DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM PLAN
2009-2011
CABRILLO COLLEGE DISTANCE EDUCATION COMMITTEE April 22, 2009
3.23.09 4.2.09 4.7.09 4.9.09 4.22.09
Approved by Distance Education Committee Presented to Instruction Council Presented to Faculty Senate Presented to Technology Committee Presented to CPC (suggested changes in blue text on pages 5 and 9)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MISSION STATEMENT ............................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES.......................................................................................... 4 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ............................................................................................ 4 INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT STANDARDS .............................................................................. 5 Distance Education Program Standards.......................................................................................... 5 Faculty Development .............................................................................................................. 5 Course Development & Delivery............................................................................................ 7 Student Support....................................................................................................................... 8 Teaching and Learning ........................................................................................................... 8 Access, Diversity, and Retention ............................................................................................ 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX A............................................................................................................................... 11 Cabrillo Regular Effective Contact Guidelines .................................................................... 11
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MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Cabrillo College Distance Education Program is to extend access to new populations and to serve students who need flexibility in time and location in order to meet career and transfer goals, degree requirements, life-long learning goals and develop basic skills. The program emphasizes working effectively in technology-mediated environments, promoting information literacy, and student learning outcomes. INTRODUCTION Cabrillo College supports a distance education program consisting of courses that are offered completely online and in hybrid format, where online instruction is offered in lieu of face-to-face instruction. Traditional on-campus use of instructional technology will be considered in this planning effort, where appropriate. The College Master Plan addresses enhancing teaching excellence by increasing the use of current and emerging technologies for student support and for teaching, both on campus and via distance learning. A healthy budget climate would support this goal, and see enrollments increase significantly. This program plan describes the philosophy and policies that steer methodologies used to offer distance education courses at Cabrillo. The plan also acknowledges rapidly changing technologies and will provide for flexibility in planning, development, and implementation of distance courses. The three-year Program Plan for Distance Education (DE) has been written in accordance with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) guidelines. This plan will serve to guide the development and implementation of Distance Education strategies. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to meet their educational goals by accessing technology-mediated instruction both for distance courses and on-campus courses. The comprehensive college competencies include communication, critical thinking and information competency, global awareness, and personal responsibility and professional development. Successful online students learn how to work effectively in a distributed learning environment using technology-mediated tools. Students are able to communicate their thoughts and ideas through conversations in threaded discussion forums, blogs, email, web conferencing and chat. Online instruction provides opportunities for analysis, computation, research and collaborative problem-solving in an anytime/anyplace environment. The core competencies in an on-campus class are similarly integrated into a rich, information-laden online environment. Assessment techniques offer a variety of methods to address student learning styles. The program is measured by student outreach and enrollments, success and retention, and providing a selection of courses that helps the non-traditional student meet their career, transfer and degree goals. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The Distance Education Program at Cabrillo has a history of serving ever greater numbers of students each semester. Oversight for the Distance Education Program is the responsibility of the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center. This position coordinates distance education, technology training and support for faculty, and staff development out of a centralized campus facility. As Distance Education keeps growing, distance education represents an increasing portion of the college’s overall FTES. The Teaching and Learning Center, under the direction of
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the Office of Instruction, provides coordination of the Distance Education Program. The Distance Education Committee is a shared governance body that provides recommendations to the Office of Instruction. Distance Education and the TLC is also represented on the college’s Technology Steering Committee. The Distance Education Committee recommends guidelines and procedures for distance education and encourages practices that contribute to the quality and growth of the distance education program. The committee makes recommendations regarding curriculum, evaluation and assessment, online course development and management, technology infrastructure, accessibility, and academic support services that affect all modes of distance education course delivery. Membership includes: 1. Faculty and/or Dean representative from each division 2. Vice President, Instruction or designee 3. Teaching & Learning Center Director – Chair 4. CCFT representative 5. CCEU representative 5. Faculty Senate representative 6. Information Technology representative 7. Library/Learning Resources Director 8. Curriculum Committee Chair or designee 9. Dean of Education Centers INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT STANDARDS Distance Education Program Standards All distance education courses should be developed with the following standards in mind, which will be used when evaluating the growth and success of the program. Administrators should view these standards as clear objectives necessary for student success. As faculty develop courses that will be offered in fully or partially online methodologies, they should be aware of these standards as their rubric for success as well. For any distance education program to be successful, all constituencies involved must agree about their roles in the program’s development, implementation and maintenance. Collaboration and consensus regarding decisions is essential, this includes instruction, student services, and information technology. These standards are divided into the following areas: Faculty Development, Course Development, Student Support, Teaching and Learning Standards, and Access, Diversity and Retention.
