Virtual Teaching During COVID-19: Attitudes, Abilities, and Educational Needs of Cooperative Extension Staff

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here. This study aimed to 1) identify the attitudes and abilities of Cooperative Extension staff regarding the delivery of virtual educational programming based on their characteristics and 2) identify professional development priorities to effectively deliver programming virtually. We disseminated an adapted Faculty Readiness to Teach Online questionnaire to Cooperative Extension staff via Qualtrics. Mean and standard deviation were calculated from complete surveys (n = 67) for each virtual programming competency in the self-reported attitude and ability sections, categorized by position type, years of teaching, and program area. We conducted a MANCOVA to identify group differences in self-reported attitudes and abilities of the virtual programming competencies. No significant differences existed between groups when comparing individual attitudes or ability competencies. Significant differences existed between program area and total abilities but not attitudoesm cpared to those in home and family. The preferred method of professional development included workshops and webinars. Over half of the respondents identified several professional development topics as priority areaisn, cluding Kaltura, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud, and iMovie. This study confirmed the need for additional professional development regardless of program area or years of experience. Creating an organizational, professional development plan that incorporates accessibility training, utilizes self-assessment for new hires, and provides a virtual resource bank can support staff members in effectively navigating virtual teaching tools and platforms.