! 1! Quality(Standards(for(Online(Course(Delivery( 2014! Anna!H.!Lathrop,!Vice6Provost,!Teaching!and!Learning!

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1 1 Quality(Standards(for(Online(Course(Delivery( 2014 AnnaH.Lathrop,Vice6Provost,TeachingandLearning JillGrose,Director,CentreforPedagogicalInnovation 1.(Online(learning(is(a(form(of(pedagogical(delivery(that(has(received(international(and( national(legitimacy(in(institutions(of(higher(learning( Intheirreport, Changing(Course:(Ten(Years(of(Tracking(Online(Education(in(the(United(States, thesloanconsortium(anonprofitinstitutionalandprofessionalleadershiporganization dedicatedtointegratingonlineeducationintothemainstreamofhighereducation) reported, in2002,lessthanone6halfofallhighereducationinstitutionsreportedonlineeducationwas criticaltotheirlong6termstrategy.thatnumberisnowclosetoseventypercent. InCanada,MTCU ssummaryofontarioelearningsurveysofpubliclyassistedpse Institutionsreportedthatofthe24collegesanduniversitieswhoresponded,18hadspecific elearningplans,and17oftheseincludedelearningaspartoftheinstitution sstrategicplan: TheUSDepartmentofEducation sreport, UnderstandingtheImplicationsofOnline LearningforEducationalProductivity (2012),identifiednineapplicationsofonlinelearning thatareseenaspossiblepathwaystoimprovedproductivity: 1. Broadeningaccess 2. Engagingstudentsinactivelearning 3. Individualizinganddifferentiatinginstruction 4. Personalizinglearning 5. Makingbetteruseofteacherandstudenttime 6. Increasingtherateofstudentlearning 7. Reducingschool6basedfacilitiescosts 8. Reducingsalarycosts 9. Realizingopportunitiesforeconomiesofscale InOntario,theHigherEducationQualityCouncilofOntario(HEQCO)releasedareport entitled, HowOnlineLearningAffectsProductivity,CostandQualityinHigherEducation:An EnvironmentalScanandReviewoftheLiterature. ENG.pdf Thereportindicated: TheProvincialgovernmentshouldhaveaninterestinmakingsureonlinelearning opportunitiesareavailable theseopportunitiesshouldservestudents learningneeds,

2 2 and if(carried(out(at(a(large(scale should(produce(cost(efficiencies Thereisno(evidence(that(all(of(the(learning(outcomes(expected(of(postsecondary(students( in(ontario(can(be(achieved(solely(by(online(learning Thepurposeofadoptingonlinelearningshouldbetofree(up(resources(that(can(be( redeployed(to(preserve(and(sustain(what(we(value(most(in(higher(education,(such(as( mentoring(and(coachingandenablinglearnerstodevelopnewwaysofknowing,doing andbeing Emergingtrends:improved(access(and(affordabilitythroughe6textbooks;adaptive learningsystems(personalizedlearning);learninganalytictools Economics(of(scale(may(only(be(achieved(via(collaboration(that(extends(beyond(institutional( boundaries( HEQCO(Report(Recommendation:( Support(the(development(of(high(demand(university(and(college(programs(primarily(or( entirely(online,(and(create(a(specific(list(of(high8demand(university(courses(that(will(be( accepted(for(credit(at(all(ontario(universities(and(colleges. ( 2.(Brock(University(has(made(a(commitment(to(invest(in(the(development(of(online( learning( Since2010/11,BrockUniversityhasmadeastrategicinvestmentinthedevelopmentof onlinelearningaspartoftheuniversity scommitmenttoe6learningandflexiblecourse delivery.brockuniversity sstrategicmandateagreementidentifiesthedevelopmentof onlinelearningasastrategicobjective.priorityobjective#1ofthesma(servingthe21 st C Learner PuttingStudentsFirst)identifiesonlinecourseofferingsasavehicletoenhance studentaccessibilityandmobility. Thedevelopmentofonlinecourseshasincreasedconsistentlysince2010/11.In2013/14, 113coursesectionswereofferedwithanenrolmentof5,000students.In2014/15,we project153sectionswillbeofferedwithanenrolmentof7,500students.thisstillrepresents asmallpercentageoftheoverallinstructionatbrockuniversity. Otherinstitutionaladvantagesforthedevelopmentofonlinelearninginclude: 1.Increasestudentflexibilityindegreecompletion(acceleration) 2.IncreasetuitionrevenueifcoursesattractnewstudentstoBrock(newprograms thatattractprofessionalsintheworkplace;newrevenueotherwiselosttolop s) 3.FacilitatealignmentofcourselearningoutcomeswithDegreeLevel Expectations(DLEsandGDLEs) 4.Encouragefacultyprofessionaldevelopmentviaincentivegrantsthatencourage engagementwithinnovativeopportunitiesforcoursedevelopment

