Faculty+Role+Change

Learning Technology Center IRB Proposal **INTERVIEW GUIDE** **Description of the Research Study**

Researcher introduces him/herself and explains professional background and interest in hybrid teaching and faculty development.

Script: //Thank you for agreeing to be part of our research study. The purpose of this study is to learn about faculty experiences teaching hybrid courses that combine face-to-face with online instruction. The information will provide guidance for faculty who want to teach using the hybrid method and to faculty developers who need to provide guidance to these instructors. As explained in your e-mail, this interview will take about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. If it takes longer, we will be happy to schedule a second interview. We understand your time is very valuable. I also need your verbal permission to tape the interview for transcription purposes. So **may I tape record this interview?** As the consent form explains, we will keep your responses confidential. Do you have any questions before we begin?//

**Knowledge Stage (Awareness)**
 * 1. || How long ago did you become aware of the hybrid course format? ||
 * 2. || How did you become aware of the hybrid format? What did you think about it at first? ||
 * 3. || Did you incorporate online teaching activities into your classes prior to teaching your first hybrid course? If so, what were they? ||

**Persuasion Stage (Interest)**
 * 4. || What led you to consider the possibility of using the hybrid format for **your own** course? ||
 * 5. || What did you hope you could achieve using the hybrid format? ||

**Decision Stage (Evaluation)**
 * 6. || What were the reasons that finally persuaded you to use the hybrid format? ||
 * 7. || How do you continue to receive information about using and improving the hybrid format? ||

//Script: An instructor needs to take on many roles when teaching a hybrid course. So for next set of interview questions I will briefly describe four roles and ask you how you experienced these roles in a hybrid course in comparison to the traditional or online environment. These roles are pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical.//

**Pedagogical Role:** The design and delivery of a variety of //instructional activities// to facilitate student learning (ie: lecture, discussion, group work, assignments). Basically, this is how you developed the course and how you taught it. First I will ask about the design of your course and then how you taught it.

__Instructional Design__
 * 8. || Can you describe your experience converting your course to the hybrid format? IF ALSO TAUGHT ONLINE: How did your experience designing a hybrid course compare to designing an online course? ||
 * 9. || How did you decide what course activities should be presented online versus face-to-face? Please explain some of your online and face-to-face activities. ||
 * 10. || What are the challenges? How do you deal with those challenges? ||
 * 11. || What are the benefits of having both online and face-to-face learning activities? (NOTE: BE SURE TO PROBE ABOUT BOTH ENVIRONMENTS SINCE FACULTY TEND TO FOCUS ON THE NEWER ONLINE ACTIVITIES). ||
 * 12. || What advice would you give to faculty who are converting a traditional course to the hybrid environment? ||

__Teaching__
 * 13. || How does your role as a teacher in the hybrid course compare or differ with your role as a teacher in the face-to-face classroom? IF ALSO TAUGHT ONLINE: The online classroom? ||
 * 14. || What are the challenges of teaching in the hybrid environment? How did you deal with those challenges? ||
 * 15. || What do you think are the benefits to teaching in a hybrid environment? ||
 * 16. || What advice would you give to new faculty to regarding teaching in a hybrid course? ||

**Social Roles**: The creation of an //environment// that supports a community of learning. This involves the communication and interaction between you and your students and the students with other members of the course, including group activities.
 * 17. || With respect to communication and interaction between you and your students, how does your experience in the hybrid course compare to that in the traditional classroom? IF TAUGHT ONLINE: How does this compare to an online course? ||
 * 18. || What are the challenges? How do you deal with these challenges? ||
 * 19. || With respect to communication and interaction in a hybrid course, what are the benefits of using the hybrid format? PROBE: If you have group activities, how is group communication affected by both online and face-to-face interaction?) IF TAUGHT ONLINE: How does this compare with the communication and interaction in a totally online course? ||
 * 20. || What advice would you give to new faculty regarding creating a learning environment in a hybrid course? ||

**Managerial Role:** Managing a hybrid course requires balancing the organization of both the online and face-to-face environments. This includes scheduling class meeting times, reading and responding to student communication and assignments, assessments, deadlines, etc.
 * 21. || What was your experience balancing and managing these aspects of instruction in a hybrid course? How did this compare to a traditional course IF TAUGHT ONLINE: An online course? ||
 * 22. || What are the challenges regarding the organization and management of a hybrid course? How did you deal with those challenges ||
 * 23. || Are there some positives about organizing and managing a hybrid course, for example not having all the classes face-to-face and organizing the course content, communication, scheduling, etc.)? IF NEED TO PROBE: Ask how the course management system helped to organize their hybrid course. ||
 * 24. || What advice would you give to faculty regarding organizing and managing a hybrid course? ||

**Technological Role:** Using the technology in your class or assisting participants with the technology (such as the computer, course management system, or other technology used in your hybrid course).
 * 25. || What did you experience with technology issues with your hybrid course? ||
 * 26. || What are the challenges? How did you deal with those challenges? ||
 * 27. || What advice would you give faculty regarding using the technology in their hybrid course? IF NEED TO PROBE: What advice would you give to those who are apprehensive about using technology or those who are very experienced/or like to use technology? ||

**Implementation Stage (Trial)**
 * 28. || After teaching hybrid course(s), what would you do differently the next time you teach such a course? Please explain why. ||

**Confirmation Stage (Adoption)**
 * 29. || NEW FACULTY: Do you plan to teach using the hybrid format again? Why or why not? OR EXPERIENCED FACULTY: Why do you continue to teach using the hybrid format? ||
 * 30. || You gave advice for each of the roles to new faculty. But what is the most important advice you would give colleagues preparing to teach their first hybrid course? ||

**Debriefing (advice for faculty and faculty developers)**
 * 31. || What could have been provided to you during your faculty development training that would have made the implementation of your hybrid course more efficient and effective? ||
 * 32. || EXPERIENCED FACULTY: Now that you are an experienced hybrid instructor, do you have any additional needs regarding hybrid course design or teaching? ||
 * 33. || Anything else you would like to share that we haven’t discussed? ||

**Faculty Development Clarification (if needed)** Can you clarify and explain in more detail what you wrote in the electronic survey you filled out regarding:
 * a. |||| What you wish you would have known before teaching a hybrid course. ||
 * b. |||| ANY THING ELSE WOULD LIKE CLARIFIED FROM THE SURVEY ||

Would you mind sharing your syllabus?

//Script: Thank you very much for your time. You shared valuable information that will help both faculty and faculty developers.// **Probing Questions** (Based on Kvale, 1996)

What happened and how did it happen? How did you feel then? What did you experience? What happened in the episode you mentioned? Could you say something more about that? Can you give me a more detailed description of what happened? Do you have any further examples of this? You mentioned previously something about ________, would you please try and say more about that? **Specific Questions**

What did you think then? How did you react? **Interpreting Questions**

You then mean that… Is it correct that you ___ that… Does the expression_________ cover what you have just expressed?

**SECOND CONTACT WITH PARTICIPANTS: ONCE ANALYSIS IS DONE**

Show participants the synthesis of what they said.

//Script: Please review. Does this summary and descriptions accurately reflect your experience? Feel free to make any changes or additions.//
 * 1. |||| After reviewing this information, do you have additional advice for other faculty considering the hybrid method? ||


 * 2. |||| Do you have more advice for faculty developers when training instructors on how to use the hybrid method? ||

Any other comments you want to make?

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