Measuring Faculty Engagement in Online Formative or Whole-Person Education: A Pilot Study

• In Event: Purpose-Driven Assessment in Higher Education

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed unprecedented change in higher education. It was important to support students’ well-being during this crisis. One approach is formative or whole-person education, which has three central components. Formative education emphasizes wholeness, supporting students’ integrated development along intellectual, social-emotional, moral/ethical, and spiritual dimensions; supporting the development of students’ sense of meaning and purpose; and fostering community. This study presents a survey instrument that measures faculty members’ engagement in formative education online. Our exploratory factor analysis of the pilot instrument yielded high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha=.94). The final one-factor solution pointed toward a unidimensional construct, consistent with theory.

Authors

• Deoksoon Kim, Boston College

• Katrina Borowiec, Boston College

• Stanton E F Wortham, Boston College