Distance Learning Trends and Policy Changes In Higher Education

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Distance Learning Trends and Policy Changes In
Higher Education

• Kevin Lemoine, Ph.D.
• Kevin Eason, Ph.D.

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Presentation Focus

• THECB Policies
• Enrollment Trends
• Tarrant County College District
• Trends and Issues
• Questions

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• THECB Policies

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Distance Education

• Definition
• A course where students receive more than
  one-half of the instruction at a different
  location than the instructor. The course can be
  delivered synchronously or asynchronously to any
  single or multiple location(s) through
  electronic, correspondence, or other means.
• Modes of Instruction
• Internet
• Video Tape and/or Broadcast TV
• Two-way Interactive Video
• Multiple or Other Electronic Media 

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THECB Policy Changes

• Distance Learning Course Inventory
• Distance Education Advisory Committee
• Texas Strategic Plan for Distance Learning
• Institutional Plan on Distance Education
• THECB Regional Councils

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THECB Policy Changes

• Degrees Via Distance Learning
• Approval Process for Offering Degrees Via
  Distance Learning
• Principles of Good Practice for Electronically
  Delivered Courses

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THECB Reporting Changes

• 1973 - Added type of instruction
• 1978 - Added self-paced to type of instruction
• 1984 - Added Instructional telecommunications to
  off-campus location and site codes
• 1989 - Added computer and audio to type of
  instruction
• 1995 - Expanded instructional telecommunications
  site to allow computer and VCR notations deleted
  computer and audio from type of instruction
• 1999 - Developed a more robust reporting
  structure which included adding mode of
  instructions for course delivery, previously
  listed as a category under type of instruction
  called Instructional Telecommunications.
  Eliminated this option as a type and made the
  institutions report it as a mode. Added
  instruction mode item to reflect the mode of
  instructional telecommunications previously
  reported in type of instruction

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• Enrollment Trends

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Community and Technical Colleges
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Universities
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Trends

• Significant increases in Internet-based
  enrollments
• Steady decrease in video-based enrollments
• Steady growth in 2-way interactive television
  enrollments , but still constitutes only a small
  percentage of overall DL enrollments.

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CTC Internet-based vs. Total EnrollmentFall 2005
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University Internet-based vs. Total
EnrollmentFall 2005
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Internet-based vs. Total Enrollment Fall 2005
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Online Degrees

• Are institutions addressing the needs of the
  state with the online degree programs available?

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Over 50 of Associates Degrees and Certificates
Awarded in Three Areas
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Associate Degrees and Certificates

• Approximately 83 online Associate degrees and
  certificates.
• Highest Demand in Terms of all Degrees Awarded
• Health Professions and Related Clinical Services
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies
• Business Management and Marketing
• Principal Disciplines in Distance Learning
  Degrees
• Computer Information Sciences 21
• Business 16
• Graphic Design 12
• Criminal Justice 4

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One Third of All Baccalaureate Degrees Awarded
in Two Areas
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Baccalaureate Degrees

• Approximately 19 online baccalaureate degrees.
• Highest Demand in Terms of all Degrees Awarded
• Business Management and Marketing
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Principal Disciplines in Distance Learning
  Degrees
• Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) 4
• Criminology/Criminal Justice 4
• Health Professions 4
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 2

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Almost 50 of all Masters DegreesAwarded in Two
Areas
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Masters Degrees

• Approximately 89 online Masters Degrees
• Highest Demand in Terms of all Degrees Awarded
• Education
• Business Management and Marketing
• Principal Disciplines in Distance Learning
  Degrees
• Business 21
• Education 19
• Engineering 9
• Health Professions 8

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Meeting Texas Degree Needs

• Areas of highest need identified by the state
• Allied Health, Nursing, Education, Engineering,
  Computer Science, Math, Physical Science
• Institutions dont seem to be addressing the
  need for online degree programs or the needs of
  the state for Associate and Baccalaureate
  degrees.

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• Tarrant County College District

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Tarrant County College District

• Multi-campus district serving the greater Fort
  Worth/Arlington area
• Four main campuses with a fifth campus being
  built in downtown Fort Worth
• Instructional Television Courses since 1970s
• Online Courses since 1989
• Offer more than 150 Distance Learning courses
• More than 25,000 Distance Learning enrollments
  each year

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TCCD DL Enrollments
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TCCD Distance Learning Policies

• Policies Have Been Affected By
• THECB Requirements
• Space Issues
• Administration Concerns
• Convenience for Students
• Acceptable Practices in Distance Learning
  Community

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TCCD Policies and Changes

• Submitted course inventory to THECB
• Course orientations with the instructor and
  technical orientation mandatory
• Documentation File Card second activity
  required for courses
• Orientations for ITV courses encouraged
• Orientations for Internet classes online, except
  where an academic need has been justified

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TCCD Policies and Changes

• Course proposal and approval process
• Mandatory training for online faculty
• Implemented Standards of Excellence in Online
  Courses
• Course must pass a review process before being
  offered

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TCCD Policies and Changes

• Cap class size at 25
• Moved from all proctored exams to at least one
  on-campus activity
• Faculty are limited to 3/5 of their load teaching
  via distance learning
• Virtual office hours not embraced by deans
  faculty still come to campus

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TCCD Distance Learning Policy

• DEFINITION
• A distance learning course is any course in
  which a student receives more than one-half of
  the instruction at a different location from that
  of the instructor. Such courses include those
  offered through instructional television, the
  Internet, videoconferencing, the Virtual College
  of Texas, independent study or arranged, and
  other instructional modes that use audio, video,
  computer technologies, or other methods to
  provide the majority of instruction and
  interaction.
• RESPONSIBILITY
• To ensure that the College District meets all
  criteria for distance learning courses, the
  College District assigns responsibility for the
  approval, coordination, delivery, and evaluation
  of the courses to the director of distance
  learning, in collaboration with appropriate
  College District administrators and faculty. The
  distance learning center is also responsible for
  ensuring that students enrolled in distance
  learning courses have appropriate student
  services and support. All distance learning
  courses at the College District must be offered
  through the office of distance learning.

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• Trends and Issues

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Trends and Issues

• Distance learning enrollments are helping to meet
  the needs of state initiatives, legislation, and
  student demand.
• There is a greater focus on quality.
• The use of DL technologies is becoming
  commonplace in face-to-face classes.
• Collaborations are occurring in the development
  and sharing of courses.
• Flexibility and convenience for students is
  increasing.

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What trends are you seeing?

• What is happening at your institutions in terms
  of enrollment trends and significant policies
  changes that affect how your distance learning
  operations function?

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• Questions?
• Kevin Lemoine, Ph.D.
• kevin.lemoine_at_thecb.state.tx.us
• 512-427-6226
• Kevin Eason, Ph.D.
• kevin.eason_at_tccd.edu
• 817-515-4430