1 Last updated: 12/11/12

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1 Overview: Online Curse Delivery Factrs In a face-t-face curse, all instructin takes place in the classrm. The learning management system (LMS, e.g., Mdle/LATTE) may be used t huse supplemental curse materials and perhaps t facilitate assignment submissin and grading, but n instructin takes place thrugh the LMS. In a cmpletely nline curse, all instructin takes place nline via the LMS. There is n face-t-face cmpnent, nr is there a residency requirement. A hybrid curse uses varius delivery methds t best meet curse and sessin utcmes. The blend may cnsist f any cmbinatin f face-t-face classrm instructin, asynchrnus discussin frums, and synchrnus sessins. Nte that classrm-based curses that use the LMS as a supplemental tl (e.g., fr ptinal discussin psts between class meetings; assignment submissins; husing f multi-media resurces, etc.) are nt cnsidered hybrid, as instructin takes place in the physical classrm and nt in the LMS. Within the nline and hybrid delivery methds, there are several factrs t cnsider, each f which ultimately impacts the student experience, the levels f and student supprt required, the types f technical supprt required, and ultimately verall curse quality. 1 Last updated: 12/11/12

2 Synchrnus curses have regular live class meetings cnducted via a web cnferencing tl such as Adbe Cnnect r Blackbard Cllabrate. Asynchrnus curses are delivered entirely nline via the LMS, with n set days r times fr /student interactin. Curses may have a cmbinatin f synchrnus and asynchrnus elements, which each cntributing t sme degree t the learning utcmes. Cnsideratins: Purely asynchrnus curses require that students pssess strng time management skills. Fr this reasn, the majrity f asynchrnus-nly curses are at the graduate level, with synchrnus curses fund mre cmmnly at the undergraduate level. The higher the degree f synchrnicity, the strnger the need fr and student supprt in the web cnferencing tl. Prgrams/curses with students in multiple time znes must carefully define synchrnus requirements in marketing materials. Prgrams/curses that market an asynchrnus-nly apprach may still incrprate synchrnus elements, prvided that all synchrnus sessins can be recrded and shared within the LMS. Faculty-develped curse cntent may cnsist f all vides (recrded r ther prduced vides), all text, r a cmbinatin f media types. Cnsideratins: Psting recrded may be useful t face-t-face r hybrid curses, but lengthy recrded used fr purely nline curses are nt recmmended. The best practice is t keep recrdings in the 2 t 10 minute range. The strnger the need fr prductin-quality vide cntent, the higher the curse develpment and maintenance csts. The technical requirements impsed n the target audience shuld als be cnsidered. 2 Last updated: 12/11/12

3 Cntent that cnsists f written shuld incrprate best practices fr text-based nline curse cntent develpment. Instructinal designers can assist in determining and creating apprpriate cntent types t realize different curse utcmes. The LMS can huse any number f asynchrnus discussin frums fr use by and students thrughut the curse. These frums may be used fr scial interactins nly, fr graded discussins and cllabratin, r sme cmbinatin. Cnsideratins: The recmmended best practice fr nline (and hybrid) curses is fr the LMS t huse a mix f scial and graded discussin frums. In the LMS, curses shuld clearly delineate the purpse f each discussin frum: Scial, fr cnversatins nt related t curse material, imprtant t lessen the sense f islatin that nline students may feel Private, fr ne-n-ne cnversatins between the student and the member Grup, fr discussins amng assigned grups f students Questins, fr general curse questins r thse related t a particular curse assignment Annuncements, fr bradcast ntes Graded, fr regular, required individual respnses t discussin questins psed by the instructr fllwed by replies t the respnses f thers Discussin expectatins and ral/written participatin requirements shuld be defined in the syllabus and cvered in the curse/prgram rientatin. Grund-rules fr prper psts and netiquette guidelines shuld be included, alng with material n citing surces apprpriately. Self-assessments are nn-graded (typically bjective) questins prvided thrughut the curse t reinfrce student understanding. Faculty-graded assessments cnsist f assignments that will vary based n subject matter and curse utcmes. They can include exams, papers, research prjects, prgrams, 3 Last updated: 12/11/12

