1. Abstract
Participation in faculty development courses, sessions or activities is essential for faculty
in higher education to improve upon their teaching skills, and to better understand and
effectively handle changing classroom dynamics. Online faculty development allows for
any time, any place self-directed learning along with collaboration and discussion.
Successful transfer of the knowledge and strategies learned from the online faculty
development courses to the college classroom relies on a willingness of the faculty
member to change and implement knowledge gained. Research conducted on satisfaction
with training and the development of faculty teaching in the online classroom is in
abundance, leaving a void related to the implementation of training to the higher
education on-ground classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to
understand how post secondary instructors transfer learned strategies and knowledge
from an online faculty development program to their classroom, taking into account
faculty behavior change, motivation to transfer learning, and self-efficacy. Individual
telephone interviews allowed for the study participants, part time faculty teaching in the
career college sector of higher learning, to discuss from a personal viewpoint how
transfer of learning occurred from the online faculty development program to their on-
ground classroom. This study revealed how (and why) the part time faculty drew upon
their current experiences as practitioners, combined the new knowledge related to
teaching methodology and practices from the online faculty development program, to
successfully facilitate their classrooms. Analysis of the data resulted in three key
findings: the characteristics of adult learning contribute to the understanding of learning
transfer and training, the environment influences both learning transfer and training, and

2. learning transfer processes are largely driven by changes in behavior. Recommendations
for practice relates to institutional support of faculty development, noting that this
support can be an intrinsic motivator for faculty to transfer new knowledge. Follow-up
discussions upon completion of faculty development should occur, as well as providing
an opportunity for faculty to collaborate on knowledge learned from engagement in
online faculty development.