VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STEM FACULTY: PROMOTING CHANGE WHILE SUPPORTING FACULTY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Virtual professional development (PD) is an effective approach for promoting use of evidence-based practices that support student success. The SAGE 2YC Faculty as Change Agents Cohort 3 project provides an example of a successful all-virtual PD program, building on work with previous cohorts. Forty-seven two-year college STEM faculty (full-time and adjunct), working in 17 teams from two-year colleges around the country, are participating in the program. The PD focuses on strategies for supporting the academic success of all students, broadening participation, and facilitating students’ career pathways. The all-virtual program started with a workshop of 12 activities from January to April consisting of asynchronous work, synchronous meetings, and a webinar on course-level outcomes data. Campus teams developed and received peer and leader feedback on action plans addressing goals for their program or department. In the June workshop, faculty teams shared their course-level student outcomes data and action plans, explored topics of interest, and began designing fall workshops for their campuses. Fall PD consists of virtual discussion series (book clubs, journal clubs, and implementation groups). Discussion boards and Zoom breakout rooms provide asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for participants to share ideas, questions, and strategies. Faculty Change Agents from Cohorts 1 and 2 are engaged as Peer Leaders, contributing to the Spring workshop, leading sessions in the June workshop, and leading the fall discussion series.

The program was already underway before massive shifts to remote teaching occurred due to COVID-19. Change Agents reported being able to make the transition to remote teaching more easily given their familiarity with online platforms and tools, including how to employ active learning strategies in a virtual environment. The spring and summer workshops included small group discussions, jigsaws, a gallery tour, polls, chat, and end-of activity reflections. Participants report that the PD provides a sense of community, stability and structure; recognition that they face similar issues; and teaching strategies they could apply immediately. Effective virtual professional development is a powerful approach for moving strategies that support student success into wider use.