A Comparison of Generational Differences in Faculty Perceptions of Online versus Face-to-Face Professional Development – A Community College Case Study

Abstract

To increase student success, higher education needs highly-trained faculty who are prepared to meet the needs of today’s community college students. High-impact faculty professional development is vital to meet that need. With barriers to faculty attendance at traditional, synchronous trainings, leaders are considering alternative options. Using best practices of professional development and Knowles’ theory of andragogy, this quantitative study sought to compare faculty perceptions of learning between synchronous, face-to-face training and online, asynchronous professional development. Regardless of faculty generation, faculty reported a higher perception of learning and impact on their teaching in the online, asynchronous environment as compared to participating in professional development in the face-to-face, synchronous environment.

Keywords:

• Asynchronous professional development
• community college
• faculty
• online professional development
• professional development

Additional information

Funding

Permission to conduct research with human participants was granted by the Maryville University of St. Louis Institutional Review Board. IRB protocol #20-93.