Quality Matters – Online Economics Faculty at

MCCPresented May 18, 2010

Mesa Community College

Greg Pratt, Economics Faculty, Mesa Community College

This poster session will overview the ongoing process by MCC Online Faculty to incorporate Quality Matters (QM) into online economics classes. This ongoing process began 2 years ago and is based upon four pillars of inclusiveness, collaboration, transparency and a results orientation. This post session will overview all 4 of the pillars, the process and the preliminary results.

Attendees will leave with...

1. A clear understanding of QM - costs and benefits

2. A clear overview of how one group of faculty developed a process to consider use of QM.

3. A view of the timeline employed by the group

4. One rationale for the use of an inclusive, collaborative, transparent and results oriented approach

5. Data collected during the calendar year 2009

6. A set of questions that can be used for reflection

7. How one form of social networking - wiki - can be used to facilitate and document a process

1. A clear understanding of QM -

costs and benefitsCost – TIME!!!!!!!

Benefit – Self reflections, collaboration and improved course design/results

MCCD site - http://mcli.maricopa.edu/quality-mattersQM site - http://www.qualitymatters.org/

http://www.youtube.com/user/chemeketaonline#p/a

(5 minute video)

2. Overview of how MCC Online Economics Faculty developed a process

centered on QMOrganic process

Began in 2008 with online conomics faculty conversations

Key – up front support from Dept. Chair and Administration

Teaching Economics Online at Mesa Community College

Background

Process

Best Practices

Lessons Learned

Background

Many disciplines at MCC engaged in online discussion

Online delivery at MCC decentralized

Online Instruction at MCC ranges along a continuum

Online economics faculty conversations – fall 2008

Conversation emergedHow are online economics students performing

How can online economics instruction be improved

Jan 2009 - formalized our process

Assumptions – Online Economics Instruction

Dynamic rather than static

We needed to know what we don’t know

We can improve our instruction

Best Practices can be useful

Professional development can be useful

Communication

2008 emergent conversation included

Department membersDepartment chairDECFaculty SenateDean VPAA

Process

InclusiveFoundation for Teaching EconomicsArizona Council for Teaching Economics

Collaborative

TransparentPull – our site-http://

mccsocialsciences.wetpaint.com/ Push – e mail

Results oriented

3. A view of the timeline employed by the group

Fall 2008 – initial discussions

Spring 2009 – process begins

Summer 2009 – pilot begins

Fall 2009 – initial results used to adjust and move to Phase 2

Winter interssion 2009/10 – adjustments begin

Spring 2010 – data collection, review of process

4. One rationale for the use of an inclusive, collaborative, transparent and results oriented approach

GET SOMETHING DONE!!!

5. Data collected during the calendar years 2009

Retention “appears” to be improvingStudent learning online “appears” to be similar to

face to face (Use of TUCE) suggests pre test/post test improvement in the 25-50% range for both delivery modes

Useful information from distance readiness survey

http://mccsocialsciences.wetpaint.com/page/2009+MCC+Online+Economics+Results

6. A set of questions that can be used for

reflectionOur conversation began with two questions -

How effective are our online courses?

How might we improve our online courses?

7. How one form of social networking - wiki - can be used to facilitate and

document a processPlease click over to our site and join the 50+

members of our academic community who have participated in our process.

http://mccsocialsciences.wetpaint.com/page/Economics

Conclusion

Process

Costs

Culture

Institutional constrains and support

Faculty

Students

Best Practices

Common entry point

Common professional development

Online course peer analysisMCC Best Practices

Self Evaluation

Peer Evaluation

Self analysis

Ongoing analysis and feedback

Lessons Learned

Communication

Time

Data

Assumptions

Results

Institutional considerations

DEC as clearing house

Access to timely data

Commitment to professional development

Planning – short term and long term

Resources/budget for MCC Online

RecognitionChristy M. Alarcon, Ph.D., Instructional Technologist

The MCC Online Economics Group – Bill Demory, Debbie Henney, Alice Temnick, Jaime Erikson, Barton Bowen, Greg Pratt, Scott Gustafson, amd Enrique Lopezlira

Faculty in the Social Sciences Department at MCC

Harold Cranswick, Social Sciences Dept. Chair

Jennifer Strickland, Ph.D., Instructional Technologist

Center for Teaching and Learning at MCC

Shereen Lerner, Acting Dean of Instruction MCC

James Mabry, Vice President of Instruction MCC