4 presentatins, case study analysis, etc. Peer assessments invlve the sharing f individually-created wrk prducts with sme r all f the class fr the purpse f peer review. Cnsideratins: All -graded assessments shuld align with defined curse bjectives and utcmes. Regular self-assessments are recmmended, particularly fr purely nline curses. They highlight ptential areas f cnfusin fr the student, allwing fr fllw-n dialgue between the student and member. Peer assessments (graded and nn-graded) can enhance student learning by prviding multiple viewpints n student wrk prducts in additin t the instructr s perspectives. The recmmended best practice fr nline (and hybrid) curses is t include a cmbinatin f self- and -graded assessments, with pprtunities fr peer assessments available depending n the curse subject matter. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Curses) generally include self-assessments cnsisting f bjective-based questins which are graded autmatically via the delivery platfrm. Sme MOOC mdels incrprate autmated assignment f peer grups fr the purpse f peer assessments. Online curses may have ne instructr per curse. That individual is respnsible fr develping curse materials, facilitating asynchrnus discussins, cnducting synchrnus sessins, and grading student wrk prducts. In ther mdels, curse cntent may be shared amng multiple members wh cllabrate n curse cntent and site updates but teach his/her wn curse sectin, separately facilitating asynchrnus discussins, cnducting synchrnus sessins, and grading student wrk prducts. Scalable mdels recmmended by many nline enabler rganizatins use a master mdel. One member is respnsible fr curse cntent and utcmes. Multiple instructrs teach separate sectins f the curse, facilitating asynchrnus discussins, cnducting synchrnus sessins, and grading student wrk prducts. Cnsideratins: Regular and cnsistent versight is essential in the master mdel t ensure that the clned sub-sectins deliver curses f equal quality and deliver the prmised curse utcmes. With all appraches, intellectual prperty terms shuld be explicitly defined and cntractually agreed upn. 4 Last updated: 12/11/12

5 Online class sizes can range frm grups f students t hundreds, thusands, and hundreds f thusands f students (the latter via MOOCs). Cnsideratins: The larger the class size, the mre challenging it becmes t cnduct synchrnus sessins effectively. The larger the class size, the luder the asynchrnus discussin frums becme, increasing the wrklad fr students and the instructr t keep up with all f the cnversatins. Many schls/prgrams utilize the master mdel with students per curse wh are divided int sub-sectins f students, each instructed by a lwer-level instructr. While mre amenable t scaling, having dedicated per curse can be a market differentiatr fr a prgram. Smaller class sizes result in a mre intensive, seminar-style experience. Class sizes in the thusands, ppularized by MOOCs, shuld be cnsistent with a university s visin and missin. If undertaken, they must be carefully planned, designed, prduced, and marketed, and be cnducted via a prven delivery platfrm. While mst nline curses are credit-bearing, thers may be ffered fr n-credit r they may prvide students with a certificate r badge upn successful cmpletin. MOOCs fall int this latter categry, thugh recent trends have seen cllabratins amng MOOC-delivering institutins and ACE Credit, which may change the underlying MOOC business mdel. 5 Last updated: 12/11/12

6 Pacing refers t the degree t which students can cmplete the curse in islatin and n their wn time, r whether they are required t fllw a defined pace such as regular class meeting days r a standard nline curse week with a defined start and end. A mix f pacing ptins is pssible; fr example, regular class meetings with a mid-pint sizable break perid during which a defined set f wrk must be cmpleted individually. Cnsideratins: self-paced curses are pen-entry and pen-exit. They require n interactins with r classmates, and they generally d nt fllw any standard academic calendar. Usually cmpletely self-paced curses are nn-credit, thugh as nted abve in the cntext f MOOCs, the underlying business mdels are fluid and rapidly evlving. Mdules r mini-curses aimed at rienting the learner t the nline envirnment are ften nncredit self-paced curses. 6 Last updated: 12/11/12

7 Overall Cnsideratins A planning wrksheet fllws which may be used t determine the factrs which are the right fit fr a particular curse r prgram interested in migrating nline. In additin t the cnsideratins per factr nted abve, ver-arching cnsideratins fr chsing a particular set f factrs include: The audience (high schl, undergraduate, graduate, internatinal) The bjective(s) in delivering an nline curse r prgram (attract mre students; meet a curriculum gap; serve students wh travel away frm campus) The curse/prgram utcmes (particularly regarding cntent and timing chices) Budget fr curse develpment Faculty resurces fr curse delivery Sme cmbinatins f factrs are mre cmmn than thers. The Graduate Prfessinal Studies (GPS) apprach, depicted in the sample wrksheet that fllws, is a relatively cmmn apprach fr part-time nline master s prgrams fr wrking adults, fr example, thugh it remains relatively unique in its apprach t the Faculty, Assessments, and Class Size parameters which are leveraged as market differentiatrs. Other factr cmbinatins imply less academic rigr and prer quality. Fr example, a cmpletely asynchrnus apprach cntaining all vide cntent, self-assessments withut graded assessments, and scial frums nly wuld equate t a self-paced curse with little/n and student interactin. Adding the dimensin f accmmdating thusands f students, and the mdel is the MOOC; it remains nn-credit (fr nw) because it is less rigrus in ne r mre dimensins. Once factrs are assessed, if a repeatable mdel is required fr the cnstructin and delivery f multiple nline curses, cnsider an investment in an nline learning infrastructure that cntains: Standards fr the curse syllabus, fr the curse site, fr curse develpment and delivery (synchrnus and/r asynchrnus) Custmizatins t the LMS t meet curse delivery requirements Training/rientatin materials n the pedaggy and n the tl(s) fr and students Online student services, frm prgram advising t registratin, admissins, technical supprt with the LMS and ther tls as applicable, and rientatin t nline learning Website resurces n nline learning, including learning style self-assessments, technical requirements, and simulatins Regular quality audits cnducted f curses t ensure cmpliance with standards 7 Last updated: 12/11/12

