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[melba_frilkins]

For the last year or so I keep finding myself asking the question, "Why do I teach online?". I am in a full time position and have for some time elected to teach 2 classes (of a 5 class load) online. I seem to have a love-hate relationship with online teaching.

On the plus side: I do a really great job teaching online (in comparison to probably about average in the classroom), it gives me a more flexible schedule, and I have fun setting up the class. And I'm the only full time instructor in my department who teaches online; I think it's important that online delivery has some involvement by full time faculty.

On the negative side: I hate spending so many hours in front of a computer during the semester, I crave more real-world interactions, campus-wide support for online delivery is stretched past capacity, the administration has no clue about online education and makes stupid decisions, and the workload is infinite (so either I work my butt off, or feel guilty about not doing more). Oh, and we get so many students who are ill-prepared for online learning.

So, maybe I should put up a poll: Should I continue to teach online or not? I'm so much on the fence about it, if the administration does one more stupid thing in regard to online teaching, I think that will be the last straw.

[larryc]

I am so with you! I love the flexibility, I believe in the outcomes, but I prefer the classroom in so many ways.

[johnr]

I'm in a similar situation.  I just started teaching an online course last year and find it to be an interesting challenge that has invigorated my teaching, both online and in front of the classroom. Could you capitalize on the "flexibility" by teaching only online courses one quarter, or semester, so that you could travel, do research, go to conferences, etc...?  I teach my online course in the summer.  The extra money is nice and the flexibility is such that it doesn't interfere with my field work/research. 

Unlike you, I don't have any problems with the administration or the technical support staff, so that makes things easier for me.   

[melba_frilkins]

I'm in a similar situation.  I just started teaching an online course last year and find it to be an interesting challenge that has invigorated my teaching, both online and in front of the classroom. Could you capitalize on the "flexibility" by teaching only online courses one quarter, or semester, so that you could travel, do research, go to conferences, etc...?  I teach my online course in the summer.  The extra money is nice and the flexibility is such that it doesn't interfere with my field work/research. 

Unlike you, I don't have any problems with the administration or the technical support staff, so that makes things easier for me.   

That's a good point about the flexibility. When I teach in the summer, it is online only. I guess it's not an all-or-none proposition. Maybe I just need to go off-line for one semester a year.