Challenges

1
(No Transcript)
2
U21 Program in Global Issues

• Auckland
• British Columbia
• Hong Kong
• Melbourne
• Nottingham

3
Goals

• interdisciplinary and highly interactive fully
  online courses that hope to equip graduates with
  knowledge and competencies which will enable them
  to work and participate as global citizens

4
Curriculum

• Courses on issues of global relevance, such as
• Poverty
• Peace and security
• World health issues
• International trade
• Sustainability and the environment
• Human rights and international law
• Some online, some F2F
• Collaborative constructivist learning

5
Curriculum

• Students have to take at least 50 of their
  courses at another institution
• Usually online, but could be on exchange
• Internationalization agendas and e-mobility
• One compulsory introductory course

6
UBC Course Home Page
Course menu gives access to content and
communication tools
7
Student Diversity by Area of Study
8
Diversity by ethnicity and religion

• Ethnic mix first- or second-generation
  immigrants from Egypt, China, Singapore, the
  Philippines, the United States of America, South
  Africa, Iran, Korea, Poland, Thailand, East
  Asian, European
• Diverse religious affiliations, including
  Catholic or Protestant Christianity, Islam,
  Sikhism, Bahai and Judaism

9
Weekly Content Modules
10
Content Module Front Page
11
Weekly Reading
12
Audio Lecture
13
Discussion Questions
14
Module Content
15
Video Presentations
16
Discussion Forums
17
Inside a Topic Forum
18
Course and program evaluation

• Variety of stakeholders
• Students
• Faculty staff
• Administrators
• Senior Managers
• Variety of issues
• Courses and Program
• Administration
• Curriculum, pedagogy/delivery, assessment
• Finance and sustainability
• Use of developing instruments for on-line program
  evaluation

19
Student Feedback
I'm still loving the fact that I share a virtual
classroom with such a mix of students from all
over the world. Other strengths include
engaging, up-to-date information and links,
prompt and detailed feedback, interesting subject
topics, great interactive discussions exposure
to others' ideas. Being part of a group of
students committed to learning, global
citizenship social justice was also really
exciting. The teaching was also outstanding - the
obvious passion for the teaching material was
contagious!
20
Student Feedback
I thought that there was a risk with an online
subject that people wouldn't give it much effort
or thought because you can hide behind a computer
screen, but in reality the involvement level is
probably better than in most of the 'real'
classes I have been in.
21
Student feedback

• I absolutely love hearing from people all around
  the world - it is just great to have people
  chatting from Hong Kong, Canada, Australia...
  Have really enjoyed being able to learn about
  different countries and how the issues affect
  different regions differently.

22
Student feedback

• The programme is a great, innovative one. I have
  never imagined that an educational programme can
  be co-organized by five universities together. I
  think it is a great start and action for
  universities to become global. I understand
  that the programme cannot be managed easily, but
  it helps students to get more exposure and it
  provides motivation for students to self-learn
  and think critically. I sincerely hope that the
  programme can carry on for the coming years.

23
Student feedback

• Lastly, I wonder if it would be possible to
  arrange a summer exchange part (for e.g. visit,
  conferences with lectures) among these
  institutions for participating students (for e.g.
  for students who have completed the course
  meeting certain standards) and instructors. I
  understand that organizing such section will be
  very sophisticated. However, since it is not a
  common practice for five well-known universities
  to cooperate together

• to organize a meaningful and educational
  programme, it will be good to extend interaction
  beyond the internet.

24
Student evaluations
Course Normal
Student evaluation 6.43 5.65
Program
Overall satisfaction levels 4.1 3.0
Recommend to other 4.2
Rewarding and challenging learning experience 4.3
25
Student evaluations

• Generally lower ratings (3.0) for technical and
  administrative support. No responses lower than
  3.0.
• Moderately low scores (3.1) for the ways in
  which collaboration between students is enhanced!
  
• High scores for course materials, feedback from
  professors.

26
Competency development

• Scores at or above 4.0 for the development of a
  number of competencies
• ability to plan own work
• development of relevant ethical, social and
  professional perspectives
• analyse, synthesize and evaluate
• foster my personal and intellectual independence
• improved my skills in written communication

27
Impact outside U21
28
Stanford/Oxford Marshall Scholar study

• Students enrolled on this course are more global
  citizens
• More emails sent outside Hong Kong
• Seek more information about world and local
  politics
• Feel that the internet has influenced their
  understanding of foreign cultures

29
Areas of commendation

• Discussion forums (some views that they would
  like these extended some that they would prefer
  to do away with individual assignments in favour
  of more discussion and groupwork)
• Participation of students from other universities
  (but comments that there are not enough of these
  other universities)
• Themes
• Use of WebCT
• Discussion materials
• Timely and detailed feedback from professors

30
Areas for improvement

• Communication with the administration of the
  university
• Earlier details of courses to enable planning and
  more assistance (registration etc.) at beginning
  of course
• Better academic guidelines in advance of the
  course
• Schedule too tight
• Workload too high
• More assistance (technical and administrative)
  during course
• Clearer feedback in discussion forums to keep
  discussion on right learning path
• Chat room facility for more informal
  communication between students other means of
  collaboration and communication

31
Recommendations

• Enhance communication further within courses
  (chat-rooms and other tools, less individual
  coursework)
• Develop more effective administrative support
  system to
• Provide earlier information on courses for
  planning purposes, perhaps through a common
  website
• Provide technical and administrative help
• Allow students to check their own registration,
  enrolment, grades etc.
• Allow administrators same.
• Develop resource pool and communication structure
  for teachers

32
Recommendations (contd)

• rationalize the student registration process
• identify relevant representatives at each
  institution and clarify communication procedures
  for inter-institutional queries
• share all course information with institutional
  representatives
• plan well in advance
• open up to other institutions
• possibly to external students or fee-paying
  students

33
Summary benefits of program

• All the advantages of online learning
• Big societal issues
• International intellectual collaboration
• Opportunity to evaluate online learning
• Further development of capacity for technology
  enhanced learning

34
Summary

• Evidence for good educational value, despite
  diversity of structure and diversity of
  motivation
• Requires better support structures and
  facilities administration and coordinator
• Funding and sustainability
• Additional universities
• External students
• Fee paying students
• Added value for U21 university recruitment

35
(No Transcript)