The Isolation of Online Adjunct Faculty and its Impact on their Performance

dc.creator	Véra Dolan
dc.date	2011-02-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:15:32Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:15:32Z
dc.identifier	1492-3831
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/cb1b80d17f0b4120af165681acaccbcd
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/17716
dc.description	Using a grounded theory qualitative research approach, this article examines the experiences of 28 adjunct faculty members who work at the same university, exploring their views on whether periodically meeting face-to-face with management and peers has the potential to affect their motivation on the job and consequently the quality of education they provide to students. A few management representatives also shared their perspectives on the phenomenon; this enabled the researcher to compare the views of these two populations on whether face-to-face contact among faculty enhances teaching performance. The results of this study suggest a few issues that online schools must address in their efforts to improve adjuncts’ sense of affiliation and loyalty to their institution, which in turn will positively affect student retention levels. The main issues of concern to adjunct faculty are (a) inadequate frequency and depth of communication, regardless of the means used, whether online or face-to-face; (b) lack of recognition of instructors’ value to the institution; and (c) lack of opportunities for skill development.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Athabasca University
dc.relation	http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/793/1691
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1492-3831
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 12, Iss 1 (2011)
dc.subject	Adjunct faculty
dc.subject	affiliation
dc.subject	isolation
dc.subject	loyalty
dc.subject	organizational commitment
dc.subject	psychological isolation
dc.subject	sense of community
dc.subject	social capital
dc.subject	trust
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	The Isolation of Online Adjunct Faculty and its Impact on their Performance
dc.type	article