What I Love (and don't) about Hybrid Teaching

Okay, let's get the bad out of the way first. I am constantly trying to get faculty to bump their courses up to be fully online so that we can reach potential students who live far, far, far away and couldn't possibly commute to campus, even once per week. I am certainly grateful that I was able to earn my own Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by taking only fully online courses (Lincoln is a long drive from Georgia). With that said, I absolutely love teaching 1/2 online. Five reasons:

1. Students who seem terrified of saying anything out loud in the f2f portion really get involved in the online discussions.
2. I am able to quickly and clearly clarify course issues (grades, assignments, etc.) in the f2f meeting. No matter how many times I tell them something online, some of them just don't seem to get it unless they hear me say it.
3. I am able to have highly-participatory, fun, engaging activities on the f2f day, since students are responsible for reading the text and taking a weekly quiz. We spend very little time going over what is in the text in the f2f portion, and instead do quick debates, lots of questions and hand-raising polls, and looking at news and YouTube materials regarding the upcoming presidential election (the class is American Government).
4. Since this is a freshman class, this is a great, but less risky way, for these new students to become good online learners.
5. My ego enjoys it. Yep, I am guilty. I like hearing myself talk and the instant gratification I get from seeing the faces and reactions of students who are listening and thinking.

Out-of-Gas Instructors Turn to Online Teaching

The other day my daughter told me that one of her f2f courses was cancelled and that they would do their coursework online for the next week. The reason? The instructor, who had a 30-mile commute to campus, was uncertain whether or not she'd be able to find gas. Just last Friday, I traveled to teach the f2f portion of my hybrid course at one of our branch campuses, 45 minutes away. I was low on gas, but figured I would just fill up after class. Wrong! After finding six gas stations completely out, I gambled and drove the rural road to the next tiny town along my way back. The first three stations had none. I called my husband and put him on stand-by to pick me up as the needle fell below empty. Finally, the last station in town had gas, and about four cars in line. It was one of those old-timey stations, and they didn't take debit or credit cards. I managed to find a couple of dollars plus some change in the bottom of my purse, and got enough gas to get back home. I heard some reports of one of more community colleges cancelling classes altogether (why didn't they go online?), and one oil distributor even suggested that the Georgia-Alabama game be postponed or cancelled (what - never!). Unfortunately, the Georgia team, embarrased by their unexpected 41-30 brusing by the Crimson Tide, won't be able to blame the gas shortage on this one.

Babies at Work?

Recently, a faculty member complained about another faculty member who kept bringing their child to work - not everyday, but frequently. She wanted a policy created that allowed for no children on campus at all. I know that there are some institutions that have such a policy, but I strongly believe that "no children" is too prohibitive. In these days of budget cuts and having to take on increased workloads with little or no salary increases, we have to be more family-friendly than ever. When my staff had little tiny ones (it was in our water for a while), I tried to be as flexible as possible, letting them bring their newborns to work for a short period of time or working from home when practical. Any disruptions are minimal and are offset by the job satisfaction of that employee and their retention as an employee. I would argue for policies that allow for greater work flexibility for working parents. One negative would be the potential risk to the institution (if the child were hurt), but several institutional policies simply state that the parent assumes such risk. There are lots of variables - what type of work the employee does, their proximity to other employees, etc. - and this is why policies should be flexible enough to allow for supervisors to take these variables into account when setting departmental policies.

Do We Coddle Our DL Students?

Recently, I was in a meeting where another assistant/associate dean suggested that we must consider taking the tough-love approach on our students (not specifically online ones), lest those in the workplace felt that we had coddled them too much, making them ill-prepared for the real world. As heads around the room nodded in agreement, I shuddered, knowing this was quite contrary to everything I had done to make our DL programs successful in terms of student success and retention. While real challenge is integral to teaching and learning, it must be accompanied by an unwavering commitment to helping students and guiding them the sometimes confusing path of online learning. I have trained my staff to refrain from being annoyed by difficult online students, who call often asking question after question about passwords, where to get their books, when to sign up for their test, and other questions that are often found in their syllabus. Instead, I argue, these are the students that we must help the most. This is where we can make a real difference. I can't tell you the number of students I've known personally - students who were on the verge of dropping out of college - who have gone on to graduate and become outstanding members of society and the workforce because we went that extra mile.

