Information Technology Services Changing The World One Degree At A Time! 1 Syllabus system Technical Aspects of Organizing Academics for Accreditation

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Information Technology Services

Changing The World One Degree At A Time!

Syllabus system

Technical Aspects of Organizing Academics for

Accreditation

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Mission and VisionPark University: Park has a large variety of students, faculty, and locations from Online to Face-to-Face to remote campuses. All of which need to be teaching the same items even if it is because of different methods

Difficulties: The syllabus system needs to take into account verification of syllabi, standardization, approval process, and just how Park does things in different ways

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•Accountability•Easy Access •Permits classes to start and go faster•Grade appeals

Why do we need a syllabus system online?

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Originally just web space 1995-1998

Starting off – Just web space

Various campuses/faculty put up web pages at various locations and updated themGood•People were getting information before class and faculty were creating their own syllabiBad•No standardization•Lots of locations•Confusion about which was the current syllabus

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Originally just web space - 1998

Starting off – One location

Various campuses/faculty put up web pages at various locations and updated themGood•People were getting information before class and faculty were creating their own syllabiBad•No standardization•Lots of locations•Confusion about which was the current syllabus

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Originally just web space - 1999

Starting off – Empowering administration

Campus location because of it requiring to be turned in, took copies and put them on the web•Sent in via e-mail or floppy and then cut/pasted up on the web•No way to search it easily and just put up unorganized•Relied on people with little HTML skill or time to learn to how to link pages

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Knowing where stuff is – Used 2000-2001

Database Arrives

By filling out information using simple web forms, have it organized•Enabled greater flexibility•Permit some faculty to enter their own syllabi•Possibility of someone going in and messing things up•Information stored with what they say is the class•Typos are a big problem for what class it is messing up years, semester, class

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Knowing where stuff is – Used 2003-2005

Refining and organizing

By filling out information using simple web forms, have it organized•Enabled greater flexibility•Permit faculty to enter their own syllabi•Possibility of someone going in and messing things up•Information stored with what they say is the class•Typos are a big problem•Four Methods for entering syllabi

•Web page at another location•Took a snapshot of the web page

•Template/Fill in the blank•Include stuff already in there, ex disability policy

•Cut and Paste from Word•Using a GUI interface (Textbox from Dart )

•Upload file•Uploading Word and other files

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Accountability – Used 2005-Present

Accreditation

Requiring Program Coordinator to approve it•Emailing to update•Logging of everything that happened•Backing up•Removing various options to force standardization•Integrate various items

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Providing e-mail feed back and instruction

Contact

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How things were done to make things easier

Various Items Learned

Have a key point to make things to focus on “Faculty make the change to syllabus”Find and work with a departmentLet it be an opt in situation, force others to make it mandatoryDemos are goodHide small bonus features to make people happyMore flexibility to make them able to choose and be empowered

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Using other systems ( Blackboard, eCollege, etc...)

Other possibilities

While already built in and integrated they have several downsides, at least for Park University•Requiring Registration•Limited and disappearing access•Unable to force standardization•Requiring extra money to do improvements

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Questions

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Answers

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Information Technology Services Changing The World One Degree At A Time! 1 Syllabus system Technical Aspects of Organizing Academics for Accreditation