CAP - Page 1 Model for Good Practice in Accelerated Programs in Higher Education Council for Accelerated Programs In this day of multiple delivery methods, the use of time alone to document achievement of a degree has long passed. Many innovative programs and organizations, including Prior Learning Assessment and the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning, have changed the way undergraduate and graduate degrees are earned. Accelerated and intensive delivery formats are just one more step in the progress toward using learning outcomes in a wide variety of ways to meet student needs. However, accelerated programs must operate at a high level of quality. Through research and documentation of best practice, the Council for Accelerated Programs recommends this model to accrediting bodies when reviewing accelerated programs in regard to integrity of the credit hour. Accelerated programs have generally been defined as less time with instructor-student contact (as compared to the traditional Carnegie unit); quality and effectiveness are measured by the students achievement of the course learning objectives. While research does show that contact with the instructor is important for the learning experience, it is not the only element that defines a quality program delivery. There is a combination of components which makes up a successful accelerated program, of which these are the most important elements: Adult Learners: 1. Accelerated courses are designed specifically for adults. The population must be adult learners with full time work experience adults who have had at least two years of fulltime work experience bring those experiences to the classroom and can enrich the learning process. Each institution may define adults in slightly different ways, but in general the definition tends to be 23(24, 25) plus 5(4, 3, 2) years of full-time work experience. 2. Accelerated courses are designed for adult learners who are motivated. These programs are designed for the adult learner who is disciplined and motivated. This is a person driven to education because of personal or professional goals. They have good time management skills and the ability to deal with high stress. 3. Adult learners need to understand their own learning strategies, have good time management skills, and collaborate well with others. 4. Admission standards should incorporate the issues listed above. Structured Program: 5. Accelerated programs must be structured, including the scheduling of courses, so that adults can know from the beginning how they will attain their degree. In the intensive time frame, students should focus on one course at a time. Once a course ends, another course can begin the next week. 6. Courses generally meet once a week for 3 to 4 hours. CAP recommends that undergraduate courses have no less than 20 hours of contact with the instructor. A wellknown model is for class sessions to meet four hours a night for five or more weeks. Graduate level courses meet no less than six weeks (with the four hours a week model).
CAP - Page 2 Over the years, the five week session (undergraduate courses) has been shown to be the shortest amount of time that is effective for students to learn the material, accomplish the goals, and meet the learning outcomes. 7. CAP recommends that quantitative courses be allotted extra time; for example, though a statistics course meets for only five weeks, classes may meet twice a week or other time is allotted for problem solving. Specific courses (i.e., math and some hard science courses) that need more contact with the instructor may meet for 28 hours of instructional time and increase the outside class activity time to 24 hours. This type of course actually exceeds the Carnegie unit of total time, reaching to 52 hours for a 3 semester credit course. Curriculum: 8. The learning outcomes should be the very same for a course or a program, no matter the delivery format. For instance, if a specific course, Written Communications, is offered in a 15 week traditional format and the same course is offered in a 5 week accelerated format or an online format, then this course should have the same course objectives and learning outcomes. The format does not change the learning outcomes. If the degree is the same, the learning outcomes should be the same (BBA = BBA; BS in Bus Ad. = BS in Bus Ad). Even if the degree programs are different, but they have common learning outcomes (e.g., critical thinking), CAP encourages the programs to look for a way to use the same assessment tool and compare the learning outcome by program. 9. The curriculum will be structured and must be written with the adult learner in mind. The curriculum should start with the program learning outcomes and all course objectives/learning outcomes should align with one of the program learning outcomes. The curriculum must include in-class activities as well as out-of-class activities. This curriculum focuses on application as well as theory. Courses should have three components: in-class activities, out-of-class activities, and homework. a. In-class activities are instructor led/facilitated learning events. b. Out-of-class activities are instructor monitored/evaluated learning events that equal the types of events an instructor may conduct in a classroom. CAP recommends that institutions move to alternative instructional activity charts* as those developed by some institutions (samples attached in the appendices). Examples include online discussion board that is instructor-mediated with expectations for participation; case studies and problem solving scenarios that students complete outside of class and bring the results back to the class session; creation of information on a wiki page for all students in the course to review and comment; lecture materials written or audio transcript; field trips; reflective analysis of reading materials and discussion with small group on specific topics; and small group research projects where students analyze, synthesize and prepare a final project tied to the course objectives. For instance, in a law class, the facilitator might designate half of the class to be on one side of the legal issue and the other half to argue against them. Each group works together building its case; then the class posts to a discussion board to allow all students to participate. Separate groups may be set up online with the instructor as a member of every group, just as s/he might hover over the various conversations while walking around the room.
