Traditional university instruction is part of a well-established tradition that has remained largely unchanged over time. Becoming an instructor in this environment has meant conforming to teaching standards that have also remained largely unchanged. A college professor is partnered with someone who is a subject matter expert, likely to achieve tenure, and have dual roles as instructor and researcher. They are expected to be published authors of academic journal articles that have been peer-reviewed and have contributed insights to their field. While this form of education and instructor still exists, there is another academic institution that has also been established and that is an online college and university.
For a modern form of online education, you probably won’t find any position that is tagged as a teacher. Most online colleges hire adjuncts, and many refer to their instructors as facilitators. Some colleges expect their instructors to complete annual professional development requirements, but that rarely includes publishing peer-reviewed journal articles. What is needed now more than ever is a new category of educator, one that meets the needs of the students who participate in this modern form of education. Now is also the time for online universities to embrace this new form of instructors, those who can be called Modern Educators.
From traditional to online teaching
The traditional format for educating students is the lecture-led class. The instructor delivers information to the students and they must demonstrate what they have learned through various assessments. They know that their instructor or professor is an expert on the particular topic of their class. This method of instruction is the same style used in elementary education and is teacher-centered. As technology brought new possibilities to the field of education, a new format developed: online courses and online degrees. At first, traditional educators taught these courses, but over time that has changed, especially as adjuncts filled most of the instructional roles. Now that online degree programs and online schools had become fully established in the field of education, a new breed of educator was also emerging.
Evolution to modern teaching
With the growth of online learning came the need to hire a large volume of instructors. Some online universities have classes that start weekly and others offer courses that start monthly. Adjunct hiring was the answer and most jobs teaching undergraduate students have been filled by instructors who have a master’s degree in the subject field they were teaching. Over time, the number of instructors qualified to teach online has grown substantially, and many adjunct positions now require a Ph.D. What has contributed to the increase in the pool of available online instructors is fluctuating enrollment numbers, the limited number of full-time online instructor positions, and the increase in degree specializations, especially those related to online teaching. line. There are also many online schools that offer online teaching specializations and those students who complete their master’s degree are added to the pool. It is estimated that there are almost two million online adjunct instructors currently teaching courses online.
Requirements for online teaching may also include continuing education. Most online universities require some form of annual professional development. Those universities generally offer workshops and training courses as a means of meeting this requirement. Scholarly journal publishing can be used to help meet professional development requirements, but most schools do not require it. These modern teachers also differ from a college professor in the way they are allowed to present themselves in the classroom. An online instructor is often referred to as a facilitator and this position is rarely referred to as a teacher, although some instructors refer to themselves as a teacher to establish their position in the learning process. Many online colleges tell their professors to use their first name to create an informal and approachable image, even if the professor has a Ph.D.
An example of a modern educator
Within the field of online education there is a significant difference between the types of educators. There are those with a master’s degree who can teach undergraduate courses, and there are those with doctoral degrees who can teach both undergraduate and graduate students. For those schools that offer doctoral programs, there may still be an expectation that instructors will be posted in a similar fashion to a college professor. But there is a need for a new standard. If traditional learning methods don’t apply to online education, then traditional instructor qualifications shouldn’t apply to online educators either. Now is the time for a new category of instruction, referred to as a modern educator.
My work as an educator has evolved from traditional university teaching to online teaching and now I have become a modern educator. Instead of spending months (or possibly longer) trying to get published in an academic journal, I publish articles online. Instead of my work being available only to those who have access to and read academic journals, I now have the opportunity to reach a wider audience. My work is available as soon as I write it and post it and most importantly I understand how to use social media. I am connected to an international base of educators, universities, and students through the use of social media.
Through social networks it is possible to share ideas and resources, along with online articles, blog posts and other intellectual contributions. This also applies to the transformation of the publishing process. Instead of waiting to find a publisher and going the traditional publishing route, I have self-published eBooks. This has allowed me to become very involved in the field of education and has redefined what it means to be a university instructor. Becoming a modern educator indicates what online instructors should engage in and what online schools should develop as a requirement for their professional development.
Steps to become a modern educator
Whether you have a master’s or a Ph.D., if you teach courses online, you need professional development. But this should be about more than taking a workshop: it must involve making an intellectual contribution. In addition, the work of a modern educator must also be involved in some kind of social or professional network. Here are some steps you can take and strategies you can use to become a modern day educator.
#1. Write a blog – This provides a platform to share your experience and summarize your knowledge. As you continue to research your areas of professional interest, you can include what you’ve learned through your blog posts. There are numerous free resources that will allow you to create and share your blog, such as Word Press.
#2. Write Articles Online – Instead of taking the time to write and submit articles to academic journals, which may always be an option for you, find a resource that allows you to publish articles online. The articles you write, which build on your knowledge and experience, will allow you to reach a wider audience, refine your writing skills, and establish yourself as a subject matter expert. I use Ezine Articles, which is an article marketing database.
#3. Use Social Media – All online educators need to learn how to establish their presence through technology. It makes sense that if you work in a technology-enabled environment, you should also know how to participate in online communities. LinkedIn provides a means to network professionally, find groups that match your interests, and even find jobs online. Twitter can connect you with an international base of educators, students, and universities, providing a place to share resources.
#4. Build a website – If you find that you are very ambitious and want to build more than just a blog, you can also build your own website. This would be a place to house the resources you have created, which could be shared with educators and students. There are free web hosting services available and others that charge a small fee.
#5. Writing eBooks: The field of publishing has changed, and now authors are taking back control by making their books available in eBook format. Kindle and Nook devices are the most popular devices. Kobo is another device that is gaining popularity because it can be used on mobile devices like Blackberry. You’ll likely need to hire someone to format the book, sign up for an account to distribute your eBook, and once it’s ready, you’ll be able to have it available in a relatively short period of time.
Maintain a modern educator status
A Modern Educator is someone who does more than teach online. They are active in the field of education and their chosen subject. They know how to teach using technological tools and participate in a virtual community of other educators through social networks. The Modern Educator is also conducting research and making intellectual contributions through technological means. The work they post is done through technology-enabled resources and made immediately available to their target audience. They know how to use social media to promote their work and share resources with other educators and students.
The time has come for the modern educator mindset to become the standard for online learning. Instruction has been adapted in format from traditional to online, as has the instructor. It is also important that online schools and recruitment specialists recognize the new modern Educator. This is someone who has likely taught at multiple institutions due to fluctuating enrollments and staff changes; however, what matters most is his continued professional development and his intellectual contributions. The most desirable candidate for an online teaching position is someone with a more than extensive job as an online educator. She is someone who can also use technological tools as a means to publish her work and connect with other educators. A Modern Educator is the new university professor and the most prepared to teach through the use of technology.