Understanding how facilitators adapt to needs of STEM faculty in online learning communities: a case study

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Faculty Professional Development
• Online Learning Communities

Background:

• Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) and Faculty Online Learning Communities (FOLCs) support STEM faculty in adopting research-based curricula.
• Facilitators in these communities guide discussions and share expertise.
• Facilitator roles must adapt as members' needs shift from logistical to pedagogical concerns, yet mechanisms for facilitator change are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanisms of change in faculty facilitators within a STEM Faculty Online Learning Community.
• To demonstrate the utility of a teacher change model in understanding facilitator professional growth.

Main Methods:

• Adapted the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to guide the study.
• Conducted interviews with FOLC facilitators, selecting one case facilitator for in-depth analysis.
• Analyzed 2 years of FOLC meeting transcripts and facilitator reflections using developed coding schemes based on identified change themes.

Main Results:

• The case facilitator shifted from an "expert" role to drawing more on collective expertise.
• Facilitation strategies changed, with less frequent direct intervention and more encouragement of member sharing.
• Group discussions evolved from logistical to more pedagogical topics.

Conclusions:

• The adapted IMPG effectively illustrates facilitator change and supporting factors.
• The methodology provides a framework for studying professional growth in similar contexts.
• Findings offer insights and suggestions for supporting facilitators in faculty communities.