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Impact of Online Courses on Graduation Rates and College Readiness:
What the Research is Saying
Digital Learning Commons
Leslie St. Pierre John HardyAssistant Director of Course Support Assistant Director of School [email protected] [email protected] 206.543.3938
In this session:• About the DLC- Offerings, data and student perspectives
• Course Support- ‘Intake process’, resources and best practices
• Full Circle Quality Assurance- Provider evaluations and partnerships
About the Digital Learning Commonswww.learningcommons.org
Mission:The Digital Learning Commons will improve access to educational opportunities and learning resources by providing high quality educational materials, online courses, and technology tools to all students and teachers in Washington State.
Organizational Values:
• Student success is our highest priority
• Equal opportunity in education
• Engaging families, schools, and communities
• Offer educational opportunity and choice where it has not previously existed
Online Courses: what we offer
• Choice• Variety• Course Support• Student Mentors
• Ease of Use• Voice and Leverage • Equity Measures
DLC Courses Data:High School Seniors Online Course Taking Patterns in Washington State
Jeffrey Fouts & Duane Baker, June 2006 http://www.learningcommons.org/about/files/05-06_Evaluation.pdf
What role do online courses play in:
• enabling students to graduate from HS
• making HS graduates college eligible
• enhancing HS graduates’ preparedness for college
DLC Courses Data:Findings: of 115 seniors completing 151 DLC courses at 17 schools in 2004-05:
Reasons for Taking DLC Courses
76
12 15 1926
01020304050607080
Courses notavailable
Make-up forFailed Courses
SchedulingConflicts
Needed extracredits tograduate
Help earncollege credits
(advancedcoursework)
DLC Courses Data:Reasons students who would otherwise not
graduate took DLC courses
44.7
26.3 23.7
5.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
Need extra credits tograduate
Make up for a failedclass
Scheduling conflict Help earn collegecredits
DLC Courses Data:• Enrollments: between 2004* and 2006, the DLC saw:
o ~ 85% completion rate in total enrollmentso ~ 53% passing rate per total enrollmentso ~79% enrollments in ‘standard’ level courses and ~ 10% in APo ~ foreign language and language arts most popular in general.
• Cost: since 2003, the DLC has negotiated the average cost of online courses down 19% from what schools would typically pay if they worked directly with the course providers.
Student Perspectives: DLC’s student focus groups• What do students expect from their online learning
experience?
• What information do students seek prior to beginning an online course?
• What information do students generally absorb? miss altogether?
Student Perspectives: DLC’s student focus groups• Students do little information-finding prior to
enrolling in an online course; information they do get is primarily delivered by their school’s CS team.
Ideally, CS teams are aware of student information needs, and of the information available from the DLC and its providers.
Student Perspectives: DLC’s student focus groups• Students do not like having to look in many (more
than one?) places for information – up front and in one location is preferred.
Challenge in making information centrally located and available at the point of need: ie, instructions on how to submit homework should be included in course orientations and linked to on assignment pages.
Student perspectives: DLC’s student focus groups
The DLC’s main conclusion:
Students should be required to complete course orientations prior to accessing course content and instruction; when it’s not required by the provider, it should be required by the school.
Course Support (CS)
"I am constantly commending the DLC for the quality they deliver. Anybody can go to the online course vendors and get a class, but I think the DLC component makes a big difference…I wouldn't bother to try to do this on my own."
- Sherry Hahn, Teacher/Mentor at the Washington State School for the Blind
Course Support ‘Intake Process’
Course Support (CS): ‘Intake Process’1. When a school joins the DLC, lead contacts are given
CS role descriptions to identify key staff members to fill the role of DLC Registrar and Teacher/Mentor.
2. CS team members then sign up with the DLC, create their IDs and register for an online phone orientation.
Course Support (CS): ‘Intake Process’3. After the phone training, CS team members are ready to
register students and to start them in online courses.
4. Continuing support is available from the DLC by way of DLC-wide communications, online resources, additional provider-specific orientations and registration facilitation.
Course Support (CS): ‘Intake Process’As a result….
DLC Course Support staff is recognized as a key member of the school CS team – as an advocate for students and mentors, and for best practice strategies.
Course Support Resources
Course Support Resources: DLC provider start-up demo accounts
• A ‘heads up’ approach to flatten the learning curve.• Help set expectations for post-registration next steps.• Help CS teams identify potential technology
roadblocks.
Online Courses Best Practices
Online Course Best Practices• School-Centered Best Practices• Best Practices for the Course Support team
– Registrar– Teacher/Mentor
• Student steps to success
http://www.learningcommons.org/educators/cs/best_practices/
Full Circle Quality Assurance
Full Circle Quality Assurance: DLC Course Provider Evaluations
• Comprehensive 5 category rubric• Exhaustive, in-depth examination of key topics • Information-gathering exercise – ‘discovery’
Full Circle Quality Assurance: DLC Course Provider Partnership Meetings
• What’s next at the DLC• What’s next for the partnership• Feedback on DLC- and end-user experience