DLA Weekly Word: Unconference

An unconference is a relatively new concept that we can apply not only to professional conferences, but also to training sessions. An unconference is different in that the topics and discussions develop during the conference, and are produced by the attendees rather than the organizers. Generally, unconferences do focus on a particular theme. Kaliya Hamlin has an entire blog devoted to the topic on unconferences. What I like about using these for training sessions is that the discussions and learning are rarely stale, and tend to address the most timely, burning issues. In my 4-month Distance Education Certified Trainer Program, we have an unweek, where activities and discussions are extremely unplanned. It's the ultimate in peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

A Crowded Office

When my staff first moved into part of an old house on our campus, there were just two of us. We steadily grew to six full-time employees, and more than a dozen part-timers or student assistants. Our offices look more like little bedrooms or living rooms than regular offices, so there is a built-in coziness and comfort. On the other hand, we are squeezed in pretty tightly. Everyone shares their space with at least one other person, and no one is really more than 10-20 steps away. Yet, even when given the chance to move to a spacious, modern building, we've hung on to our arrangement. Being this close has its advantages. First of all, we really have an understanding of what one another does, and are able to provide instant advice and immediate support to one another. So, if one person is taking a helpcall and is uncertain about the best answer, there is always another person nearby who can assist. This means a much faster response time for students and faculty - there's almost never a "let me find out and call you back." The proximity also means that we are unusually close and bonded - not that we don't get snippy and catty - but we're very much like siblings. At left is a picture of our team.

Branding Your CMS

Ever since Blackboard took over WebCT, universities have been a bit perplexed about what to name their CMS. Is it WebCT Vista or Blackboard or WebCT View or what? Just when we've got students used to one name, it seems it's time to change again. I'm seeing more and more institutions picking their own names, ones that aren't tied to any specific product. Here are some examples for inspiration:

• Georgia State University - ULearn


• Columbus State University - CougarView


• Sacremento State - SacCT


• University of Minnesota - WebVista


• Simmons College - Simmons eLearning


• University of Sheffield - MOLE (My On Line Learning)


• Valdosta State University - BlazeView


• University of Connecticut - HuskyCT


• University of Tasmania - MyLO

Miracle Grow for Your Online Programs

• This list may seem a bit elementary, but amazingly, one or more is often overlooked or disregarded. Here are five ways to jumpstart your stabilized growth.

1. Only hire faculty (and chairs and deans) who are willing and eager to teach online.

2. Make online learning growth part of the university strategic plan (money and resources should follow).

3. Focus on degree programs, not individual courses.

4. Include credit for online teaching in the tenure and promotion process.

5. Develop a planning committee made up of high-level players - deans, associate deans, directors.
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DLA Weekly Word: Technoplegic

I just adore new words, and I think they can come in handy for anyone looking for a new and interesting way to impart DL (or other) wisdom or opinions. This week's work is technoloplegic. Closely related to the more-oft used word technophobic, a technoplegic is a person who seems to be well below average in their ability to use technology, perhaps because of fear or unwillingness (there can be other reasons). Most recently in the news, we've heard stories of John McCain's self professed internet illiteracy, which probably makes him the most likely of the presidential/vice-presidential candidates to be technoloplegic. Note: Whether or not I believe that technoplegia is a hamper to being president is outside the scope of this blog!... And, of course, in our daily work, we deal with would-be outstanding online faculty who never venture out of the comfort of the face-to-face classroom because of their technoloplegia. Hmmm....this is giving me an idea for a workshop....Online Teaching for Technoplegics.

DLA Myth #1: Undergrads Can't Succeed Online

As a DL Admin guy or gal helping to strategically plan new DL programs, you may hear the same mantra that I do: "Online courses should really only be for graduate students." Yes, I know there have studies that shine favorably on the performance of online grad students over undergrads. Hey, but isn't the average grad student GPA higher than the average undergrad one? I know that it was for me. Undergrad student success in an online course is not just a function of maturity, but of the level of support available to the student. Spend a lot of time on orientations, easy-to-get support, and redundant emails (you can't tell them just once), and you're on your way to higher undergrad success. I also believe that once they have succeeded at one online course, the rest are far easier. I have an undergraduate daughter as well as several student assistants who take online courses. Their primary problem is usually just forgetfulness - they are taking five courses (not two or three like the grad student), and forget that the online quiz is due Friday at Noon. There are some great ways of addressing this, and I'll get into that on another day.