Faculty Development
Cabrillo will provide programs, services, mentoring, and the technical support staff needed to assist faculty in the development, design, evaluation, and ongoing maintenance of new and existing quality distance learning courses. This plan recommends the following: a) Develop a 3 year staffing plan which would include faculty/student support help desk, extending the hours to include evenings and weekends; providing ongoing system administration, and a dedicated database management position to help support administration of the learning management system.
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Use feedback gathered from Distance Education Coordinators from sixteen similar demographic California Community Colleges.
b) Coordinate Distance Education Committee activities including monthly meetings during fall and spring terms. Maintain a faculty listserv for DE instructors and additional faculty using the instructional technology; publish meeting minutes to the DE website and include updates in TLC news sent monthly to all faculty. Request student representation on the DE committee. Recruit and reach out to online faculty and program chairs for program development. Present DE updates at Flex Week workshops, Faculty Senate, Technology Committee, and Instruction Council. Participate in @ONE online DE Community of Interest sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office. This resource contains a repository of distance education related documents and discussions contributed by DE Coordinators throughout the state. c) Participate in learning management system (Blackboard) user groups and disseminate information to faculty; provide regular opportunities for vendors to give workshops and showcase new product features. Provide workshops each Flex Week and at regular intervals in the TLC as needed. Provide online tutorials and online course opportunities offered by @ONE. d) Promote faculty readiness for distance education course delivery through a variety of techniques. Provide on-campus and online resources through the Teaching & Learning, Instructional Departments, and Library. Examples may include: self-evaluation, promotion of best practices, participation in an online certificate program for teaching DE courses, peer-to-peer mentoring, student feedback, and online tutorials. Work with DSP&S to educate and provide direction in meeting accessibility standards in all web-mediated instruction. e) Provide strategies for ongoing faculty self-evaluation of teaching effectiveness and student performance in distance courses. Collect and disseminate data from the semi-annual Student Satisfaction Survey to all DE faculty. This online survey is administrated by the Chancellor’s Office. Provide a mechanism for DE faculty to evaluate other DE faculty because they understand the pedagogy and technology; make recommendations for revising the peer review process to select a team member with online teaching experience. Develop evaluation process for online courses through collaboration with CCFT, the CCFT DE Task Force, and the DE Committee. o Revise the DE Student Evaluation of Online Faculty Form (Appendix CC of the CCFT contract) and find ways to improve the evaluation workflow. o Integrate new Title 5 regulations related to distance education into the faculty evaluation process. The guidelines for regular effective contact are based on criteria in Title 5, section 55224, subsection (a). See Appendix A: Regular Effective Contact Guidelines. This includes recommending revisions to the
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peer observation process, including evidence of teaching effectiveness based on suggested guidelines published by both the Chancellor’s Office and the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges. o Provide method for verifying courses show evidence of effective orientation and online delivery, including instructional methods appropriate to content; including alternate assessment techniques such as discussions or portfolios. o Insure students have access to referral information for support services. o Provide method for verifying courses show evidence of effective online assessment that discourages academic dishonesty and acknowledges differences in learning styles. Develop resources and establish training opportunities for Program Chairs and Deans to evaluate online courses based on best practices.
f) Develop a DE digest in the Faculty Handbook of faculty development objectives and integrate a DE section in the Curriculum Handbook. g) Develop list of competencies for Deans to include in hiring and/or assignment considerations for distance courses. Competencies may include: appropriate uses of a course management system, webbased pre-course information for students, best practices in teaching online, and assessment techniques. Provide evidence of previous online teaching experience h) Align technology support, training, student support, and Library information literacy goals.
Course Development & Delivery
The technology supporting the delivery of courses should be as stable as possible. A procedure should be in place to ensure continual monitoring of all software and networked systems related to online program delivery. Support for building and maintaining the DE infrastructure should include web space and course management system access. This plan recommends the following: a) Require that courses designed where a portion of the instruction in a course is to be regularly provided through distance education, in lieu of face-to-face interaction, the Distance Education portion of CurricUNET must be completed. b) Review all course outlines submitted with the Distance Education option selected as Method of Instruction. Documentation must include “regular effective contact” and how it is achieved. Faculty must verify and ensure the course will meet Section 508 Accessibility standards. c) Identify resources for the establishment of specific on-going funding to support faculty in the development of new online courses. Establish on-going funding for distance education course development through the Office of Instruction DE Curriculum Grants process. Establish on-going funding for software and hardware training.
