Supporting Quality Online Learning in a Period of Rapid Growth

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Supporting Quality Online Learning in a Period of
Rapid Growth

• Carol Carnevale, Ph.D.
• Otolorin Jones, Ph.D.
• Susan Oaks, Ph.D.
• Craig Tunwall, Ph.D.
• Center for Distance Learning
• Empire State College

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Rapid Growth

• 2000-2004, running dual distance programs both
  print-based and online
• Fully online in 2004 print courses no longer
  offered
• Aside from a decrease during the format
  changeover, numbers have rapidly increased, with
  15 more growth projected in the upcoming year.

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More Courses

• 2001-2 901
• 2002-3 937
• 2003-4 1026
• 2004-5 946
• 2005-6 977
• 2006-7 1102
• 2007-8 1213
• 2008-9 1261

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More Enrollments

• 2001-2 15,943
• 2002-3 18,730
• 2003-4 18,062
• 2004-5 13,717
• 2005-6 15,600
• 2006-7 20,465
• 2007-8 30,789
• 2008-9 33,477

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More Credits

• 2001-2 60,484
• 2002-3 70,911
• 2003-4 69,183
• 2004-5 71,040
• 2005-6 81,092
• 2006-7 108,678
• 2007-8 115,741
• 2008-9 117,427

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More Instructors

• Growth in number of instructors throughout this
  time
• 2000 245 instructors
• 2009 624 instructors
• 30-40 new instructors per major term 3 major
  terms per year

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A 3-Pronged Approach to Quality, Scalability,
Sustainability all focused on Communication
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Course Design

• Two review processes, from faculty
  instructional design perspectives. Each process
  captures information online fosters
  communication.
• Knowledge is codified using a people-to-document
  s approach it is extracted from the person who
  developed it, made independent of that person,
  and reused for various purposes (Hansen, 1999).
   In this way, the intellectual assets of the
  organization are shared among academic
  colleagues.  

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CourseTrak Course Management System
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Faculty Review Process

• Post a course idea in an online course management
  system (CourseTrak) review by all faculty.
• Create a full course proposal, posted in
  CourseTrak review by a subset of faculty in
  that academic area for content, pedagogy,
  resources.
• Full proposal goes to a curriculum committee
  (faculty from all areas instructional
  designers) review for pedagogy and proposed
  design as well as content.
• Review results posted with specific comments.

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Course Management System Fosters Quality

• CourseTrak requires certain information
• needs analysis in terms of curriculum and student
  needs
• complete list of course topics
• rationale for lower/upper level
• sample readings assignments
• types of learning activities
• academic skills development
• CourseTrak offers a place for communal feedback,
  discussion, debate.

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Instructional Design Review Process

• Uses a 3-tiered rating system exemplary,
  acceptable, not acceptable
• More emphasis on completeness of information,
  pedagogical soundness, and incorporation of
  appropriate technology and resources

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Instructional Design Review Fosters Quality

• CourseTrak allows instructional designers
  librarians early access to course information, to
  incorporate resource and design suggestions at an
  early stage - Multiple perspectives foster
  creativity in solving delivery problems and
  considering innovative ways of engaging students.
  
• Captured data allows instructional designers to
  measure resources used in order to anticipate
  levels of support needed for subsequent
  development cycles.

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Communication Fosters Quality throughout Course
Design Processes

• Evolution to Wengers active development stage
  in a community of practice - engaging in joint
  activities, creating artifacts, adapting to
  changing circumstances, renewing interest,
  commitment, and relationships (Wenger, 1998).
• Makis community types are represented in
  CourseTrak task-based, focused on creating a
  product practice-based, focused on Wengers
  constantly evolving discussion and
  knowledge-based, focused on advancing
  collective knowledge (Maki, 2005).

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Instructor Training Development

• Course Design
• Emphasis on interaction among instructor and
  students
• Connect theory research to experience and prior
  learning
• To meet objectives, limited class size (20-25
  students)

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Selecting Instructors

• Masters in relevant field
• Evidence of currency in content knowledge
• As appropriate, relevant teaching and work
  experience
• Strong interest in adult learners
• Comfortable with technology and Web

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Pre-Service Training

• Key objectives
• Provide foundation in Adult learning theory and
  practice Online learning theory and practice
• Ensure adequate technology skills
• Course management system (ANGEL)
• Web applications for teaching
• College applications

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Continuing Development

• Supervised by full-time faculty
• review work, provide feedback and developmental
  coaching, answer questions, etc.
• Provide formal review (course observation,
  student feedback, student services group)
• Training development activities throughout the
  year
• Annual conference, workshops, webinars, audio
  conferences, in-person meetings
• Minimum of one activity per year

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PedagogyOnline, Asynchronous DiscussionsFramewo
rk for Analysis

• Focused on evidence of student learning through
  online, asynchronous discussions implications
  for designing discussion activities
• Model based on prior research
• learning in collaborative cooperative learning
  environments
• studies of learning in online courses

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Discussion Assignments

• Discussions begin with formal question Additional
  questions/issues introduced
• Pre-set expectations for quality and quantity
• Some discussions instructor-moderated Some are
  student-moderated
• Final course outcome/evaluation includes
  evaluation of discussion participation

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Guidelines Quality

• A High Quality Response
• Applies a concept from the text or course in a
  meaningful way.
• Facilitates understanding of the topic.
• Provides evidence of critical thought.
• Applies articulates knowledge gained.
• Is well organized and grammatically correct
• Offers justification for opinion and
• Cites sources when appropriate.

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Guidelines Quantity

• Participation Expectations
• Respond to initial discussion question/issue
• Respond to at least two other students
  postings
• Respond to postings regarding your comments.

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Problem/Question

• Limited empirical evidence on the kind/level of
  learning in discussion
• Discussion is a significant learning activity and
  part of evaluation
• To what extent are students demonstrating
  knowledge in the discussions?
• To what extent are students developing knowledge
  in discussions?

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Research Approach

• Multiple sections of advanced-level business
  courses Diversity in the Workplaceand Human
  Resource Management
• 2 discussions in 2 middle modules
• Instructors as facilitators Pose
  questions Raise issues

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Variables

• Position of post in discussion thread
• Level of learning reflected in post
• Length of post

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Position of Post in Discussion Thread
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Levels of Learning

• No Course Related Content 0
• Pre-Structural 1
• Uni-Structural 2
• Multi-Structural 3
• Relational 4
• Extended Abstract 5

Biggs, Kanuka
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Length of Post

• lt Full Paragraph 1
• 1 Full Paragraph 2
• 2 Paragraphs 3

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Discussion of Findings

• Low scores on level of learning Previous studies
  focused on graduate-level students Sample
  size Student experience with online courses
• Limited disagreement/debate among students in
  discussions of topics with multiple
  viewpoints Political correctness Permanency of
  response Level of skill in academic discourse

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Next Steps

• Code responses to capture intent of post
• Extend analysis to team discussions impact of
  discussions purpose
• Extend to other courses/discussions facilitated
  by instructor
• Qualitative investigation of discussion threads
  involving different points of view

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Implications for Practice

• Ensure that course starts with discussion that
  models knowledge building discourse
• Provide students with annotated models of
  discussion responses
• Create student reflection/self-evaluation process
  for postings

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Questions / Discussion
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• www.esc.edu/presentations