8 Online Learning Infrastructure 8 Last updated: 12/11/12

9 Planning Wrksheet Template: Online Curse Delivery Factrs [Als available as a Qualtrics survey, Delivery Methd Timing Cntent Asynchrnus Discussins 50/50 hybrid face-t-face nline synchrnus 50/50 mix f synchrnus & asynchrnus N/A; Lectures delivered synchrnusly All vide 50/50 mix f vide and text Optinal, fr scial purpses Mix f graded and nn-graded psts asynchrnus All text-based Graded Assessments Self Peer Graded Mix f self and peer assessments Mix f self and graded Mix f peer and graded Mix f all assessment types Faculty One master, multiple instructrs Tw r mre cllabratrs One primary member Class Size Thusands per curse, per sub-sectin per curse Credit Nn-credit Certificate r Credit-bearing badge Pacing Self-paced Mix f pacing ptins Structured pace 9 Last updated: 12/11/12

10 Graduate Prfessinal Studies Curse Delivery Factrs Delivery Methd Timing Cntent Asynchrnus Discussins face-t-face 50/50 hybrid nline synchrnus 50/50 mix f synchrnus & asynchrnus N/A; Lectures delivered synchrnusly All vide 50/50 mix f vide and text Optinal, fr scial purpses Mix f graded and nngraded psts asynchrnus All text-based Graded Assessments Self Peer Graded Mix f self and peer assessments Mix f self and graded Mix f peer and graded Mix f all assessment types Faculty One master, multiple instructrs Tw r mre cllabratrs One primary member Class Size Thusands per curse, per sub-sectin per curse Credit Nn-credit Certificate r badge Creditbearing Pacing Self-paced Mix f pacing ptins Structured pace Seven master s prgrams cmpletely nline Curses available cmpletely asynchrnusly, with ptinal synchrnus sessins Primarily text-based with supplemental recrdings Heavy use f threaded discussins, f a variety f types Mix f self-, peer-, and graded assessments, aligned with curse utcmes One primary member per curse, with a few exceptins f cllabratrs Maximum f 20 students per curse; 3 curses have lwer caps (15 and 16) Credit-bearing Structured pace, with a defined curse week f Wednesday thrugh Tuesday 10 Last updated: 12/11/12

11 Prpsed Summer Schl Online Curse Delivery Factrs Delivery Methd Timing Cntent Asynchrnus Discussins face-t-face 50/50 hybrid nline synchrnus 50/50 mix f synchrnus & asynchrnus asynchrnus N/A; Lectures delivered synchrnusly All vide 50/50 mix f vide and text Optinal, fr scial purpses Mix f graded and nn-graded psts All text-based Graded Assessments Self Peer Graded Mix f self and peer assessments Mix f self and graded Mix f peer and graded Mix f all assessment types Faculty One master, multiple instructrs Tw r mre cllabratrs One primary member Class Size Thusands per curse, per sub-sectin per curse Credit Nn-credit Certificate r Credit-bearing badge Pacing Self-paced Mix f pacing ptins Structured pace 11 Last updated: 12/11/12

12 Prpsed 2U Curse Delivery Factrs Delivery Methd Timing Cntent Asynchrnus Discussins face-t-face 50/50 hybrid nline synchrnus 50/50 mix f synchrnus & asynchrnus N/A; Lectures delivered synchrnusly All vide 50/50 mix f vide and text asynchrnus All text-based Optinal, fr Mix f graded Graded scial purpses and nn-graded psts Assessments Self Peer Graded Mix f self and peer assessments Mix f self and graded Mix f peer and graded Mix f all assessment types Faculty One master, multiple instructrs Tw r mre cllabratrs One primary member Class Size Thusands per curse, per sub-sectin per curse Credit Nn-credit Certificate r Credit-bearing badge Pacing Self-paced Mix f pacing ptins Structured pace 12 Last updated: 12/11/12