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Attempt to standardize course development practices to insure compliance with state regulations.
c) Provide a technology infrastructure to accommodate growth. (Technology Plan 2007) Establish on-going funding for learning management system server replacement (lifespan 4-5 years). Support regular software updates and 5% annual increase to learning management system cost. Review learning management system market at each contract update; re-evaluate the college’s use of Blackboard if product/price changes exceed normal expectations. Support the IT Department’s goal to hire a database administrator to help administer the learning management system.
Student Support
Distance Education student support services include library, counseling, bookstore, orientation and tutoring and enrollment services. Distance education students should be provided advance information about course requirements, expectations regarding course work standards, equipment needs and techniques for succeeding in a distance learning environment, as well as technical training and support throughout the course. This plan recommends the following: a) Support the use of authorization codes for late adds. The current method for adding distance students during the late registration period causes students delays in accessing their online course(s). b) Update student readiness survey for student success and provide access to college courses that prepare a student for taking distance classes. c) Make regular presentations to Faculty Senate, Instruction Council, Student Services Council, and the Technology Committee about the progress of distance education and the value of online student services. d) Continue to hold flex workshops highlighting quality distance learning courses developed by our faculty; highlight course components that innovate and show exceptional academic rigor.
Teaching and Learning
Courses will maximize opportunities for regular and ongoing interaction between teacher and students, among students, and between students and the learning environment. This plan recommends the following: a) Maintain an online distance learning path that leads to the fulfillment of the general education requirements necessary for an Associate and transfer degree. Work with faculty/departments to include online certificates and a transferable degree. Provide opportunities for faculty to discuss articulation agreements with Articulation Officer.
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b) Offer a breadth of distance courses to choose from. c) Identify niche markets for distance learning and cultivate international partnerships. d) Provide a curriculum with embedded information competence which will prepare students for transfer and occupational goals.
Access, Diversity, and Retention
The College will strive to provide opportunities for access and student success through various strategies that address different learning styles and abilities. This plan recommends the following: a) Insure that all distance education courses meet Section 508 accessibility standards. Refer to Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities, www.htctu.fhda.edu/publications/guidelines/distance_ed/disted.htm b) Disabled Student Programs & Services and the TLC will educate and provide direction in meeting accessibility standards in all web-mediated instruction. c) Develop strategies to address success and retention in online courses. Strategies may include but are not limited to: Provide access to courses that prepare students for online learning. Provide orientations, student readiness for DE self-assessment, and training in a variety of DE assessment techniques. Evaluate results of statewide DE Retention Study through CCCCO in February, 2009. d) Encourage web presence in on-campus courses to improve access to instructional resources and development of technology skills. e) Provide training and resources for faculty on responding to cultural differences in online education. f) Encourage multiple modes of technology integration to address student learning styles. For example, use of video, audio, and animations. g) Explore non-credit options for distance courses; learning modules, and skills development. h) Consult with Counselors who assist students in course selection; indicators for student success in DE may include grades, student motivation, technology competency and good study habits.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, (2008). Ensuring the Appropriate Use of Educational Technology: An Update for Local Academic Senates Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, (1999). Guidelines for Good Practice: Effective Instructor-Student Contact in Distance Learning. Sacramento, CA. March 16, 2008, http://www.asccc.org/Publications/Ppr.asp. Alliance for Distance Education in California (ADEC), http://adec.us/legacy. Cabrillo College Technology Master Plan, (2007). http://www.cabrillo.edu/internal/techplan. Cabrillo College Master Plan, (2009). http://pro.cabrillo.edu/cmp. California Community Colleges, (2008). Distance Education Guidelines, Omnibus version. Sacramento, CA. http://www.cccco.edu/divisions/esed/aa_ir/disted.htm. California Community Colleges, (1999). Distance Education: Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities. Sacramento, CA. http://www.htctu.fhda.edu/publications/guidelines/distance_ed/disted.htm. California Community Colleges, (2009). Distance Education Retention Study (in progress) California Virtual Campus (CVC), http://www.cvc.edu. EDUCAUSE, http://www.educause.edu. @ONE (San Jacinto and Evergreen Valley collaborative), http://www.cccone.org. Robert E. Swenson Library, Program Planning Report.: Distance Education and Services to Remote Users. http://libwww.cabrillo.edu/about/lib-program-plan-2007.html Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET), http://www.wcet.info/2.0 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Post Secondary Education. (2006). Evidence of Quality in Distance Education Programs Drawn from Interviews with the Accreditation Community. Washington, DC. http://www.itcnetwork.org/AccreditationEvidenceofQualityinDEPrograms.pdf.
