My DLA Forecast for 2009

As we say goodbye to an unforgettable year, here's what I think is in store for 2009, at least in the world of online learning:

• A greater emphasis on the financial benefits of distance learning. Higher ed administrators who were previously lukewarm about DL will work on number crunching to see exactly how online learning lowers the instructional cost per student.



• Organizational structures will continue to evolve with DL departments increasingly aligned with academics rather than IT groups.



• eLearning will make its formal entrance into the mainstream with its appearance on the mission statements of more and more traditional institutions.



• Dramatically increased use of social networking tools (like Facebook) in online learning - for both instruction and support. Facebook will "age" a bit as more and more faculty and over 30 folks hop on for DL purposes and then get a little addicted themselves.



• Less one-on-one support for faculty as resources get further stretched (more courses but little or no new staff). The bad news is we'll see more group training sessions, but the savvy administrators will develop better, easy-to-use (and locate) online tutorials as well as mentoring programs.



• Big emphasis on green. Although gas prices are lower, the Summer of '08 is not forgotten. Online learning provides the obvious answer here. We'll slowly see more telecommuting of DL faculty and staff as well. Lots and lots and lots more online meetings.



• More streamlined approaches to quality, evaluation, and retention. More software entries such as that offered by Starfish Retention Solutions that will help us become accountable in a systematic way.



• Increased development and marketing of online courses and programs to the Hispanic community as well as those who support this population, such as teachers and healthcare providers.

The Most Important DL Course Evaluation

The most important DL course evaluation - the one that ultimately affects many of the others - is the formative evaluation within the course. Yet, it's the one that so many people skip or just don't take very seriously. End-of-course, summative evaluations are swell for proving to department heads and accreditors how good or not-so-good an instructor or course are. But what good does it do for the students in the course? Even in an established course that's been working well, I like to do a very simple formative evaluation a week or so before the course mid-point. Usually, it's just an email or discussion board posting asking students to list three things they like most about the course, three things they like least, and what the instructor could do to improve. I really get some valuable information from these simple questions - but I follow-up with probing questions if any key responses are too vague. Every group of students is different. Students who liked group projects the term before hate them the next. (Okay, I admit most students don't like groupwork at all.) After I get the results, I post them for the students to see, and let them know what course changes I am going to make as a result of their feedback. You can bet that making a few changes, no matter how minor, will make your end-of-course evaluations higher. Not doing a formative evaluation is like serving soup that you didn't taste and season during the cooking (credit Bob Stakes metaphor). Where I need to improve is better record-keeping or logging of these informal, formative assessments.

Avoiding DL Staff Burnout #1

Always in the back of my mind, usually pretty well hidden from the people who work for me, is the big worry that their jobs will get to be just too much for them. There seems to be no stopping the demand for online learning (and the support that goes with it), but funding is at a standstill (or going backwards). So, what we called a full plate three years ago has changed its meaning as we keep stretching and stretching. My first tip (in a random series) for avoiding staff burnout is to simply to hire the right folks to begin with. This is not a laid-back, conflict-free, quiet field. It's not for those who want to work normal hours, know what to expect each day, and have minimal or average interaction with other people. DL support is for people who thrive on change and lots of action. It's for people who loathe boredom and shine with lots of creative energy. Hire these types, and even though they may show that they feel the pressure, they tend to bloom in circumstances where others crack.

Does the Recession Mean More or Less Online Enrollment?

Yesterday, we were told in the US that we are officially in a recession (duh), and have been since last December. So what does this mean for online enrollments? On the one hand, students out of work or consumed by debt may not have enough money to afford classes. Then again, people who have lost their jobs may use the time on their hands to seek new degrees and careers. I think that online programs, particularly affordable ones at public institutions, will see a extra surge in enrollments because of the economy. Why? Online programs allow students to continue their jobs and save money on gas and other costs such as babysitting. Marketwatch reported today that a survey of visitors to the website, eLearning.com, found that 44 percent wanted to take online courses to embark on a new career. On the downside, a third of the respondents were uncertain as to how they would pay for their education.

Four Ways to Get Students to Complete Online Course Evaluations

The primary downfall of online course evaluations is the low completion rate. In the traditional environment, students are more or less held captive while they rate their learning and their instructor on a piece of paper. To raise completion rates to a comparable level, use these ideas.

1. Give students 1 point extra credit for completing the evaluation. Almost all online course evaluation software allows one to see which students completed the survey, while maintaining the anonymity of their responses. This is probably the most important tip, and the one not to skip. I use a grading scale of 1000 (900 is an A) for my courses, so I actually offer 10 extra points, which sounds better but is really equal to 1 point on a 100-point scale.
2. Discuss the importance of completing the evaluation early on in the course - the first week is not too soon. Get it in their mind how important this is to you,
3. Get your institution to agree to delay availability of grades if an evaluation is not completed. The University of Oregon has a policy that withholds grades and transcripts until the Friday after the grading deadline ends for those students who don't complete the evaluations (other students get them as soon as they are turned in).
4. Send lots of reminders in various formats. Use email, the discussion board as well as course announcements.