Coffeyville Community College. Progress Report for Associate of Arts Online Delivery

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1 Coffeyville Community College Progress Report for Associate of Arts Online Delivery November 2011 Alysia Johnston Vice President of Academics Brad Weber Director of Distance Learning

2 Introduction In November of 2009, Coffeyville Community College received a Higher Learning Commission focus visit which included a review of the college s Online Associate of Arts degree. HLC Accreditation was granted for the online Associate of Arts degree. However, the HLC focus visit team had the following suggestions and/or recommendations for further improvements: 1. The establishment of a Distance Learning Committee or the use of a current committee for Distance Learning decisions 2. Identify and implement a review and assessment process that evaluates the institution s online services and offerings in a holistic manner 3. To find an alternative to the Current Learning Management System of Blackboard/ Webct (which will not be eligible for support within the next 24 months) 4. Better access to library resources for online students 5. Further implementation of Best Practices in Online Delivery including development of a community of learners and encouraging a dynamic learning environment In response to the HLC team s recommendations, the Director of Distance Learning at CCC proceeded to incorporate the following items: 1) the establishment of a Distance Learning Committee or the use of a current committee for Distance Learning decisions. In January 2010, Coffeyville Community College established the use of the college s Academic Affairs Committee in relation to the planning and overall guidance for the Distance Learning program. CCC s Academic Affairs committee currently includes faculty personnel from each of the academic divisions including English, Math, Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, along with the Distance Learning Director, CCC s Registrar, Dean of Academics, and the Dean of Technical Programs. This committee will serve as the steering mechanism for the Distance Learning Program See Appendix #1 2) Identify and Implement a review and assessment process that evaluates the institution s online services and offerings in a holistic manner. In conjunction with the Academic Affairs Committee, the Distance Learning Director researched and established an Online Course Rubric. The Online Course Rubric aids Coffeyville Community College s Distance Learning program in the following ways: Provides guidance to current faculty members when designing new online courses Provides guidance to future faculty members as to what constitutes a quality online course. Provides guidance to CCC s administration team as a way to monitor the quality of its online offerings. The goal of this Rubric is to help strengthen the quality of CCC s online offerings as well as increase and maximize student interaction with the professor and campus resources. See Appendix #2 2

3 3) To find an alternative to the Current Learning Management System Blackboard/Webct. (which will not be eligible for support within the next 24 months.) During the Fall of 2009 Coffeyville Community College needed to decide whether to upgrade their existing LMS of Webct (which was being phased out by its parent company of Blackboard) to a newer version of Blackboard or to explore other options for a LMS. Through a review of resources for the Distance Learning program and research into other learning management systems, CCC decided to switch it s LMS to the software Moodle. Faculty training sessions were held in March and May of A Student Moodle instructional video was made available to students through the Distance Learning portion of CCC s website in May 2010 Coffeyville Community College switched to Moodle as a production LMS starting in the Summer term of See Appendix #3 4) Better Access to Library Resources for Online Students In November 2009, CCC s Graham Library updated and overhauled its presence on the main school website. New online resources were made available via CCC s website. They include: Books, College and Career information, e-books, encyclopedia, Guide to Internet Resources, Medical e-library, Periodicals & Newspapers, Search Engines, State and National Information, Streaming Video, and a link to Write that Paper Right! See Appendix #4 5) Further Implementation of Best Practices in Online Delivery including development of a community of learners and encouraging a dynamic learning environment. Coffeyville Community College s Distance Learning Director along with the Academic Affairs committee has enabled the following policies and procedures in order to develop a community of learners and encourage a dynamic learning environment. Implementation of Online Course Rubric The implementation of the Online Course Rubric has helped foster a spirit of quality enhancement amongst our online faculty members especially in the area of student/professor interaction. Updating of CCC s Online Instructor Expectations. Requirement of Online faculty to meet at both Fall and Spring In-service sessions to discuss new online technologies along with new and updated learning theories in Distance Learning. Creation of Online Faculty Development course inside Moodle which all CCC online faculty members have access to. This allows CCC s online faculty access to items such as Best Practices, CCC s Online Rubric, and help information for the software Moodle. See Appendix #5 3

4 Findings and Conclusions The main goal of any Distance Learning program should be to engage professors and students in a dynamic and interactive manner which will lead to increased understanding of the course outcomes by the student. Coffeyville Community College Distance Learning program is striving towards this ultimate goal and it is through the actions and efforts mentioned above that CCC is working towards this end result. 4

5 Appendixes A. Academic Affairs minutes B. Online Rubric C. Moodle Screen Shots 1. Moodle Login Page 2. Moodle Administration Page 3. CCC Distance Learning web page with Moodle Links D. CCC Graham Library web page screenshot 1. Online Resources 2. Additional Electronic Books E. Distance Learning - Best Practices 1. Faculty Development Page 2. CCC Instructor Expectations 5

