Description of population

The primary users of the Pilot LMS are faculty members at Wonderful State University
who either want or need to use the LMS in a more effective manner. The participants all want to
use the system in the least stressful, but most efficient and pedagogically sound manner. They
share a concern about providing quality education.
While most of the participants are fulltime faculty, some are adjuncts or teaching
assistants. The faculty teach a wide variety of courses ranging across the WSU curriculum, so
their content needs and discipline-specific expectations will be diverse. Some faculty are new
hires or at the beginning of their teaching careers, while others are close to retirement. Some
have relied for some time on purely in-class teaching with hard copy handouts or projected
lectures and are only moving online because of the pandemic. Many of those faculty doubt the
validity of online courses. Others had shifted their course materials to the LMS even while
teaching 100% face to face. Some faculty see the LMS simply as a container for materials while
others see it as a dynamic system.
While all participants have a degree of computer literacy, some have little more than
being able to use Word or PowerPoint to create a lecture. Many are highly proficient in other
computer programs, but are not familiar with the logic of databases, hierarchical systems, or
systems that allow for the integration of internal tools (such as a gradebook linked to dropboxes)
or external tools (such as Perusall). The majority of the participants are taking the course because
of the shift to online teaching caused by the pandemic and have realized they do not know how
to use the LMS as teaching tool as opposed to a storage tool. Many participants have a mindset
that the LMS is for professors to store materials and to pull from as they need.
A main non-instructional factor that will need to be met is the resistance of some faculty
to seeing online teaching as a valuable pedagogy and not just an inferior and emergency form of
course delivery. A key factor will be to shift their perspective to seeing the LMS both as an
instructional tool that should be student oriented in its design and as a management tool that
allows professors to integrate gradebooks, discussions, etc., and to organize the workflow of
students and faculty with release conditions, dropboxes, and so on. This first layer of the course
focuses on using modules to organize materials in a student-centric way.
All faculty benefit from knowing why something works / needs to be done rather than
being just told to do something. In addition to needing reasons, faculty also tend to appreciate
understanding that something will reduce their “admin” load in terms of having to answer
student e-mails that are unrelated to course content and ideas. Demonstrating to faculty that
students will be able to focus on content rather than finding materials will be a motivating factor.
If faculty also learn that the course structure can be copied over for future semesters, they are
more likely to see the course time as an investment rather than a burden. While very smart
people, many faculty have a low frustration level for unnecessary (from their point of view) steps
or details. Instruction should be kept focused on the benefits, the reasons, and on minimizing
extraneous information.
Learner Demographic Questionnaire

https://wright.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_czEUUFNtII2CK5n

1. Age
Please indicate your age range
 20-29
 30-39
 40-49
 50-59
 60+

2. Gender
Please indicate your preferred gender
 Male
 Female
 Other
 Prefer not to say

3. Educational background
Please indicate your highest completed level of education 
 Undergraduate
 Master's
 Ph.D.

4. Reason(s) for taking the course.

Please select your main reason for taking this Pilot module creation course 
 Colleagues have suggested it
 I am taking the opportunity to organize my materials
 I am frustrated by Pilot
 Students frequently say they cannot find course materials
 Pilot has many useful functions that I would like to learn

5. Attitude(s) about course attendance.

Select your main preference in course structure
 Self-guided with a set amount of time to complete, but can begin on any date
 Synchronous with other faculty members
  Asynchronous with internal checkpoints and a final deadline
 Self-guided with established check in points with Pilot trainers
 Asynchronous with only a final deadline

6. Biases or beliefs that may interact with learning content.

Please describe your previous experiences with using LMSs (Learning Management
Systems). If not Pilot, please specify which ones you have used. Examples include
Blackboard, Canvas, and Moodle.

7. Hobbies or interests that may be relevant.

Do you regularly use a computer or the Internet as part of your leisure time? Please
briefly describe your non-career-based usage. 

8. Rewards that are meaningful

What potential benefits do you see accruing from learning how to use modules in Pilot?

9. Relevant physical, mental, or emotional abilities or characteristics (e.g., are there any
learning disabilities that need accommodations?)
Is there anything that may be a barrier for you in undertaking Pilot training? 

10. Reading ability

Does reading in a digital format decrease your effectiveness in comprehending instructional
materials?

11. Relevant organizational memberships.

Which WSU department are you affiliated with? Are you on any committees / in any groups
that may have a bearing on the use of Pilot? 

12. Relevant prior knowledge

Have you taken online classes whether for professional development, personal reasons, or as
part of your formal education? Please note what was positive or negative about those
experiences.