Professional Development Needs in a Virtual Teaching and Learning Environment

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the faculty perspectives in a virtual teaching and learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a survey-based study of ladder faculty members at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) investigating information on the challenges and adaptations in teaching methods that were made related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also questioned the preferred types, length, times and content of faculty development programs. Results: The results showed that a majority (n = 31, 75.6%) of the 56 total participants felt the move to remote learning have Some Impact or Major Impact on the effectiveness of their teaching. Some of the major concerns that faculty expressed were ‘Engagement with students’ (n = 30, 41.67%) and ‘Use of technology’ (n = 16, 22.2%). Also, ‘Designing for online learning’, ‘Classroom technology’ and ‘Poll Everywhere’ were the topics that many faculty members responded found Very Interested. The majority (n = 44, 62.8%) of respondents preferred the online format rather than the in-person format in terms of faculty development program offerings. Conclusion : In order to adapt into the new virtual learning environment, robust faculty development programs should support the continuous designing of pedagogical approaches for a dynamic dental curriculum that will continue to challenge the students and engage the faculty.