Pedagogical Standards and Sustainable Distance Education

Programming

Karen GerstenAssociate Provost for Academic Programs and Faculty

Development

Laura J. EvansDean, Evelyn T. Stone University College

Session Overview

• Strategic planning process: Focus on academics

• Effective instructional design elements

• Assessment– Course level– Program levelCore Value: Without a strong academic core, an

online program is not sustainable.

Strategic Planning Components• Alignment with institutional vision and

mission• Clear program expectations• Market potential• Organizational change required to launch

and sustain distance learning• Implementation plan• Quality assurance measures• Financial planning

Program Success and Assessment:Critical Connections• Identify program goals in strategic planning

stage– Academic– Enrollment– Financial

• Study pedagogy of online learning• Know best practices• Develop policies for development and teaching• Establish assessment guidelines and protocols

– Course – Academic program – Distance learning program

External Benchmarks: Guideposts for Distance Learning Programs• Blackboard and the National Education Association Benc

hmarks: – 24 Measures of Quality in Internet-Based Distance Learning (2000)

• Sloan Pillars of Excellence – Student Satisfaction– Access– Learning effectiveness– Faculty satisfaction– Institutional cost effectiveness

• Best Practices for Electronically Delivered Programs: Eight Regional Accrediting Bodies– Institutional Context and Commitment– Curriculum and Instruction– Faculty Support– Student Support– Evaluation and Assessment

Application of Standards: Guiding Principles for RUOnline

Pedagogical Principles

• Goal is student learning; program focus is teaching not technology.

• Each course needs learning outcomes based on the course, its position in the academic program, and institutional mission.

• Active learning is better than passive learning.• Prompt feedback is essential.• Course design and facilitation have to honor diverse

ways of knowing.• Expectations have to be clear including expectations

for participation—quality and quantity.• The classroom is the learning space; materials should

be incorporated into the classroom.• Learning resources have to be accessible from the

learning space.

From Theory to Practice: The Portal Environment• Classroom and Community

Course Development: Essential Elements

• Planning– What am I trying to do?– How am I trying to do it?– How do I know if I did it?

• Connectivity– With the content– With each other– With the faculty

Design Principles• Chunked

information• Organization to aid

learning• Visual interest• Formative

assessment• Tools of

engagement in Blackboard

Course Design Sets Class Tone

Easy access to organizationand learning tools

Visual interest and humor

Content organized to Facilitate learning

Learning Outcomes in Assignments

Assessment Tool Linked to Assignment

Class Assessment: How Do I Know I Did What I Said I Would Do?

Individual assignment

1. Pop-up internal comments

2. Narrative comments with links to writing support

3. Rubric with

highlighted cells

Assignment Level: Rubrics as Teaching Tools

Assessment at the Course Level

• Online learning is an academic delivery system, not an academic program. The goal is to achieve defined learning outcomes and to ensure levels of learning comparable to face-to-face classrooms.

• Course assessment– Clearly defined learning outcomes for each

course– Course assessment measures linked to

outcomes– Assessment tools/teaching tools (available at

start of course and linked to defined learning outcomes)

– Comparative assessment

Comparative Course Assessment: Online and Campus-Based

• Same instructor, same course, same semester

Points

25 25 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Project 1

Project2

Assign 1

Assign 2

Assign 3

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

Quiz 4

Quiz 5

Quiz 6

Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean

Online 21.1 21.1 7.9 8.6 8.3 6.5 7.4 7.2 6.3 8.2 7.3

Campus

18.04

18.9 7.6 9.2 7.8 5.9 6.4 5.6 5.3 7.2 6.7

Same Course, Multiple Sections

From Iverson, Colky, & Cyboran, (forthcoming), E-learning takes the lead: An empirical investigation of learner differences in online and classroom delivery.

Program Assessment• Enrollment trends• Course completions• Comparable learning outcomes and

achievement• Student evaluations• Faculty evaluations• Involvement of academic leaders in

course development and oversight• Institution-wide standards• Financial contribution

Enrollment Trends: Necessary but not Sufficient Measures of Success

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

Head Count

Credit Hours

SemesterHead

Count

Credit Hours

F01 77 261

SP02 230 789

F02 297 1008

SP03 439 1593

F03 557 1959

SP04 658 2451

F04 769 2727

SP05 828 2883

F05 933 3162

SP06* 1032 3498

Student Evaluation Trend Analysis

100-Level 200-Level 300-Level 400-Level All Levels

RU Online

On-Campu

s

RU Onlin

eOn-

Campus

RU Onlin

e

On-Campu

sRU

OnlineOn-

CampusRU

OnlineOn-

Campus

A 35.3% 29.8%39.5

% 41.9% 46.1% 46.8% 61.1% 66.5% 49.6% 48.3%

B 20.9% 28.1%24.3

% 30.2% 26.5% 32.0% 8.2% 20.8% 20.1% 27.5%

C 10.8% 17.5%13.5

% 14.6% 11.8% 13.3% 1.1% 2.8% 8.6% 11.3%

Other Pass* 0.0% 4.5% 0.5% 0.2% 0.6% 0.2% 20.8% 5.3% 7.1% 2.6%

D 3.6% 5.0% 5.4% 2.9% 2.7% 1.9% 0.3% 0.4% 2.3% 2.3%

F 12.9% 8.7% 6.7% 5.2% 7.5% 3.0% 4.3% 1.6% 6.6% 4.2%

Other Unsat* 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Incomplete* 16.5% 6.3%

10.1% 5.0% 4.9% 2.8% 4.2% 2.4% 5.8% 3.8%

Course Completion Rates and Grade Comparisons

Some studies roughly estimate that students enrolled in distance education are twice as likely to drop out than on-campus students (JALN, Dec. 2004).

A Chronicle of Higher Education article in 2000 reported that “no national statistics exist yet about how many students complete distance programs or courses, but anecdotal evidence and studies by individual institutions suggest that course-completion and program-retention rates are generally lower in distance-education courses than in their face-to-face counterparts” (Brady, 2001, p. 352).

Financial Success– FY2004: RUOnline generated 10 times its

budget in tuition revenue– Contribution margin increased from 23%

in FY2003 to 51% in FY2004– FY04 Credit tuition generated: $3,504,408– Fiscal Year 2006 to date:

•Credit tuition (fall & spring only) $ 3,772,582•FY 06 annual expense budget - $

450,554 $ 3,322,028

Achievement of Institutional Goals/ Alignment with Institutional Mission• Goals

– Extend the University's reach – Expand the University’s name recognition– Develop new student markets– Augment campus-based classes– Contribute to the University’s financial strength

• Mission– Social justice: Provide educational

opportunities to all academically qualified persons

– Achieve academic excellence

Measures of Program Success

1. Core values 2. Academic standards

3. Outcomes-based assessment 4. Accountability

Let’s Talk…

Karen Gersten Laura Evans

kgersten@roosevelt.edulevans@roosevelt.edu