3 3 5.Maximizedigitalresourcesthatoffereconomicsofscalewithstudentgrowth 6.Improveaffordabilityforstudentsviae6textbooksandadaptivelearningsystems 7.EnsureAccessibilityforOntarianswithDisabilitiesAct(AODA)compliance ( laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2011/elaws_src_regs_r11191_e.htm) 3.(Evidence(of(Brock(University s(commitment(to(quality(standards(in(online(course( development(and(delivery( Brock(University s(commitment(to(quality(standards(in(the(development(of(online( courses( a)(the(review(process: CPIhascoordinatedBrockUniversity selearninginitiativesinceitsstartin2010inwhich approvedcourseshavebeendesigned,developedandevaluatedaspartoftheuniversity s StrategicMandateAgreement.Throughthee6LearninginitiativeCPIhasdirectlyworked withover30coursesthathavetransitionedintofullyonlineorblendeddeliveryformat.the processesundertakenforthedevelopmentofcoursesinvolvesfacultymembersdeveloping thecourses,cpi sinstructionaldesigner,themanagerofe6learning,thelmssupportteam, membersoftheuniversitylibrary,anditservices.thisteam6basedprocessensuresthatall aspectsofdevelopingarigorousandpedagogicallysoundcoursearetakeninto consideration;it(can(be(said(that(this(same(rigor(is(generally(not(applied(to(the( development(of(face8to8face(courses. Inaddition,theCPIhas,since1998,supportedinstructors useofthelearningmanagement Systemandallcoursesintegratingeducationaltechnologies.Inthisrespect,coursesbeing developedthroughtheelearninginitiativeareinformedbytheexperienceofsupporting hundredsofcourseswithsomeformofonlinecomponent. TheCPIisaresourcetoallfaculty,instructorsandTAsatBrockUniversity,inboth theface6to6faceandonlineenvironments.regardlessofthemodality,thecpiensuresthat soundinstructionaldesign,alignmentbetweenlearningoutcomesandassessment,andthe qualityofthestudentexperiencearemaintainedintheonlineenvironment.membersofthe CPIteamholdbothtechnicalandpedagogicalexpertise,includingadvanceddegreesin education.

4 4 b)(online/blended(course(development(contract:(( Allcourseseligibleforonlineorblendedcoursedeliverydevelopmentgrantsrequirethatthe facultymemberworkswithateamofinstructionaldesignexpertswhofacilitatesthe developmentofthecourse,thuslinkingcoursedesigntocoursecontentandassessmentand learningoutcomes.asapartofthedevelopment,coursedeveloperswhodevelop online/blendedcoursessignacontractwithcpithatindicatestheircommitmentto cooperate(with(cpi(in(developing(the(course,(complete(the(training(provided(by(cpi(in(the( use(of(the(lms,(and(immediately(following(the(first(delivery(cycle(of(the(course,( participate(in(a(debrief(with(cpi(and(conduct(a(student(assessment(of(the(e8learning( aspects(of(the(course(and(provide(results(of(that(assessment(to(cpi(within(a(reasonable( time. ( Thispost6coursedeliverydebriefwiththeinstructorabouttheefficacyoftheonlinemodality isanimportantpartoftheuniversity scommitmenttoqualitystandards. Inaddition,facultymemberswhohavedevelopedonlinecoursesmeettodiscussonline coursedevelopmentanddeliverywiththeirpeers.abestpracticessymposium,facilitatedby CPI,washeldonTuesdaySeptember24 th 2013.Inaddition,BrockUniversityfacultywho developedandhavedeliveredonlinecoursespresentedattherecentconnectconference

5 5 (Canada slearningandtechnologyconference,may9 th,2014).finally,abrockuniversity PresidentialSymposiumoneLearningisplannedforOctober6, (Student(Retention(and(online(learning:( Oneconcernthathasbeenraisedwithregardtotheviabilityofonlinelearningistheconcern thatstudentswilldropoutofonlinecoursesatamuchhigherratethanface6to6facecourses. ThishasprovenNOTtobethecase,eitherattheprovinciallevel,orspecifically,atBrock University. ArecentsurveyoftheeLearningactivityintheprovinceofOntarioindicated85%ofcourses startedbyontarioundergraduatestudentswerecompleted Bates.(2011)FactSheet:SummaryofOntarioeLearningSurveysofPubliclyAssistedPSE Institutions ( 5.(Enrollment(in(online(learning(is(rising( InsideHigherEd: distance6education6enrollments#ixzz33albcoe6 Otherstudies,suchastheonereleasedbytheBabsonSurveyResearchGrouphave attemptedtoestimatethenumberofstudentstakingonlinecoursesthroughsurveying institutions.thisyear,thegroupreportedthat7.1millionstudents(usdata)tookatleastone onlinecourseinfall2012,butthatnumberappearstohavebeenonthegenerousside. AccordingtotheIPEDSdata,theactualnumberwasabout5.5million66roughlyone6quarter ofthetotalenrollment.amongthose5.5millionstudents,about2.6millionwereenrolledin fullyonlineprograms66theresttooksometraditionalcourses,someonline.those(numbers( also(highlight(a(split(between(undergraduates(and(graduate(students.(the(share(of(graduate( students(enrolled(in(fully(online(programs(was(twice(as(high(as(the(share(of(undergraduates(ff(22( to(11(percent.undergraduates,however,werealmosttwiceaslikelyasgraduatestudentsto takeacombinationofface6to6faceandonlinecourses6614.2to7.8percent. OnlineanddistanceedtopsGoogle slistofmostsearchedforuniversities: