The Unbundling and Rebundling of the Faculty Role in E-Learning Community College Courses

Abstract

The unbundling of the faculty role occurs when e-learning course tasks normally performed by a single faculty member--such as course design, development, delivery, grading, interaction with students, course improvement, and advisement--are segmented or unbundled so that they can be performed by other personnel or with technologies. Using a qualitative methods approach, this study examines the unbundling and restructuring of the faculty professional role in large enrollment e-learning courses. This study was conducted at three community colleges in a large, urban community college district, and presents three models of e-learning course production that affect the unbundling of the faculty role: craft, collegial, and virtual assembly line. This research also examines how e-learning faculty members seek to rebundle tasks associated with their professional role and identity, and the tasks they perceive as meeting student needs and demand. This study contributes to professional and economic theories concerning faculty members in the e-learning context, and advances theories associated with academic labor, managed professionals, Academic Capitalism, and the globalization of the community college.