Wicks Guidance Committee Meeting 3.13.

13 Research Statement We must devote attention to adjunct faculty development to facilitate professional success and retention in the role (Watts & Hammons, 2002) as these individuals constitute a significant proportion of our workforce at community colleges and directly impact the student experience. A formalized orientation (Baker, 2010), ongoing socialization (Cejda, 2010), and ongoing professional development are critical components for the retention and success of our adjunct faculty members (Bojarczyk, 2008). It seems natural to explore technology-facilitated options that can be distance-deployed to meet a broader adjunct audience in providing ongoing support, yet there remains a dearth of peer-reviewed literature focused specifically on effective, technology-facilitated socialization and development efforts for the general adjunct audience. Two approaches that have potential for the socialization and development of our adjunct faculty members are the use of social media and the use of digital badges. Academics are slowly beginning to turn to social media to supplement their scholarship, networking, and professional development (Gruzd, Staves, & Wilk, 2012; NAESP, 2011). It seems natural to consider the potential of these tools in fostering a sense of community and timely support. Additionally, digital badges have become a popular method of ongoing development. Badges can serve as a motivator for the learner to prepare for future contributions, as recognition for milestones such as longevity or cross-training, and as an indicator of career-specific milestones such as levels within a title or certain knowledge and skill sets (Pontefract, 2012). Though fairly radical, weve seen the rise of alternate models of education from respected institutions such as The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who launched MITx just last year (Young, 2012). MITx is an online system that allows students to view MIT course materials and complete online tests for certificates of completion. This concept is not so totally different from open badges. Open badging is a system of digital artifacts referencing necessary demonstrated capabilities or experience. Any entity may become the issuer of a badge and any individual may become an earner of that badge through demonstrated competency. However, it is clear that only those developing a scalable, sound design along with a community of support will persist.

Journey to Research Interest My experience in three different contextsas an adjunct faculty member in both a college and university setting, as an instructional designer, and as a technology director at a

Wicks Guidance Committee Meeting 3.13.13 Midwestern community collegecontributed to the development of these sociocultural and open source approaches to faculty and staff development. In the heart of this model lies the assumption that we learn best when exposed to opportunities nested within in a community of support, consisting of both skilled facilitators and our learning peers.

Career Goals Currently, I serve as the Director of Internet Technologies & Distance Education at a small, Midwestern community college. As a young professional, I saw the instructional design career field as a means to impact the experiences of many students by assisting educators with instructional design. The role of the instructional designer, in practice, is often one of interventionlending support for broken approachesthough the support may impact future practice. However, my current and future efforts are more pre-emptive, in that they seek to understand and support the holistic experience and development of our adjunct faculty members. It is my hope that my research will inform other community colleges and institutions employing a vast adjunct community, so that ongoing support and development, instead of intervention, becomes the focus.

My Needs During the reminder of my time at Michigan State University, I will need additional support in a number of areas, including but not limited to: Research design and methodology especially in online (social media) spaces Articulating the importance of my research to both academics and non-academics, especially in connection with the formal educational system

References Baker, S. L. (2010). Nurse educator orientation: Professional development that promotes retention. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41 (9), 413-417. Bojarczyk, H. (2008). Faculty development activities for new adjunct faculty: A qualitative investigation of which types of activities most benefit new adjunct faculty at four-year colleges and universities. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest. (3333061) Cejda, B. (2010). Faculty issues in rural community colleges. New Directions for Community

Wicks Guidance Committee Meeting 3.13.13 Colleges, 152, 33-41. Gruzd, A., Staves, K., & Wilk, A. (2012). Connected scholars: Examining the role of social media in research practices of faculty using the UTAUT model. Computers in Human Behavior, 28 (6), 2340-2350. Pontefract, D. (2012). 5 use cases for badges in the enterprise. Retrieved July 1, 2012, from Brave New Org: http://www.danpontefract.com/?p=2266 Watts, G. E. & Hammons, J. O. (2002). Professional development: Setting the context. New Directions for Community Colleges, 120, 5-10. Young, J. R. (2012). Badges earned online pose challenge to traditional college diplomas. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved July 4, 2012, from http://chronicle.com/article/Badges-Earned-Online-Pose/130241/