More than 30 percent of all students in higher education are now taking at least one online education course (Allen & Seaman, 2017). The need for adjunct nursing faculty to teach courses in an online format is great, yet they often lack initial preparation and the continued support they need to teach online effectively and efficiently. These obstacles were eliminated through the development of an onboarding program supported by a faculty learning community (FLC) and professional development workshops. The combination of these efforts supports faculty at various stages of their professional development and allows for collaborative exchange.

BACKGROUND

Currently, there is a national nurse faculty vacancy rate of 7.9 percent (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017), and the shortage is expected to grow due to an increased number of faculty retirements looming in the near future. Shrinking operational budgets, dwindling endowments, and decreasing financial resources are among the many crises faced by colleges. In these situations, the use of adjunct faculty is viewed as a necessary and cost-effective strategy for advancing the educational mission (Kenton, 2014).

With the increasing use of adjunct faculty, resources are needed to support their transition to the online teaching role. Although programs and processes have been suggested for onboarding and support (Brannagan & Oriol, 2014), there is a lack of focus on the use of online faculty with differing levels of experience to construct learning together (Roth, 2014). When online processes are suggested (Fura & Symanski, 2014), the focus is on content delivery rather than developing a community of educators interacting to concentrate on teaching and learning.

Teaching in online environments requires distinct skills and pedagogical understanding (Thomas, 2013). Nurse faculty with prior teaching experience described specific issues when transitioning to the online realm, including unexpected time demands, inability to utilize known techniques and resources, and the need for support and training (Sword, 2012). This disconnect mirrors Benner's (2001) novice to expert theory; educators without a clear understanding of online pedagogy operationalize "knowing how" but not "knowing that" as online pedagogy and face-to-face pedagogy are quite different.

Although mentoring, peer support, and dialogue are recommended ways to identify professional development needs of faculty teaching online (Sword, 2012), adjunct faculty do not necessarily have these resources in place. Barriers for accessing professional development include distance, variable teaching schedules, and lack of funding. Adjunct faculty often work for several different employers, placing conflicting demands on their time (Brannagan & Oriol, 2014; Fura & Symanski, 2014).

IDENTIFYING ADJUNCT FACULTY NEEDS

A survey was developed to extract adjunct faculty learning needs with regard to online teaching. The survey was developed using Qualtrics^(R) software and was sent to all active adjunct faculty via email. Various needs were identified including pedagogy, course management, digital courseware, time management, and available resources. Basic needs related to pedagogy and use of the learning management system (LMS) were addressed with the creation of an FLC, with plans to include continuing professional development as the adjunct faculty group evolved.

All full-time faculty members teaching online were invited to participate in the development of the FLC. A self-identified group of online, full-time faculty constructed modules in the LMS shell based on feedback from the needs assessment. Content for the FLC shell was created over several months; full-time faculty worked individually and in teams to construct robust content areas addressing expressed learning needs.

The group met monthly for review and feedback on the content created. Once the content areas were completed, the FLC shell was beta-tested with a group of online adjunct and full-time faculty who had not been part of the creation of the resources. This faculty group was asked which resources and activities they found helpful and to provide comments on any components they found missing. Data from the survey were analyzed, and no significant changes were needed.

FLC STRUCTURE

The FLC shell contains a total of seven modules: a faculty corner, adjunct faculty resources, digital courseware, Blackboard Learn, Collaborate Ultra, Turnitin Direct, and writing and APA resources (see example in Supplemental Digital Content, Figure 1, available at http://links.lww.com/NEP/A80).

* A variety of resources are available in the faculty corner, including the academic calendar, advisor lists, and the process for incomplete grades.

* The adjunct faculty resource module contains the university resource guide for adjunct faculty, job descriptions, availability of campus meeting spaces, and benefits for adjunct faculty.

* Course-specific digital courseware can be found in its own module; ApprenNet and Shadow Health are examples.

* The modules for Blackboard Learn, Collaborate Ultra, and Turnitin Direct contain information used throughout all online courses in the college.

Adjunct faculty can access these modules for videos and PDF instructions for daily use and troubleshooting as needed. The writing and APA resources module contains tutorials, tables, and templates that can be used as points of reference when grading papers and projects.

Once the FLC was opened for adjunct faculty use and a faculty member engaged with the FLC shell, a survey was launched to collect data concerning its utility. The results of the survey suggest adjunct faculty found the faculty corner most helpful, followed by Blackboard Learn, Turnitin, and writing and APA. Suggestions from those surveyed include increasing flexibility of member-to-member engagement, direct communication with course chairs within the FLC, and more content activities regarding online education and student engagement theories. Based on this evaluation, a discussion board was added to the LMS shell to promote active discourse between adjunct and full-time faculty. Full-time faculty volunteer to man the discussion on a monthly basis.

Continued learning for adjunct faculty on the pedagogy of online learning is a priority for ensuring quality student education. All adjunct faculty have the opportunity to attend online sessions on the topic of e-learning presented by experts in the field of distance education. Sessions are offered quarterly and focus on best practices, use of new digital courseware, accessibility in the online environment, copyright regulations, and learner engagement.

CONCLUSION

The FLC is created by members and provides an environment where adjunct faculty can access information and interact with colleagues. Interaction is possible through utilization of the discussion board feature, which provides a space for all faculty to share and exchange information and resources. The initial FLC space is populated with resources and activities identified by the current adjunct faculty pool; it will continue to be updated based on future requirements.

Along with feeling supported and connected to other online faculty, adjunct faculty remark that being able to find resources using the FLC increases their efficiency and creates a feeling of independence. Full-time faculty have commented on the ease of supplying information to adjunct faculty. Rather than providing information to one adjunct at a time or just supplying information and diverting time from their own work, full-time faculty focus their interactions on adjunct faculty development. Importantly, adjunct faculty have the resources they need at their fingertips.

Full-time faculty have learned important lessons related to the maintenance of the FLC. As technology advances are made and informational resources change, review and revision of the FLC by full-time faculty needs to be assured. This is not always an easy process given busy full-time faculty roles. Suggested practice is to complete a full review of the currency of the FLC every four months, and it is best if one or two full-time faculty are assigned to oversee this process. Maintaining the effectiveness of the FLC is crucial and hinges on systematically updating information and responding to suggestions and needs of community members.

An unanticipated struggle was the need to make certain that new adjunct faculty were added to the FLC in a timely manner. Alignment with hiring practices is key to successful integration of all adjunct faculty. Developing a procedure for this with a checklist is recommended. By extending the focus of faculty resources to faculty interaction and engagement, a true community of educators can emerge.

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