An analysis of how online faculty manage critical incidents in the online classroom

This research identified teaching situations classified as critical incidents in the online classroom. These teaching events were categorized to help faculty members recognize potential critical events before they start, and to use the incidents to enhance online learning opportunities. Online faculty and students were surveyed and interviewed; data was returned to the respondents for corroboration. Results showed that the majority of critical incidents occurred due to lack of prior training and understanding of the online classroom as a learning environment. Recommendations are for institutions to require and provide more in-depth faculty training to teach in the online environment.