (EAL)- An ICCAN pilot project in collaboration with rural routes. Retrieved from EBSCO host.
Kent, A. M., & Simpson, J. L. (2010). Interactive videoconferencing: Connecting theory to practice for preservice teachers. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 27(1), 12-21. doi:10.1080/21532974.2010.10784652
Knight, S. L., Pedersen, S., & Peters, W. (2004). Connecting the university with a professional development school: Pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward the use of compressed video. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 12(1), 139-155.
Knippelmeyer, S. A., & Torraco, R. J. (2007, March). Mentoring as a developmental tool for higher education. Paper presented at the Academy of Human Resource Development International Research Conference in The Americas, Indianapolis, IN.
Loureiro-Koechlin, C., & Allan, B. (2010). Time, space and structure in an e-learning and ementoring project. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 721-735. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00975.x
Meixner, C., & Kruck, S. E. (2010). Inclusion of faculty for the benefit of faculty and students. College Teaching, 58, 141-147. doi:10.1080/87567555.2010.484032
Melnyk, B. (2012). The role of technology in enhancing evidence-based practice, education, health care quality, and patient outcomes: A call for randomized controlled trials and Comparative. effectiveness research. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing 9(2), 63-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-6787.2012.00245.x
Nudell, D., Roth, B., & Saxowsky, D. (2005). Non-traditional extension education using videoconferencing. Journal of Extension Education, 43(1). Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2005february/tt3.shtml
Ritzel, D. O. (2010). International videoconferencing: A reaction to Burke et al. American Journal of Health Education, 41(1), 62-64. doi:10.1080/19325037.2010.10599128
Saurino, D. R. et al. (1999, March). Preparing science teachers using distance learning: Urban and rural students collaborate using video teleconferencing (VTEL) technology. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Boston, MA.
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Zelles, D. F., Howard, V. M., & Barcic, M. A. (2008). Faculty mentoring programs: Reenvisioning rather than reinventing the wheel. Review of Educational Research, 78(3), 552588. doi:10.3102/0034654308320966