Project Management for Creating Rich, Interactive Online

Courses Kaye SheltonDallas Baptist University

DBU Online Snapshot• Began 1998, 1 class=11students• Today

– Twenty programs fully online– 1,300 students=27% University

Enrollment– 2 Course of the Year awards

• Blackboard 2005• ELearning 2006

– 92% Student Completion Rate

New Faculty Roles = Change•Learner-Centered System

(Beaudoin, 1990)

•Facilitating Learning (Beaudoin, 1990)

•New Skills Are Necessary

(Beaudoin, 1990)

•Learners’ Needs Are Changing

Faculty Support is Necessary!

• No Longer Optional (Dooley & Magill, 2002)

• Imperative to Program Success

(Willis, 1994; Miller & King, 2003)

• Faculty are Intimidated by New Technology

(Parisot, 1997)

• Moves Distance Education Mainstream

(Shelton & Saltsman, 2005)

Instructional Support Affects:• Faculty Motivation

(Bower, 2001; Lee, 2001)

• Commitment(Lee, 2001)

• Satisfaction(Lee, 2001)

• Buy-In/Participation(Bates, 2000)

“Presidents may dream visions and vice presidents may design plans, and deans and department heads may try to implement them, but without the support of the faculty members, nothing will change.”

(Bates, 2000)

Strategies for Buy-In / Participation

– Demonstrate the Strengths And Merits of Asynchronous

– Openly Discuss the Negatives– Emphasize Possibility of New

Students in New Areas– Emphasize Increased Interaction

And the Socratic Method– Establish Clear Policies Including

Compensation

Effective DBU Support Strategies• Institutional Prioritization• Project Management Approach

– Course Approval Process– 6 Month Development Time– Worksheets For Course Planning– Online and Campus Training

Sessions– Centralized Support For Content

Creation– Quality Assurance - Proofing Process

“Distance education was not just adding technology to teaching, but more about arranging or rearranging the educational resources available.”

(Moore, 1993)

Ways to Support Faculty In Course Development

• Express Concern for Course Quality

(Betts, 1998; Schifter, 2000; O’Quinn and Corry, 2002; Jones & Moller, 2002; Dooley & Murphrey,

2000)

• Instructional Design Assistance• Media Creation Assistance• CMS Assistance• Policy (Creation and

Modification)

Instructional Design Support• Templates• Campus Photos• Copyedit Support• Pagination• Provide Examples/Links To Other

Courses• Model Course• Provide Books and Materials

Instructional Design Support• Templates• Campus Photos• Copyedit Support• Pagination• Provide Examples/Links To Other

Courses• Model Course• Provide Books and Materials

Instructional Design Support• Templates• Campus Photos• Copyedit Support• Pagination• Provide Examples/Links To Other

Courses• Model Course• Provide Books and Materials

Welcome video

Link

Media Creation Support• Recording Studio• Video Editing• Multimedia

– Talking PowerPoint– Flash Objects

• Web Page Creation• Graphics Editing• CD ROM/DVD Creation• Learning Object Authoring• Testing and Assessment • Learning Object Repositories

CMS Assistance• CMS Training

– Handouts– Tutorials– Newsletters

• www.onlineteachingtips.com• Quiz and Exam Creation

– Respondus and Questionmark

• Student Bb Orientation Course

Technology Assistance• Support for hardware and software is

inadequate(Berge, 1998; O’Quinn & Corry, 2002; Bonk, 2001; Dooley &

Murphrey, 2000)

• Lack of technical support was the most identified barrier in 10 of 13 studies

(Maguire, 2005)

• Need for technology assistance was the single most represented item in the 13 studies

(Maguire, 2005)

Technology Tools

• Camera•Video•Still

• Electronic Whiteboard• Scanner• Loaner Laptops• Free Virus Scan Software

Non-Technology Support• Course Evaluations• Textbook Acquisitions• Student Mailings• Library Reserve Support• Student Research Assistance

Faculty Support Assessment• Are faculty satisfied with online

teaching methods?• Are faculty satisfied with the

frequency and quality of training?

• Did they feel adequately prepared to teach online?

Faculty Support Assessment• Are the faculty satisfied with

support services such as the helpdesk?

• Was the available technology effective and appropriate for the course?

• What were the instructors’ overall experiences in online education?

Thank You!

Kaye SheltonDirector, Online Education

kaye@dbu.edu

www.kayeshelton.com/presentations.html