Dr. Margie Crowe, Ed.D., Executive Director of Leadership and Professional Development, South College, Knoxville, TN
Distance education has transformed instruction and become a mainstream modality of learning. While this shift has made learning more accessible for students, it has also posed significant challenges for faculty members. Substantive interaction is crucial in distance education because it fosters meaningful engagement between students and instructors, ensuring that learning is active, personalized, and responsive. Unlike surface-level communication, substantive interaction involves regular, purposeful exchanges, such as feedback, discussions, and guidance that keep students motivated.
Faculty teaching in distance education encounter unique challenges that go beyond the traditional classroom. Adapting to new technologies, maintaining student engagement, and effectively assessing learning outcomes in a virtual environment are just a few hurdles. Despite these struggles, many strategies can help faculty develop solutions. From using interactive tools to foster student engagement to developing time management skills that work in a remote setting, faculty can find ways to thrive in the online teaching environment.
This article features a staff Q & A with Margie Crowe, Ed.D., Executive Director of Leadership and Professional Development, South College, Knoxville, TN. Dr. Crowe shares her insights and experiences on navigating the challenges of distance education, provides valuable tips on how to support faculty, and offers practical strategies for both new and experienced faculty members. From enhancing student engagement to balancing the demands of online teaching, her advice provides valuable guidance for educators.
What techniques can faculty utilize to promote substantive interaction and foster greater student engagement in a distance education classroom?
Faculty can promote substantive interaction and foster greater student engagement in a distance education classroom by incorporating interactive tools such as discussion boards, polls, and breakout rooms during live sessions to encourage active participation. In an asynchronous setting, faculty can offer collaborative activities, such as group projects or peer reviews, to build a sense of community and accountability among students. Utilizing multimedia resources—videos, quizzes, and real-world case studies—can make content more engaging and relatable, while regular, substantive, and personalized feedback via email or video comments helps students feel supported and connected. Having regular office hours and fostering informal check-ins through email or the LMS email platform can further enhance accessibility and rapport, ensuring students remain motivated and involved despite being geographically separated from an actual campus.
What’s the biggest challenge faculty face in online learning, and how do you recommend overcoming it?
I believe the biggest challenge faculty face in online learning is the tie between student engagement, student digital literacy, and the faculty’s own training and support in effective teaching strategies, all of which are equally critical. Student engagement can falter without intentional interaction, while gaps in digital literacy can hinder students’ ability to participate fully, and faculty may struggle without adequate preparation in online andragogy. To overcome this, institutions should implement purposeful faculty development programs that teach and develop meaningful engagement techniques, such as using interactive tools and fostering a sense of belonging, while also ensuring access to robust resources, such as a Faculty Resource Center. Pairing this with ongoing, real-time support, such as a helpdesk or peer mentoring, equips faculty to adapt and address these challenges effectively. It’s about creating a supportive culture where faculty are empowered to help all students succeed, regardless of their starting point.
How can faculty support students who may be struggling with the self-discipline required for distance learning?
This is a challenge that most, if not all, higher education institutions face. Supporting students who struggle with self-discipline in distance learning starts with embedding proactive strategies, such as teaching first-term students about metacognition (thinking about their thinking) and the difference between fixed and growth mindsets, to help them reflect on their habits and build resilience. Faculty can reinforce this by integrating time management skills into the curriculum and reminding students, through announcements or consistent outreach, that support services are there to help them succeed. Connecting coursework to their post-graduation goals, such as tying assignments to real-world skills in feedback or discussions, gives purpose to their efforts and may combat procrastination. Beyond that, personalized at-risk outreach, checking in daily or weekly, shows students we’re invested in their journey and encourages them to stay on track. It’s about meeting them where they are and guiding them with both structure and encouragement.
How can institutions support faculty transitioning from in-person to online teaching environments?
Reflecting on our rapid shift during the COVID shutdown, where most faculty went from in-person to online teaching in just days, institutions can support this transition by focusing on the essentials of an effective online learning environment. Faculty need training, both upfront and ongoing, to master the basics: being present for students despite the asynchronous nature, setting clear office hours, responding to emails within 24 hours, maintaining a professional setup for online meetings, reliable technology, timely and substantive assignment feedback, and connecting students with needed resources. Institutions should provide initial training courses on learning platforms and technology (e.g. Canvas, TurnItIn, etc.) and andragogy, followed by continuous support such as real-time tech helpdesks and peer mentoring to build confidence. Equipping faculty with resources helps them adapt quickly, while regular check-ins by supervisors ensure they feel supported in the transition.
What advice would you give to institutions looking to implement or improve their distance learning programs?
For institutions looking to implement or improve distance learning programs, I recommend adopting a robust academic analysis process like ours at South College, where we assess program efficacy by examining faculty performance against clear expectations, alongside course outcomes, to see how they drive student success. We have involved faculty alumni from our Leadership Academy in the academic analysis process by appointing them to an Academy Analysis Committee. In this committee, faculty analyze programs and practices, reviewing assignment feedback, student evaluations, pass rates, and retention trends to identify patterns of data behavior in order to suggest supports and adjustments to curriculum and/or teaching practices. Providing faculty with comprehensive training and ongoing support to align their teaching with program goals increases their ability to engage students effectively online. The academic analysis process is a continuous improvement cycle that keeps student outcomes at the core.