Financial Incentives for Online Instructors?

I have argued for years that online teaching should be motivated by intrinsic rewards, rather than extrinsic ones. There are so many, many documented advantages of teaching online, including the flexibility to conduct class in your underwear in the middle of the night if you so choose. And I've actually known quite a few instructors whose long, monotone lectures in the classroom mercilessly bored their students - but when they entered the online class, they were far more interesting and focused. I often re-tell the old story of the old man who was bothered by the noise of boys playing basketball outside his apartment window. He finally approached offered to pay them 50 cents each for every day they showed up to play. While they were initially thrilled with the notion, after several days their numbers dwindled until none of them showed up. Their play had become work. With this in mind, I do believe that online instructors need resources to enable them to do their jobs well - technical support, instructional design support, and teaching assistants (for large online courses). They also need some sort of release time or stipend for the initial development of any course. But teaching online should not command any significantly different pay structure than face-to-face teaching.

Distance Learning is NOT Technology

Let me make this clear - I feel pretty strongly about this next statement. When we are talking about earth-shattering matters such as where distance learning fits into an organizational structure, we must stop thinking in terms of technology. Distance learning is not about technology; it only uses technology. The typical DL director is no more of a technology guru than is the campus football coach or the registrar. Distance learning relies heavily on technologies, such as Blackboard and the internet, but does not necessarily require technology to function (correspondence courses for example). Yes, providing support to faculty and student who use distance learning technologies is typically a priority function among DL departments. However, so are advising, tutoring and evaluation of courses and programs - all academic functions. A big problem I've seen when DL is part of the campus technology umbrella, aside from programs and courses driven primarily by technology, is that DL administrators become more disconnected from the academic perspective, including the long-held higher education traditions and mores that quietly yet perpetually flow beneath the ivory towers. An effective DL administrator must not only know about these waters, but be willing to swim in them as well. A technology-based program tends to take us too far from this stream.

Seven Great Interview Questions for Hiring DL Staff

Let's move beyond the regular, the tried, and the true. Let's weed out those who really understand DL issues from those who have great scripted answers. Here's some good questions I like to use.

1. Do you believe that online degrees are equivalent in quality to campus-based degrees? Explain your answer.


2. What is the best way to evaluate the quality of a distance learning course or program?


3. What are the top three reasons that you believe that some faculty feel threatened by distance learning? What would you say to alleviate these fears?


4. Describe your experience taking an online course. What did you like and dislike? What would you have done differently if you were the instructor. These days, having taken an online course is usually a requirement for getting a job in my office.


5. What would you have liked to change about your previous employer? Be specific. Very revealing question for any job. I don't like it if they say, "Nothing. He/she was perfect."


6. Next, I give them 20 minutes to complete an essay on a question such as, "Our Online Psychology Program is experiencing disappointing retention, with many students dropping out of the courses or the program. What can we do in our office to address this and improve retention? This also gives me a good sense of their ability to work under pressure as well as their writing ability.


7. Finally, I put them on the phone and call them (from another phone) with a made-up question about our course management system (ex: how do I add a total grade column in the WebCT gradebook?). I can see how knowledgeable they are as well as how friendly and helpful they are in a support role.

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Is Low-Attended Group Training a Waste?

One major problem in preparing instructors to teach online is the scalability of our training programs. While the very nature of training support often requires one-on-one, just-in-time assistance, many areas lend themselves to a group training session. The primary advantage of the group training is that it lends itself to scalability - you can simply reach more people at once. The problem? I hear it all the time (and studied it when doing my dissertation). Often, only a handful of people show up! No matter how engaging the topic, faculty are simply too busy or lack the incentive to set aside time for group training. At one point, we actually decreased our own group training sessions because of the low attendance. And the, in the course of my research, the light turned on. These sessions were not a waste of time. Why? Because these five or six people who attended were going out and informally sharing what they had learned with other faculty! So, when you think you are reaching just a handful, there is a huge ripple effect, and you may actually be reaching 100 or more. Don't toss out the group training.

