Future of Online Education

in Higher Education

Schoolcraft CollegeDecember 8, 2006

Michael Wahl, MCCVLC

In the future...

“If we’re really successful, we’ll work ourselves right out of a job.”

Michael Wahl, MCCVLCSHEEO White Paper on Online Learning

Online Learning

• Just another modality for course delivery– Nature of content or learning activity– Preferred learning style of student

• NCA – Best Practices Section 1-f:"In its articulation and transfer policies the institution judges courses and programs on the learning outcomes, and the resources brought to bear for their achievement, not on their mode of delivery."

In the meantime...

• Both students and faculty need specific skills to be successful online

• Faculty need assistance to prepare quality online courses and deliver them effectively

• Technology and infrastructure issues are often unique to online instruction

• Policies and practices specific to online are desirable or required

Online Enrollments

• Fall 1999 – Provider colleges -- 17– Courses available -- 133– Total enrollments > 1800

• Fall 2006– Provider colleges -- 23– Courses available -- 1068– Total enrollments > 39,000

Online Enrollment Trends

• Rates of increase must begin to moderate

• Student demand for online courses will continue to exceed supply

• Limiting factors in enrollment growth– Faculty to teach online sections– Support services for online learners– Programs of study available in online format

Where will it end?

• If completely free to choose, how many students would select online?

• Experiments found over 50% choose online, with the remainder split between traditional courses and hybrid

• Should we begin to consider online education a “core competency” of community colleges?

But, What about Persistence Rates?

• Nationally, persistence rates reported as low as 25% for online

• VLC study for NCA: Rates 5 – 10% below those in traditional courses

• Students who had taken 2 or more online courses – no significant difference

• Yesterday – online persistence rates both above & below traditional courses

Persistence RatesPre-course Preparation

• Advising– Caution with younger / traditional-age

students– More appropriate for mature, self-

directed learners– Inappropriate for developmental

students• Analysis of Learning Styles• Orientation

Persistence RatesCourse-related issues

• Course quality - rubric• Learner Support Services • Course Management System

improvements– Features provided by vendors– Configuration by CMS administrators

• Help Desk

Survey of Online Learners

• Statistically valid survey for state of Michigan– sample size = 400– 95% sampling confidence– Accurate to +/- 5%

• Online learners from 21 Michigancommunity colleges

• Telephone survey– Attitudes– Opinions– Satisfaction

StudentSurvey

Educational Objectives

• 79% - to Satisfy requirements of degree or certificate program

• 15% - personal enrichment• 13% - improve job skills Student

Survey

Why Online?

• 34% - Online fit schedule – flexibility • 17% - work full time – too

busy for classes• 14% - personal or

health-related reasons• 11% - could set own pace• 11% - college too far away

StudentSurvey

If not Online?

• 74% - would have taken the course anyway in a traditional classroom

• 23% would not have enrolled in this course had it not been available online

StudentSurvey

Completion Rates

• 85% - completed most recent online course

• 5% - are currently completingmost recent online course

• 10% - failed to completemost recent online course

• 70% - self-report learningas much as traditional course

StudentSurvey

Critiquing Online Courses

Advantages

• 45% - Flexibility of schedule• 41% - work at own pace &

study at convenient times• 12% - Avoid travel to college

StudentSurvey

Critiquing Online Courses

Disadvantages

• 14% - Not enough interaction andone-on-one with instructor

• 12% - Hard to reach theinstructor with questions- either it took too longor questions weren’t answered at all

StudentSurvey

Critiquing Online Courses

Interaction

• 91% - Adequate opportunity tointeract online with theinstructor

• 9% - Very unhappy• 88% - Adequate level

of interaction with otherstudents

StudentSurvey

Online Enrollment Plans

• 79% - will enroll in another online course in the future

• 3% - already enrolled• 8% - will NOT enroll

in another online course• 11% - undecided

StudentSurvey

Online Enrollment Plans –

Why not enroll again?

• Bad experience with instructor• Need more interaction with

instructor• Classes needed are not

available online• Not self-disciplined or

self-motivated enough• Learn better in classroom

StudentSurvey

Online Enrollment Plans -

Subjects of Interest

• Business• Computer Science• English / writing• Math• Science / allied health• Psychology• Accounting

StudentSurvey

Online Enrollment Plans –

Considerations

• 87% - transferability of credits

• 61% - accreditation• 58% - reputation of college• 52% - cost of tuition

StudentSurvey

Looking to the Future

• Ubiquitous Broadband connectivity• Increased usage of video and audio• Out-sourced services

– networks – course management system– media servers

• Out-sourced content / courses?

“Next-generation” Online Courses

• More interactive learning activities– Animation– Video – streamed or from DVD’s– Simulations

• Experiential learning – participate & reflect– give a speech– visit a local museum or landmark– participate in an off-campus activity

(service learning?)

“Next-generation” Online Courses

• Learning activities based on individual student preferred learning style– Audio for bad readers– Simulations for experiential learners– Video for visual learners

• Learning activities based on gaming– Sim city– Success in ‘game’ equates to meeting course

objectives– Think “telecourse” distributed on game

cartridge

“Next-generation” Online Courses

• Courses may utilize alternative devices:– Cell phone – text messaging– Ipod – podcast of content– Gaming devices – course activities on

Nintendo?