6 Appendix A Academic Affairs Minutes 8/11/10 Present: Marlon Thornburg, Brad Weber, Derek Dick, Debbie Oestmann, Rick King, Don Barker, Salina Meek, Mark Frank, Marla Larimore, Alysia Johnston Discussed committee membership for academic year: committee members will serve 3 year terms. Terms will be staggered so we will not have all new committee members at the same time. Each division/area will be represented. VP for Learning, VP for Innovation and Technology, Registrar, Dean of Technology and Director of Distance Learning will be permanent appointments Academic Affairs Committee Members: Alysia Johnston Marlon Thornburg Debbi Oestmann Brad Weber Derek Dick 2nd yr, 3 yr term Rick King 3rd yr, 3 yr term Salina Meek 3rd yr, 3 yr term Marla Larimore 2nd yr, 3yr term Debbie Allen 1st yr, 3 yr term Kendall Payne 1st yr, 3 yr term Darla Strecker 1st yr, 3 yr term Jeff Leiker 1st yr, 3 yr term Discussed attendance and cell phone issues on campus. No action. Brad Weber presented information for distance education best practices. Also, introduced the Rubric for Online Instruction. Derek Dick moved to approve the Rubric for Online Instruction be implemented for all online classes; Marla Larimore seconded the motion, motion passed. Marlon Thornburg introduced program guides with new course # s for state curriculum alignment. Auto Collision Repair Technology Construction Technology Auto Service Technology Salina Meek moved to approve new course # s, Marla Larimore seconded: motion passed. Marlon Thornburg introduced 7 new courses for the Precision Machining Program. MACH-110 OSHA 10 Safety MACH-120 Precision Measurement & Gauges MACH-140 Math for Manufacturing MACH-115 Mechanical Blueprint Reading MACH-160 Metallurgy MACH-180 Workplace Ethics MACH-230 CNC Operations Derek Dick moved the courses be approved, Marla Larimore seconded; motion passed. 6

7 Appendix B Rubric for Online Instruction What should a quality online course look like? This rubric offers a framework for addressing this question. Use of this rubric represents a developmental process for online course design and delivery, and provides a means for an instructor to self-assess course(s) based on CCC s expectations. Furthermore, the rubric provides a means for supporting and recognizing a faculty member s effort in developing expertise in online instruction as part of our commitment to high quality learning environments. This Rubric for Online Instruction may be used in one of three ways: 1. As a course self-evaluation tool advising instructors how to revise an existing course to the Rubric for Online Instruction. 2. As a way to design a new course for the online environment, following the rubric as a road map. 3. As a way for CCC administration to gauge the quality of an online course. Resources: California State University at Chico: Licence: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA 7

8 Category 1 Baseline (1) Effective (2) Exemplary (3) Learner Support & Resources A) Score A. Course contains limited information for online learner support and links to campus. B) Score B. Course provides limited course-specific resources, limited contact information for instructor, department, and/or program. C) Score C. Course offers limited resources supporting course content and different learning abilities Total A. Course contains adequate information for online learner support and links to campus resources. B. Course provides adequate course-specific resources, some contact information for instructor, department, and program C. Course offers access to adequate resources supporting course content and different learning abilities A. Course contains extensive information about being an online learner and links to campus resources B. Course provides a variety of course-specific resources, contact information for instructor, department and program. C. Course offers access to a wide range of resources supporting course content and different learning abilities. 8

9 Category 2 Baseline Effective Exemplary Online Organization & Design A) Score A. Much of the course is under construction, with some key components identified such as the syllabus. B) Score B. Course syllabus is unclear about what is expected of students. C) Score C. Aesthetic design does not present and communicate course information clearly. D) Score D. Web pages are inconsistent both visually and functionally. E) Score E. Accessibility issues are not addressed. (Including: sight, mobility, hearing, cognition, ESL, and Technical.) Total A. Course is organized and navigable. Students can understand the key components and structure of the course. B. Course syllabus identifies and delineates the role the online environment will play in the course. C. Aesthetic design presents and communicates course information clearly. D. Most web pages are visually and functionally consistent E. Accessibility issues are briefly addressed. (Including: sight, mobility, hearing, cognition, ESL, and Technical.) A. Course is wellorganized and easy to navigate. Students can clearly understand all components and structure of the course. B. Course syllabus identifies and clearly delineates the role the online environment will play in the total course. C. Aesthetic design presents and communicates course information clearly throughout the course. D. All web pages are visually and functionally consistent through the course. E. Accessibility issues are addressed throughout the course. (Including: Sight, mobility, hearing, cognition, ESL, and techical.) 9

