Regular and substantive interactions are required in online teaching for Title IV funding. Office hours represent an underutilized opportunity to support student-faculty interactions. This original, mixed-methods research provides insight into faculty and student perceptions of the value and barriers of office hours for online student success and engagement.

Office hours are identified as an opportunity for student-faculty interactions. These interactions are a component of high-impact practices with students taking a more active role in their own learning. Additionally, office hours can support the requirements for Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) for Title IV funding in online learning. Online courses, per RSI guidelines, must provide opportunities for faculty and students to regularly engage in a meaningful manner to support learning. The nature of office hours meets the requirements for RSI, as office hours are: (1) regular through predictable schedules often posted online and in person as applicable, and (2) substantive through direct instruction, feedback on exams and assignments, and questions on content.

This session will present the findings, implications, and recommendations of a mixed methods original research study from one large, public institution in the southeastern United States. The study uniquely examines both student and faculty perceptions of office hour use, benefits, and barriers within an online learning environment. Initial findings suggest that both students and faculty crave more virtual options. Some faculty referred to the traditional face-to-face, on campus model as “a bit of an outdated relic.” However, if these hours can help meet RSI, updating the offerings is key to student engagement. Initial findings for students also convey feelings and concerns for attending hours such as “I feel silly doing it sometimes” or “I would need to be less anxious”.

To encourage engagement, conference attendees will be prompted to submit their own perceptions of the benefits and barriers to office hours in an online environment and will be provided with a virtual resource on findings and implications from the study.

At the conclusion of this presentation, attendees should be able to:
-Define regular and substantive interactions.
-Discuss common student fears and concerns with online office hours.
-Identify recommendations to enhance office hour scheduling and modality.

Kim Godwin, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor at Middle Tennessee State University

Kim Godwin is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at Middle Tennessee State University. A researcher and practitioner in the fields of online learning and open educational resources (OER), she has served in higher education since 2000 with almost half of that being in online learning and support. Dr. Godwin is the author of multiple Pressbooks, holds the Creative Commons Certificate, serves on institutional level committees to promote OER on her campuses, and is the recipient of several OER-themed grants.

Godwin is passionate about OER, online teaching and learning, and promoting Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in her teaching and service activities. Her work also includes curriculum development and program coordination for online degree programs in accelerated formats integrating OER formats.

Jenn Caputo, Ph.D.

Professor at Middle Tennessee State University

Samantha Johnson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor at Middle Tennessee State University

Shannon Harmon, Ed.D.

Instructional Specialist at Mississippi State University