• “Wiki” technology – Wikipedia...– Generic information resource– Wiki technology adopted by communities in

higher education – discipline-based?

“Next-generation” Online Courses

• e-Portfolios– Student benefit

• document achievement• prepare for transfer / workplace (resume)

– College benefit• “authentic” assessment methodology• document student achievement

(assessment)

“Next-generation” Online Courses

• Learning Objects– Module of instruction– Issues

• Context (car crash video – CJ / Law / Physics)

• Assessment• Technology / browser plug-ins

• Repositories / Referatories– How will colleges use repositories?

Courseware Repositories

• Rice connexions - link• Merlot - link• MIT open courseware - link• Monterey Institute for

Technology and Education - link

“Next-generation”Administrative Issues

• Managing use of acquired/shared content• New business models

– variable section sizes– variable tuition / fees– quality learning experience

• Revised models of curriculum development / delivery utilizing technology– curriculum development and integration– course design / development / delivery– assessment

Traditional Student Services

Self-service(brochures)

Help from generalist(receptionist)

Help from specialist(Financial Aid Specialist)

Student-centered Services

Self-service(brochures)

Help from generalist(receptionist)

Help from specialist(Financial Aid Specialist)

Self-service(Brochures, web site)

Help from generalist(Cross-trained staff)

Help from Specialist

Public Policy Issues

• Cherry Commission on Higher Education – objective: double number of college graduates– Community college role– Role of online courses and programs

Do public policy-makers understand the unique characteristics of online learning?

Public Policy Issues

• Relationship between higher education and prosperity in the state or region– Economic Development– Workforce Development

• High school graduation requirement for “online learning experience”

Do public policy-makers understand the unique characteristics of online learning?

Online Learning Requirement

• “Meaningful” online learning experience– For credit– Not for credit

• School districts must make onlineopportunities availablein 2007-08 year

• Legislation does notprohibit dual enrollment– Online courses from your college– VLC online courses

High SchoolGraduation

Let’s Talk...

•Questions?•Comments?•Suggestions...

Future of Online Education

in Higher Education

Schoolcraft CollegeDecember 8, 2006

Michael Wahl, MCCVLC

MCCVLC Course Quality Assurance Project

• modeled after “Quality Matters” – a FIPSE-funded project in Maryland

• inter-institutional peer review • utilizes course rubric• entirely voluntary• colleges need to provide 3

reviewers for each course to be reviewed

Public Policy

• Relationship between higher education and prosperity in the state or region

• Talk is cheap; policy makers need to adequately fund higher education

• Educators need to inform policy makers of potential of online learning

MCCVLC - What it’s about

A project which allows students from anywhere in Michigan to take any one of the 1000+ courses from the on-line catalog; courses which may be offered by one of the 24 “Provider” community colleges…

with the support of their “Home” college.

“Provider college / “Home

College”• Instruction from provider college

– Online courses– Telecourses with on-line interactivity

• Students enrolling in online coursesmaintain strong associationwith the home college– Student support services– Library resources– Test proctoring– Maintain student transcript– Financial Aid The

Model

NCA – Best PracticesSection 1-f.

• "In its articulation and transfer policies the institution judges courses and programs on the learning outcomes, and the resources brought to bear for their achievement, not on their mode of delivery."

NCA – Best Practices for Electronically-delivered

Degrees

• Recognizes changing environment• Encourage responsible innovation• Distance Learning:

– Settled definitions and procedures are neither possible nor even desirable

– Strike a balance between innovation and accountability

– Sound departures from traditional formulas will be validated; those falling short will not

Quality Matters

• Online course guidelines and rubric – quality workshops - link– Flat-earth geography curriculum

• Course accessibility guidelines and workshops

• Program guidelines and rubric - link

• Professional development-link

AdvantageCollaboration

VLC advantages for Students

• Online course catalog - link• Course equivalencies /

articulation• Common tuition • Financial Aid Consortium

Agreement• Learner support services

- link

AdvantageCollaboration

VLC advantages for College

• Retain online students• Provide community w/ specialty

“niche” programs of study• Tuition revenue sharing• Professional development• Collaborative Accreditation

AdvantageCollaboration

MCCVLC Initiatives

• Professional development program– Using Learning Objects– Building Quality into Online Courses

• FIPSE grant – learner support services– Developed collaboratively / available to

all Michigan community colleges• Online programs of study –

particularly occupational programs

Business Models

• VLC tuition – clients will pay premium for convenient product ($120/credit in-district, $175/credit out-district)

• Current business model based on obsolete conditions:– level of funding by state– assumption that educated citizens are a

‘pubic good’ vs. current assumption that education is a ‘private good’

– student options restricted by geography

Business Models

• Alternate business models• differential tuiton• differential class sizes – based on

Blooms Taxonomy– knowledge– comprehension– application– analysis– synthesis– evaluation

D/L Admin Workshop

• xxx

A small step forward...

• Second Higher Education Extension Act of 2006

• “50%” rule eliminated

• hybrid programs• grant proposal