Team Teaching in the Online Graduate Environment: Collaborative Instruction

Team teaching has long been thought to have positive benefits for learners and teachers in a variety of educational settings. Using an action research model the authors describe the outcomes of team teaching an online graduate level disaster research and statistics course. Separated geographically, two online instructors taught at a distance over the course of five semesters using an interactive team teaching model that allowed for greater interaction and instructor presence. Data was reviewed from instructor reflective logs and student responses to the team teaching model. Results of the study indicate that there was a positive benefit in developing synergy in content and pedagogies, continued instructor learning and continuous reflection on instructional design. Students also reported greater instructor presence and a greater understanding of the research and statistical process through immediacy of feedback and the added access and clarity that resulted from the team teaching process. The use of an interactive team teaching model provides greater clarity and interaction with students and should be considered as an online pedagogical opportunity. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2017-9.ch005