CAP - Page 3 c. Homework includes the reading material, writing assignments, and other types of assignments. 10. Online accelerated courses should also follow these guidelines and make sure any faceto-face instructor led/facilitated activities translate to instructor led online activities. Any instructor monitored/evaluated activities are also translated to online activities. Homework remains homework. *Some states, such as Pennsylvania, already require the specifications of out of class learning activities. Two universities have shared their examples with CAP and they are listed in the Appendices. Another excellent source is from Immaculata University. Immaculata has a website with a matrix for undergraduate and graduate alternative instructional equivalencies and documentation: (http://ats.immaculata.edu/aie) Password: AIE. Policies: 11. Policies should discourage students from enrolling in more than one course at a time, especially for five week courses. Some programs may allow two 8-week courses to be taken concurrently, but this depends on circumstances. For example, there would be a difference between a single mother with four children who wants to complete her degree by the time they are all in school, and a single late-twenties person who is trying hard to get a promotion or move on to another job opportunity. 12. Policies should include a class make-up session if a face-to-face class session is canceled by the instructor or the institution. Unlike traditional semester courses, if an instructor is ill or is unavailable, or if there is inclement weather and class sessions are canceled, the quality accelerated program will reschedule that class session and students will meet the in-class time requirement. 13. Policies should state that if a student is absent more than twice in a course, that student cannot receive credit for the course and must repeat the course. Instructor Load: 14. CAP recommends that institutions count an accelerated course in the same way as a traditional course: learning outcomes are the same; only the time frame is shorter. 15. CAP recommends that a credit load for faculty not vary between the traditional semester length courses and the accelerated courses. For example, a three credit hour course that meets over 14 to 16 weeks is equal to a three credit hour course in an accelerated time frame for faculty load. A 12 credit hour faculty load in traditional length semester courses is equal to a 12 credit hour faculty load in accelerated courses. 16. Faculty should not teach more than one accelerated course at a time. Many faculty have noted that teaching an accelerated course is more difficult and time consuming because more must be put in writing. This also means, however, that the faculty member does not have the luxury of a three-week turn-around time to let students know their grades. Assignments must be graded and returned to the students within a week s timeframe.
CAP - Page 4 Services: 17. Services must be available when the adult student is available. The student services, academic advising, financial aid assistance, and technology assistance must be available to the student electronically or during the hours that the student is not working. There are many ways to package learning, from self-directed learning to collaborative to instructor controlled. Quality accelerated programs do not cheat students out of the learning; they merely package the learning process differently. The point of these programs is the concentrated attention given to one specific course. Adult learners do not have to think about more than one subject at a time. Adult learners in accelerated programs believe that their degree program has quality and is significantly more rigorous than a traditional semester course. They also believe their degree is more useable, because they spent time on application of the learning as well as on theory. They believe that they were gaining a more focused, relevant degree experience (Kasworm, 2003, p23). If accelerated programs hold to this level of student engagement in courses, then surely they satisfy the credit hour definition established by the U.S. Department of Education. Accelerated programs should hold to this level of student engagement in courses. In addition accelerated programs should document how they are meeting the CAP Quality s created from its research and documentation of best practices. These standards provide a touchstone for member institutions, and those that might be interested in membership, in the continuing quest for the highest possible quality in the programs provided in an accelerated format. These standards are not prescriptive, nor are they binding on member institutions. They are drawn from our experience with regional accrediting bodies and are provided for the use of our member institutions as an analytical tool.
