Are Faculty Prepared to Teach Flexibly?: Results from an Evaluation Study

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were hardly any formal/established professional development (PD) program s that intentionally prepared faculty to teach flexibly. The uncertainty around the modality of the fall 2020 semester, required faculty to be prepared to teach their courses in flexible methods in order to meet the needs of their students and the constraints of their institution. This article is an updated report on the evaluation of the Flexible Teaching for Student Success (FTSS) Initiative at Boise State University—a three-tiered faculty development initiative designed to prepare faculty to teach their courses in flexible formats. Evaluation surveys and a follow up survey were delivered to participants to assess the overall impact of the initiative on teaching practices. Results indicated that faculty had overall positive experiences in learning how to teach flexibly. The ratings were slightly more positive for Tier 1, which was of longer duration and more intensive, compared to Tier 2. Faculty in both tiers felt that purposeful training in flexible teaching made positive impacts on student learning. Implications drawn from the FTSS Initiative are shared to help inform the design of future PD programs that prepare faculty to teach flexibly.