Five Essential Pieces of DL Admin Data

I have to admit - collecting data or even analyzing data is not my favorite part of my job. I have our data collection split up among various staff members, and in theory, we try to keep these updated weekly so that we don't have to scramble when asked for information. If you don't keep up with anything else, there are five pieces of data you really need to have for a DL program. These will help you with strategic planning, accreditation reports, justifying new resources, and more.

1. Number of students enrolled in distance and online courses per semester. We define distance courses as those offered more than 50 percent online; and online courses as those offered more than 95 percent online.
2. Student retention in distance and online courses. What overall percentage completed these courses? How does this compare to your traditional courses? Are you improving in this area? Related to this is data comparing passing and fail rates.
3. Student satisfaction with online courses. Usually obtained from course surveys. We also use annual telephone surveys and focus groups.
4. Faculty and student satisfaction with support services. We track all email, telephone, and f2f requests for assistance in Remedy software. Each caller is sent, by email, a brief evaluation of the services they received.
5. Faculty course improvements based on evaluation results. Each faculty member completes a brief form summarizing their evaluation results, and how they will use this information to make course improvements. We keep the individual ones on file; and compile a summary which can be used to also make adjustments to our training programs. This makes accreditors happy.

Ingredients of The Amazing Faculty Lunch

People from all over our campus often ask me how we manage to have what may be the most popular faculty lunch on campus. Beyond the effort we put into our Evites, a creative menu and monthly theme (with recorded music, decorations, hats) each month, we have also made it fast-paced and a pretty enjoyable learning experience. Now, this is a far cry from the regular old brown-bag lunch. This is a regular monthly meeting attended by 50 or more faculty who teach online courses from various departments all across campus. If it weren't for this lunch, many of these people would never know one another at all. We include menu cards that have monthly issues meant to prompt informal lunch discussions, and set up in a horsehoe arrangement that encourages conversations. The big highlight is the Seven-Minute Sizzle. This is a seven-minute presentation, delivered by one of the faculty member, about something interesting they are doing in their online courses. We usually wrap up with a drawing for some small prizes (decor such as a plant or books about online teaching). Although it would be challenging to measure, my sense is that a great deal of informal but critical learning about online teaching goes on during these meetings.

A Complaint-Free Staff

Every year at our annual Distance Learning Administration conference, people comment with awe on the friendliness and cheerfulness of my distance learning staff. We are very bonded, and most of us have been in the department for ten years or more. However, we have had our moments and our tears. Back in the spring, I noticed that there was an unusual amount of cattiness and moodiness permeating our normally fresh air. I was pondering how to address it when I happened to hear about a "miracle" book. For our summer planning retreat, the staff (myself included) read and discussed The Complaint Free World. In this book, the author challenges the reader to go 20 days without complaining, criticizing or gossiping. He also describes how toxic these speech patterns are both to ourselves and those around us. We started the program, and the results have been amazing. Although none of us has actually made it a full 20 days (it is truly difficult!), we have all realized how, almost unconsciously, we were complaining, and it is at a far, far lower level now. I know that this book doesn't just apply to distance learning administration - it could be for any office, family, or organization - but it is at the top of my read list.

Distance Learning Administrators: A Unique Blend of Skills

I am often asked if I think that Distance Learning Administration is really a field, or if it just relies on general management principles. I would like to answer this from my own personal experience. When I first was hired at the University of West Georgia (as distance learning coordinator) in 1996, there was a fair amount of literature about online teaching, but almost nil about managing distance programs. To learn about how to be most effective in my new role, I found that my past experiences and education were only of moderate help - that the role of distance learning administrator was comprised of a unique blend of skills, insight, and forces. I learned as much as I could by interviewing and borrowing from the experiences of others, and through trial-and-error. To address this lacuna, I started the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The wealth of articles and interested generated from colleagues from all over the planet are evidence to me that this is indeed a field that deserves its own research and dialogue. Among the ingredients in the special mix that make up successful DL Admins are an understanding of: management, technology (though not tech guru level), faculty governance, historical principles in higher education, student support, retention, recruitment, faculty training, change leadership, evaluation, advisement, academic quality and accreditation, marketing, among others. Can you think of others?