CAP - Page 5 Council for Accelerated Programs Quality s for Accelerated Programs in Higher Education Effective June 2011 The Council for Accelerated Programs strongly encourages programs to adhere to the following quality standards: 1. Program Mission and Integrity: The program has a mission statement that reflects an educational philosophy, goals, purposes and general intent for its adult accelerated programs and clearly complements the institutional mission. ü The program mission statement is congruent with, extends from, or is part of the institutional mission. ü The program has a clear mission that defines its purpose within the context of the institution and explains how it will serve adult learners and the community. ü The mission provides the underlying values upon which it can base its goals and operations. ü The mission s goals and objectives focus on adult student learning and continuous improvement. Copies of the institutional mission and the mission for accelerated program.
CAP - Page 6 2. Leadership and Administration: The program s leadership and administrative structures are sufficient, appropriate and stable for accomplishing the program s mission. In addition, the institutional leaders demonstrate a commitment to, and embrace the concept of, accelerated adult learning models. University leadership: ü The accelerated program leadership reports directly to the institution s chief academic officer. ü The institutional leadership demonstrates knowledge and commitment to adult accelerated learning models. Program leadership: ü The program has a well-planned organizational structure with clear role definitions. ü The program can demonstrate that it has adequate staff to carry out the necessary functions. ü The program has procedures to select, train, evaluate and develop its staff. ü The program and institutional leadership demonstrate knowledge and commitment to the adult accelerated program s mission. ü Program leadership participates in institutional academic and administrative committees, boards, and other forums. Institutional Organizational chart Unit Organizational chart Procedure Manuals
CAP - Page 7 3. Educational Offerings: The degree programs offered are consistent with adult learning theory, the institution s mission, and student and stakeholder needs. They demonstrate academic rigor and congruence between learning objectives and outcomes. The program provides diverse learning experiences that incorporate the characteristics and contexts of adult learners while meeting established academic standards. ü The accelerated program learning outcomes are comparable to other programs within the institution. ü Facilitation is the primary instructional methodology in accelerated programs. ü Educational offerings accommodate the diversity and complexity of adult student lifestyles including time, frequency and delivery methods. ü Courses build upon the students prior knowledge and experience. ü Course design and assessment of learning outcomes take into consideration the diversity of student learning styles. ü Programs are continuously designed, reviewed and revised as needed to reflect current knowledge in the discipline and to meet market needs. ü Quality of teaching, academic rigor and effectiveness are comparable in all delivery formats. ü Program and course goals are stated in terms of student learning objectives and outcomes. ü Course guides (or curriculum guides) clearly articulate and promote the achievement of learning objectives and outcomes and there is a systematic approach to course revisions. ü Alternative learning opportunities (e.g., Prior Learning Assessment) meet identified needs consistent with the mission. ü Accelerated program delivery may be adjusted as needed by each institution to suit student learning needs dictated by the nature of specific courses. No Evidence Improvement Copies of random course materials pairing courses from traditional and accelerated deliveries. Copies of teacher observation forms with comments for facilitation for accelerated courses.
CAP - Page 8 4. Assessment and Program Evaluation: The program provides evidence of continuous assessment of its various components to ensure the maintenance of quality, the assurance of accountability, and the achievement of desired outcomes for its future development and improvement. In addition to the continuous assessment of learning outcomes, the program evaluates academic programs on a systemic basis, using longitudinal data, to ensure quality in all aspects of the program. ü The program has a written comprehensive assessment plan of student learning and can demonstrate its implementation. ü The program has a documented system to use assessment results for continuous improvement. ü The program s assessment plan incorporates the assessment of student learning and the information gathered to improve teaching, curriculum, and learning. ü The program s evaluation plan measures student outcomes such as retention, completion rates and time to completion, and post-graduate career advancement, as well as student learning outcomes. ü The program s evaluation plan monitors student satisfaction with facilities and auxiliary services and can demonstrate responsiveness to areas identified as needing improvement. Copies of these assessment and evaluation plans Charts or evidence of retention rates, completion rates etc. Copies of student surveys of satisfaction