10 Category 3 Baseline (1) Effective (2) Exemplary (3) Instructional Design & Delivery A) Score A. Course offers limited opportunity for interaction and communication; student to student, student to instructor and student to content. B) Score B. Course goals are not clearly defined and do not align to learning objectives. C) Score C. Learning objective are vague or incomplete and learning activities are absent or unclear. D) Score D. Course provides limited visual, textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to enhance student learning and accessibility. E) Score E. Course provides limited activities to help students develop critical thinking and/or problem-solving skills. Total A. Course offers adequate opportunities for interaction and communication; student to student, student, to instructor and student to content. B. course goals are adequately defined but may not align to learning objectives. C. Learning objectives are identified and learning activities are implied. D. Course provides adequate visual, textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to the enhance student learning and accessibility. E. Course provides adequate activities to help students develop critical thinking and/or problem-solving skills. A. Course offers ample opportunities for interaction and communication; student to student, student to instructor and student to content. B. Course goals are clearly defined and aligned to learning objectives. C. Learning objectives are identified and learning activities are clearly integrated. D. Course provides multiple visual, textual, kinesthetic and/ or auditory activities to enhance student learning and accessibility. E. Course provides multiple activities that help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 10

11 Category 4 Baseline (1) Effective (2) Exemplary (3) Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning A) Score A. Course has limited activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery. B) Score B. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are not aligned. A. Course has adequate activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery. B. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are adequately aligned. A. Course has multiple timely and appropriate activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery. B. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are closely aligned. C) Score C. Assessment strategies are limited in use to measure content knowledge, attitudes, and skills. C. Ongoing strategies are used to measure content knowledge, attitudes, and skills. C. Ongoing multiple assessment strategies are used to measure content knowledge, attitudes, and skills. D) Score D. Opportunities for students to receive feedback about their own performance are infrequent and sporadic. E) Score E. Students self-assessments and/or peer feedback opportunities are limited. D. Opportunities for students to receive feedback about their own performance are provided. E. Students self-assessments and/or peer feedback opportunities exist. D. Regular feedback about student performance is provided in a timely manner throughout the course. E. Students self-assessments and peer feedback opportunities exist throughout the course. Total 11

12 Category 5 Baseline (1) Effective (2) Exemplary (3) Innovative Teaching with Technology A) Score A. Course uses limited technology tools to facilitate communication and learning. A. Course uses adequate technology tools to facilitate communication and learning A. Course uses a variety of technology tools to appropriately facilitate communication and learning. B) Score B. New teaching methods applied to enhance student learning are limited B. New teaching methods are adequately applied to innovatively enhance student learning. B. New teaching methods are applied and innovatively enhance student learning, and interactively engage students. C) Score C. There are limited multimedia elements and/or learning objects for accommodating different learning styles. C. Multimedia elements and/or lelarning objects are used and are relevant to accommodate different learning styles. C. A Variety of multimedia elements and/ or learning objects are used and are relevant to accommodate different learning styles throughout the course. D) Score D. course uses Internet access and engages students in the learning process in a very limited way. Total D. Course optimizes Internet access and effectively engages students in the learning process. D. Course optimizes Internet access and effectively engages students in the learning process in a variety of ways throughout the course. 12

13 Category 6 Baseline (1) Effective (2) Examplary (3) Faculty Use of Faculty Feedback A) Score A. Instructor offers limited opportunity for students to give feedback to faculty on course content. A. Instructor offers adequate opportunities for students to give feedback on course content. A. Instructor offers multiple opportunities for students to give feedback on course content. B) Score B. Instructor offers limited opportunity for students to give feedback on ease of online technology and accessibility of course. B. Instructor offers adequate opportunities for students to give feedback on ease of online technology and accessibility of course. B. Instructor offers multiple opportunities for students to give feedback on ease of online technology and accessibility of course. C) Score C. Instructor uses student feedback to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning for the next semester in a limited way. C. Instructor requests and uses student feedback a couple times during the semester to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning for the rest of the semester. C. Instructor uses formal and informal student feedback in an ongoing basis to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning throughout the semester. Total Rubric Total 13

14 Appendix C-1 14

15 Appendix C-2 15

16 Appendix C-3 16

17 Appendix D-1 17

18 Appendix D-2 18

19 Appendix E-1 Coffeyville Community College Online Instructor Expectations CCC expects the following from our Online Instructors: Communication Each instructor will answer and/or respond within 24 hrs to all correspondence ( or voice). Each instructor will make sure Syllabi and Competencies loaded into classes are current and up to date. Syllabus will reflect the course as an Online Class. The 25% material completion date and its definition must be clearly posted inside the menu item Course Information. All classes will have a Start Here page loaded into the Course Information section of the class. This page will instruct the student on how to proceed. Course Outline Each instructor will make sure all dates inside the class are current and reflect the current semester. Each Online Course must contain the Institutional Assessment activities. Administrative Each instructor will Load class rosters no later then 9:00am the first day of scheduled class. Each instructor will Unload class rosters one day after the last scheduled day of classes. Each instructor is required to manage (fill out and return) any forms issued to Online Instructors from CCC s Registrar s office. The 3 primary forms are: 1) Semester Certification roster (25% rule applied to this roster) 2) Midterm Grades (depending on the term, midterm grades may not apply) 3) Final Grades Each instructor is required to manage all Drops or Withdrawals for the specific class and inactivate any student once they have dropped or been withdrawn. Instructors must Inactivate those students who have been dropped due to the 25% completion policy. 19

20 Appendix E-2 20