An appreciative inquiry of e-learning operations in a southern college of education.

摘要

Higher education, as an industry, is facing extraordinary fiscal constraints. Universities increasingly consider online education and its e-learning variants as a promise to solve these fiscal constraints while also supporting advances in pedagogy. Many universities promise quality education, yet questions loom about the quality of online learning programs given the pressure to offer such programs to resolve fiscal pressures. An appreciative inquiry approach to organizational development in the direction of e-learning has the capacity to conserve the quality of academics and generate interest in the transition. Appreciative inquiry offers a unique, strength-based perspective into quality e-learning operations in a College of Education. Through the first two phases of appreciative inquiry, participants' understandings were collected. Shelton's administration of quality online education programs categories also framed this investigation. This study employed a qualitative, emergent, single-case-study design and entailed inductive analysis. Results of the study indicated that the College offered a variety of e-learning design and teaching methods and operated with a decentralized power structure for e-learning, although centralized units offered some support. To further evolve operations, participants hoped for additional centralized support for seamless operations, including a clearer governance structure for faculty input and support, additional student support for outreach purposes, development of self-directed autonomous learners, and an agile continuous improvement system. Institutional support and collaboration should communicate the value of e-learning and extend the campus experience to online learners, thereby enhancing the University experience.