Online Teaching Competencies

This week, as many faculty are finalizing their courses, I would like to share SoTL research on the topic of online teaching competencies. Historically, many of us may not have taught online, however it seems following the pandemic, online courses for one reason or another have become as most of us are teaching at least one course online. So, this week's paper is entitled, “A systematic review of online teaching competencies in higher education (HE) context: A multilevel model for professional development” by Chaharbashloo et al. (2024). The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and categorize online teaching competencies in HE and to propose a conceptual model for creating professional learning opportunities. 

Following a systematic search in Web of Science and Scopus between the years 1993 to 2023, 77 eligible articles were chosen and analyzed through content analysis. A total of 106 competencies were identified under seven overarching dimensions. The dimensions of effective online teaching included (# out of 77 articles/# out of 106 competencies):

1. Knowledge of distance learning and technology (55/18)

2. Planning, designing and organizing electronic courses (53/20)

3. Facilitation of discussion (49/21)

4. Social interaction and communication (50/16)

5. Managerial and administration (38/12)

6. Assessing the learning and evaluating the course (37/11)

7. Ability to reflect and teach reflectively (9/8)

The authors created a model indicating that effective online teaching is the result of interaction and support of faculty and the university. In the model, the first level addresses online teaching  competencies based on their level of importance and difficulty of acquisition, in terms of four major dimensions:

1. Reflection (before, during and after); 

2. Procedural (facilitation, social presence, communication); 

3. Pedagogy (course planning, designing and evaluation; and  

4. Technology.

The second level of the model pertains to the creation of professional community and

collaborative learning groups among the faculty to exchange ideas. The third level is related to the organizational culture of the university with respect to online teaching.

Reflection seems to be the driving engine, which the authors suggest be included in PD. Improving reflection can improve the teaching skills and consequently improve teaching and learning. Instructors can eventually integrate technical knowledge with pedagogic knowledge, according to their teaching environment (Akram et al., 2021). 

Finally, the authors It is important to note that designing e-learning courses is a team process in  which the instructor collaborates alongside  others, including instructional designers, technical assistants, graphic designers, and computer specialists. A single faculty member can/should not  be expected to acquire all of these competencies to develop an effective online learning experience.

References

Chaharbashloo, H., Talebzadeh, H., Largani, M., & Amirian, S.  (2024). A systematic review of online teaching competencies in higher education (HE) context: A multilevel model for professional development. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 19(14), 1-43. 

Akram, H., Yingxiu, Y., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Alkhalifah, A. (2021). Technology integration in higher education during COVID-19: An assessment of online teaching competencies through technological pedagogical content knowledge model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.