Faculty Satisfaction in LEEP: A Webbased Graduate Degree Program in Library and Information Science

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Faculty Satisfaction in LEEPA Web-based
Graduate Degree Program in Library and
Information Science

• Linda C. Smith
• Assisted by Sarai Lastra and Jennifer Robins
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Introduction
Library information science (LIS) education at
UIUC

• 1897 library science bachelors degree program
  
• began
• 1948 library science MS and PhD programs began
• 1996 LEEP site-independent enrollment option
  for
• MS in LIS
• 2000 - LEEP statistics
• 110 graduates to date
• 130 currently enrolled (all over U.S. and some
• abroad)
• 41 faculty have taught at least 1 course in
  LEEP

LEEP
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Introduction
Program Structure

• 10 unit/40 hour M.S. degree program
• 2 required courses (1.5 units), remainder
• elective
• students may enroll part-time or full-time
• courses conform to UIUC academic
• calendar
• start with on-campus boot camp in July
• or January
• focus on communication and community

LEEP
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Rationale
Motivation
1. Reach qualified students who are
place-bound 2. Experiment with new medium for
teaching and learning Opportunity to be a
leader in online graduate professional education
on campus and among peers
LEEP
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Rationale
Faculty involvement created LEEP
signature LEEP Library Education
Experimental Program
1. Accommodate 2 required courses 2. Provide
wide range of electives 3. Faculty responsible
for course design and delivery 4. Robust and
platform-independent technology 5. In-house
technology support staff 6. Required on-campus
time 7. Socialization into profession and
building learning community
LEEP
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Background Information
Students

• Adult learners, gt80 women
• Vary in age, prior education, prior work
  experience, prior
• technology experience, geographic location
• 1996 Cohort 1 31 students 25 Illinois (81)
• out-of-state AK, CT, MA, MI, NH, OR
• 2000 Cohort 5 55 students 12 Illinois (22)
• out-of-state AK, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID,
  IN, MA,
• MI, MN, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR,
  SD,
• TN, UT, WI, Virgin Islands, Italy, Saudi
  Arabia

LEEP
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Faculty
Background Information

• 41 to date
• 19 UIUC (17 GSLIS all ranks, 1 ILIR, 1 GSLIS
  professional staff)
• 22 adjuncts (all MS, many PhD, most prior
  teaching experience)

LEEP
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Faculty
Background Information

• LIS faculty (Maryland, Indiana, LIU,
  SUNY/Buffalo, Missouri, UNC-Chapel Hill,
  Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
• Academic librarians -- Brown, Bryn Mawr, UC-Santa
  Barbara, Missoui-Rolla, Yale
• Others consultants, corporate librarian, public
  librarian, university and professional society
  computing services

LEEP
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Staff support for faculty
Background Information

• Close collaboration with technology support staff
• GSLIS Instructional Technology Office
• Integrated support for LEEP and on-campus
• Two full-time staff (MS in LIS), 4 graduate
  assistants
• Course development, training, troubleshooting,
  manage synchronous sessions, evaluate new
  technology
• Small number of courses have teaching assistants

LEEP
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Enrollment
Background Information

• 130 MS students most part-time take 2 years to
  complete
• 20-25 average enrollment per course
• 11-12 LEEP courses fall and spring 5 in summer
• gt95 retention

LEEP
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Technology and Infrastructure
Method

• Work on multiple platforms, reliable/robust,
  realistic bandwidth demands for students
  connecting from home
• GSLIS IT staff development of virtual classroom
  environment

LEEP
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Technology and Infrastructure
Method

• Virtual classroom environment
• asynchronous discussion via bulletin boards
• live synchronous session interactivity --
  RealAudio with simultaneous navigation of slides,
  text chat, chalkboard, break out rooms
• archive of live sessions
• collaborative document creating and editing using
  SiteEdit

LEEP
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Content delivery (32 different courses to date)
Method

• Common set of tools but no single model for
  course
• Assessment of student performance -- based on
  class discussion, presentations, individual and
  group written assignments

LEEP
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Content delivery
Method

• Common tools, multiple models
• Syllabus, assignments, electronic reserves
• Asynchronous discussion -- faculty structure
  bulletin boards and guide discussion
• Live synchronous sessions in weekly two-hour time
  slot -- faculty determine how often to hold
  required sessions, live office hours
• Face-to-face session -- 1-2 days on-campus

LEEP
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Evaluation and performance indicators
Results

• MS program re-accredited January 1998
• high retention
• high ratings of several courses on formal course
  evaluations
• successful placement of graduates
• technology transfer to on-campus courses by
  faculty

LEEP
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Survey of LEEP Faculty
Results

• Experience of Faculty Teaching in LEEP
• Technology and instructional design support
• Class profile
• Available technology and modes of teaching
• Comparison to on-campus teaching
• Technology transfer
• Time management
• Evaluating student work
• Access to resources
• Sharing lessons learned

LEEP
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Factors related to satisfaction GSLIS full-time
faculty
Results

• 1. Involvement of faculty in program
• planning
• 2. Close alignment with research interests
• 3. Extending the reach of the M.S. degree
• program

LEEP
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Factors related to satisfaction all faculty
Results

• 1. Strong technology support for faculty and
  students
• 2. LEEP program structure fosters a learning
  community
• 3. Face-to-face and synchronous time in each
  course
• 4. Administrative recognition of the demands of
  teaching online
• 5. Characteristics of the student body and
  quality of student performance
• 6. Availability of a range of tools with freedom
  to decide how to use them
• 7. Control over class size
• 8. Quality of communication with students

LEEP
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Factors related to dissatisfaction
Results

• 1. Challenges of integrating on-campus and LEEP
  students in the same class
• 2. Limited opportunities to share experiences
  and learn from others teaching in LEEP
• 3. Challenges of time management
• 4. Lack of substantial face-to-face contact with
  students
• 5. Need for advance planning
• 6. Constraints on resources available to
  students
• 7. Incomplete formal student feedback on courses

LEEP
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LEEP
Conclusion
For most faculty teaching in LEEP, the sources of
satisfaction far outweigh factors contributing to
dissatisfaction. Faculty who experience the joys
of research as they discover new knowledge now
also have the opportunity to experience a similar
sense of discovery as they experiment with new
ways of teaching.
Linda C. Smith lcsmith_at_uiuc.edu Sarai Lastra
lastra_at_uiuc.edu Jennifer Robins
jrobins_at_uiuc.edu