CAP - Page 9 5. Faculty Appraisal, Support and Appreciation: The accelerated program s curricula is developed, delivered, evaluated and facilitated by qualified, appropriately credentialed, professionals. The program s faculty share a commitment to serve diverse adult learners in an accelerated format and have the attitude, aptitudes, knowledge, and instructional skills to facilitate and assess the learning of these students. ü The program has a documented system for faculty hiring which examines prospective faculty in relation to both their discipline and the unique requirements of teaching adult learners in an accelerated program. ü The program s faculty composition reflects the community s diversity where it is located. ü The program faculty s credentials meet or exceed institutional hiring requirements. ü Newly hired faculty members are oriented to the mission, educational philosophy, goals, purposes, policies, and procedures of the institution and program. ü Faculty credentials are maintained in a secure location. ü The program faculty have practical experience in the field in which they teach. ü The program has a faculty evaluation process that includes more than one approach to evaluate the faculty member s instructional effectiveness. These evaluations examine the ability, aptitude, and skills necessary to facilitate a course in an accelerated format (online or face-to-face). ü The academic institution provides technological assistance to faculty. ü The program has a comprehensive, relevant, on-going faculty development system and can demonstrate faculty participation. ü The program has a process for recognizing outstanding faculty. Copy of hiring process manual Copies of attendance rosters at faculty development workshops; include copies of agenda with topics. Copies of evaluation forms
CAP - Page 10 6. Student Support Services: Reflective of the institutional and programmatic mission, the program provides student support services appropriate to adult student strengths and needs, which are readily accessible regardless of place or delivery format. ü The program has developed and implemented admissions policies that support and reflect the mission of the program. ü The program provides academic support services relevant to a diverse population of adults (e.g., tutor/remediation, adaptive technology, and ADA compliance web resources). ü The institution provides student administration services that are accessible and convenient to adult students such as registration, billing, tuition deferment, and financial aid. ü The program provides services that are readily available regardless of location and delivery format. ü The policies, procedures, and practices of the program take into account the conditions and circumstances of adult learners and promote the success of those students. ü The program provides students access to policies, procedures, and practices in a timely and effective manner. Copy of admission policies List of tutoring services available to students Examples of communications to students describing availability of service.
CAP - Page 11 7. Planning and Resources: The program conducts ongoing planning and resource allocation based on its mission and uses the results of its assessment activities for program renewal. ü A strategic plan is established for the program and reviewed annually. ü The program s strategic plan is an integral component of the institution s strategic plan. ü The strategic plan uses the results of the assessment activities for ongoing development and/or maintenance to deliver the highest-quality academic services and programs to constituencies. ü The academic institution maintains sufficient human, fiscal and learning resources to support the program s mission, goals, strategic plan, innovation and growth. Copy of the strategic plans for the university and for the accelerated unit
CAP - Page 12 8. Facilities and Auxiliary Services: Facilities and auxiliary services necessary for the successful achievement of the program s mission are readily accessible, available and responsive to program students, faculty and staff. This may include off-site locations, classrooms, bookstore, parking, security, safety, food services, library/media center, technology and housekeeping. ü The institution provides adequate space and furnishings conducive to adult learning. ü The institution provides appropriate classroom technology regardless of place or method of delivery. ü The institution maintains adequate staff and resources necessary to carry out the functions associated with the bookstore, parking, security, safety, food services, library/media center, technology and housekeeping as appropriate. List of staff dedicated to accelerated program Pictures of classrooms and space provided
CAP - Page 13 9. Program Marketing and Recruitment: The program demonstrates knowledge of student and market needs to ensure the continuing relevance of education programs and services. Recruitment practices are within the standards identified by current legislation, accreditation, and regulatory guidance. Student-centered: ü The program monitors the continuously changing needs of the adult student population in the area through appropriate means. ü The program monitors student satisfaction and can demonstrate responsiveness to areas identified as needing improvement. ü The program s recruitment process is transparent. ü The program s recruitment process demonstrates the program s value to prospective students and their potential financial commitments. ü The compensation of the program s recruiters follows the federal regulations. ü The program leadership exhibits proper controls over the actions of recruiters to avoid high pressure tactics currently being examined by the Department of Education and other public bodies. Market-focused: ü The program conducts continuous environmental scanning to help maintain market relevance. ü The program monitors community and stakeholder satisfaction to assure alignment with market needs. Copies of student surveys Examples of instructions to recruiters Training materials for recruiters