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APPENDIX A
Cabrillo Regular Effective Contact Guidelines
Title 5 and the Distance Education Guidelines for the California Community Colleges state:
55211 (just changed to 55224). Instructor Contact. In addition to the requirements of section 55002 and any locally established requirements applicable to all courses, district-governing boards shall ensure that: (a) All approved courses offered as distance education include regular effective contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail. e-mail, or other activities. (b) All distance education courses are delivered consistent with guidelines issued by the Chancellor pursuant to section 409 of the Procedures and Standing Orders of the Board of Governors. Regular effective contact is an academic and professional matter pursuant to title 5, section 53200. Note: Authority cited: Sections 70901 and 66700, Education Code. Reference: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code. Guideline for Section 55211 This section defines what contact must be maintained between instructor and student: Subsection (a) stresses the responsibility of the instructor in a DE course to initiate regular contact with enrolled students to verify their participation and performance status. The use of the term “regular effective contact” in this context suggests that students should have frequent opportunities to ask questions and receive answers from the instructor of record. Subsection (b) honors the principle that for DE courses, there are a number of acceptable interactions between instructor and student, not all of which may require in-person contact. Thus, districts will need to define “effective contact, “including how often, and in what manner instructor-student interaction is achieved. It is important that districts document how regular effective contact is achieved. Since regular effective contact was declared an academic and professional matter, this documentation must include demonstration of collegial consultation with the academic senate, for example through its delegation to the local curriculum committee. A natural place for this to occur is during the separate course approval process. Documentation should consist of the inclusion of information in applicable outlines of record on the type and frequency of interaction appropriate to each DE course/section or session. As indicated in the Guideline to Section 55219, districts need to describe the type and quantity of student-faculty interaction in their annual reports to their local governing boards and the State Chancellor’s Office.
Background: In hybrid or fully online courses, ensuring Regular Effective Instructor/Student Contact guarantees that the student receives the benefit of the instructor’s presence in the learning environment both as a provider of instructional information and as a facilitator of student learning. Title 5 regulations do not make a distinction between regular and distance education courses beyond the need to have a separate curriculum approval process and the need to ensure regular effective contact. Therefore, it is assumed that those qualities of regular effective contact for the face-to-face environment should also be applied to the distance education situation. The DE Guidelines require colleges to develop a policy regarding regular effective contact that addresses “the type and frequency of interaction appropriate to each DE course/section or session.”
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Cabrillo Guidelines: All DE courses, whether hybrid or fully online will include regular effective contact as described below: Initiated interaction: Instructors will regularly initiate interaction with students to determine that they are accessing and comprehending course material and that they are participating regularly in the activities in the course. Providing students with an open ended question forum, although appropriate, does not constitute effective instructor initiated interaction. Frequency: DE Courses are considered the “virtual equivalent” to face-to-face courses. Therefore, the frequency of the contact will be at least the same as would be established in a regular, face-to-face course. At the very least, the number of instructor contact hours per week that would be available for face-to-face students, will also be available, in asynchronous and/or synchronous mode, with students in the DE format. Contact shall be distributed in a manner that will ensure that regular contact is maintained, given the nature of asynchronous instructional methodologies, over the course of a week and should occur as often as is appropriate for the course. Establishing expectations and managing unexpected instructor absence: An instructor and/or department established policy describing the frequency and timeliness of instructor initiated contact and instructor feedback, will be posted in the syllabus and/or other course documents that are made available for students when the course officially opens each semester.
Type of Contact: Regarding the type of contact that will exist in all DE courses, instructors will, at a minimum, use one or more of the following resources to initiate and maintain contact with students: Threaded discussion forums with appropriate instructor participation General email Regular announcements in the Course Management System Timely feedback for student work Instructor prepared online lectures or introductions in the form of online lectures to any publisher created materials (written, recorded, broadcast, etc.) that, combined with other course materials, creates the “virtual equivalent” of the face-to-face class Suggestions: Instructors are encouraged to choose other forms of communication, as mentioned in section 55211 of Title 5. (“…through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail. e-mail, or other activities.”) and/or CCCConfer, video conference, podcast, or other synchronous technologies may also be included. It is suggested that Instructors should have a threaded discussion that is set aside for general questions about the course and may wish to have weekly or other timely, question and answer sessions available to students. This may also be accomplished through virtual office hours.
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