Distance Learning Project
Austin Community College plans to expand the number of sections offered through distance learning technologies, the number of core curriculum courses offered online, and the number of degree and certificate programs available in a distance learning format. The Distance Learning project is designed to help faculty develop departmental course templates for other faculty to teach using the materials in Blackboard, ACC's online course management system. The college retains the rights to allow the course templates funded through this project to be modified in any way for other faculty to use in the future.
The Plan
The Process and Forms
Rationale
- Meet community needs
Adding sections of high demand classes addresses the need of students turned away during registration due to filled sections. Offering additional core curriculum courses in distance learning format provides students with a natural progression to four-year institutions offering the last two years in distance learning format. Offering additional courses also meets the needs of students for added flexibility in meeting the demands of both home and work schedules.
- Contribute to goals in the SACS alternative study
The new technologies section of the SACS alternative study recommends that ACC establish a distributed learning environment. Converting core curriculum and other courses to the distance learning format contributes to meeting this goal. Students will be provided with additional alternatives to on-campus instruction providing anywhere/anytime learning. Expanding distance learning opportunities also provides faculty with additional teaching options and should expand the pool of available instructors.
- Meet ACC needs
Student enrollments in distance learning classes have increased by approximately 10% per year for the past three years. Enrollments in on-campus classes have increased by a smaller percentage. ACC has literally run out of classroom space for expanded class offerings. ACC currently possesses adequate technology to support increased course offerings via distance learning without incurring significant additional expenditures.
The college is funding the development of DL courses that could be used as templates for other faculty to teach using the materials in Blackboard, were it necessary for any reason.
The college retains the rights to allow these DL classes funded through this project to be modified in any way for other faculty to use in the future.
Sections and Courses
- Additional sections
ACC will add 26 additional sections of high demand courses for the fall FY06 semester (see Attachment A). Sections will be added in arts, humanities, Spanish, English, speech, biology, math, government, history and psychology. This represents a 6.2% increase in distance learning offerings and, if all classes fill, an increase of 8.7% in student enrollments in distance learning courses.
- New core curriculum courses
ACC will convert seven core curriculum courses to an online format for and during FY06 (see Attachment A). Courses to be converted include math, chemistry, English, arts, and anthropology. The Deans and AVP will select the sequence and timeline for conversion.
- New course to complete a degree/certificate program offering
ACC will fund the development of online courses required to complete a degree or certificate program offering to provide greater opportunities and flexibility for students.
Instructional Support
- The department chairs, deans and AVPs will continue to ensure that faculty are available to teach additional distance leaning sections
- The Distance Learning office will continue to provide support for all administrative aspects of course delivery
- The Instructional Development Services (IDS) office will continue to provide all technology support for online course development and delivery
- Course development/conversion
IDS will provide stipends to faculty who convert courses for web-based delivery through the Blackboard course management system. Stipends will be administered through the Innovation Grant process and will be $1,000 for courses which meet the course design and adaptation guidelines. Faculty receiving training in online course development will receive an additional $200 stipend when the course is completed. An Instructional Development Specialist will be assigned to the faculty member to assist with course conversion.
- Course development/conversion application software
IDS will provide course development software to faculty. Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop Elements, etc. will be purchased and maintained by IDS for individual faculty (for single course conversion) or for departments (for degree or certificate program conversion).
- Online support
IDS will provide online support for course conversion. This will include access to the Online Faculty Club for all ACC faculty. The online club is a product of LERN (Learning Resources Network), an international association of lifelong learning programming, offering information and resources to providers of lifelong learning programs.
- Mentors
The Professional Development office will expand the mentor program to include mentors for new distance learning instructors. Mentors will receive a stipend of $200.
- Testing
Increasing distance learning sections and courses places an added burden on testing centers, especially at peak times during the semester. Therefore, it is proposed that the Distance Learning Committee work with Sharon King and the Testing Center managers to develop a plan for handling additional students during the peak periods (i.e., overflow into the learning labs, assessment centers or other rooms, etc.).
Faculty using the testing centers might explore options for reducing the congestion during peak periods. For example, faculty might explore alternative testing methods and/or changing the testing timeline. The Faculty Senate has also volunteered to encourage faculty to remind students to not “wait until the last minute” to take exams.
It is also recommended that ACC explore the use of online testing to help alleviate the over-crowding in testing centers. A subcommittee of the Distance Learning Committee will work with Sharon King and the Testing Center managers to develop a master plan initiative to address online testing (in progress).
Effectiveness
In order to ensure effectiveness of distance learning in general and the new distance learning plan specifically, the following measures are being implemented:
- The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the Distance Learning Committee will develop effectiveness measures for distance learning that will be published and reviewed on an established schedule.
- High demand classes will be tracked each semester to ensure appropriate sections are available.
- It is recommended that ACC establish a faculty oversight committee to develop, implement and review best practices in distance learning. The committee would review all current and proposed offerings to ensure that the courses are pedagogically sound and meet the needs of the program area.
