Identifying the educational needs of instructors commissioned in the virtual classroom management

The increase of demand for the education system due to the information flow accelerated as a result of cheap and widespread information technologies, changing place, time and distance perceptions, rapidly increasing population and economic conditions brought forward the distance education approaches as an alternative to formal classroom education which has limitations with regard to time and place. The researches conducted on a worldwide scale suggest that virtual classrooms will become more common within the scope of distance education and the trend in distance education will center on this area. It is essential for Turkish Education System which follows the global trends to give importance and emphasis on the enterprises in this area. The effective use of tools and methods employed in virtual classrooms for access purposes and student satisfaction are closely associated with the knowledge, skills andcompetences of the instructors. The key factor for making virtual classroom practices more common and effective is qualifying the instructors with virtual classroom management skills and training them before practice.This study aims at identifying the educational needs of instructors commissioned in the process of virtual classroom management in terms of the dimensions of the classroom management. The research designed in general survey model employed the qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Within the scope of the research, a questionnaire form was developed to identify the educational needs of instructors with regard to virtual classroom management departing from the data obtained as a result of the focus groupinterview, a qualitative research technique. The questionnaire form prepared from the data of the focus group interview held with 7 instructors was sent to 480 instructors, and 228 of the questionnaire were returned. As a result of the form check, 215 questionnaire forms at total were evaluated. The data analysis involved the calculation and interpretation of frequency and percentage of each item in the questionnaire form. The relationship between the data obtained from the questionnaire form and the variables determined were analyzed through Chi-square test, one of the predictive statistics. Theresponds to the open-ended question of the form were conceptionalized, and these concepts were logically organized and manually coded to define the themes and subthemes. The results obtained based on the findings of the research can be summarized in line with the sub-purposes as follows:? The opinions of the instructors regarding the dimensions of virtual classroom management show that they need education on the features that distinguish virtual classrooms from the formal ones and how these dimensions can be organized in the virtual classrooms. Education needs are specially linked withthe technical properties and skills for organizing these dimensions.? The analyses of the relationship between the opinions of instructors experienced in virtual classroom and the education status regarding the virtual classroom practices indicate that the instructors who got education consider the basic features of these dimensions more.? It was found that the opinions of the instructors abou virtual classroom practices are positive.? When the relationship between the opinions of the instructors regarding the virtual classroom practices and their education status, it is seen that regardless of their education status, the instructors? opinions are positive; however, the instructors with education are more positive towards virtual classroom practices.? The instructors think making virtual classrooms more common will contribute to Turkish Education System in terms of access opportunities, personal development, educational activities, cooperation, technical infrastructure and skills, economical features and harmony with future practices.In conclusion, it is thought that education provided to the instructors by experts on virtual classroom management will be effective and beneficial to improve and spread the practices. In this context, suggestions are proposed for further researches and practitioners.