Melly's DL Admin Blog

My Right-Brained Report on State Approvals for DE

2011-06-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

So, my team and I spent 21 straight days in late May and June working on State Approvals for Distance Education (and we're not done, and of course, we have to revisit it constantly, depending on the state). I am so right-brained that I've awarded myself five diamond stars for keeping this organized, linear, and fully documented. This does not mean that it's been easy, or that there is any regulatory logic whatsoever to this whole mess. On June 15, I decided it was time to provide an update to my VPAA on our progress, and important next steps. I got a tiny bit creative and provided my update with an animated video created through xtranormal. Check it out.

8 Vital Pieces of Everyday Data for DL Admininistrators

2010-07-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

I always have these on hand since this information is pure gold. Some of these I review every day, and others I review weekly or monthly. But each is critical to ongoing online program evaluation and continuous improvement.

Student Retention Rates (Course Completion)
Student Grade Performance, particularly as it compares to face-to-face counterpart courses.
Enrollment
Demographic Trends (is the population getting older, younger, etc.?)
Student Usage and Satisfaction with Support Services
Faculty Usage and Satisfaction with Faculty Support Services
Graduation and Year-to-Year Retention (do students who take some or all courses online graduate sooner?)
Student Withdrawals (why do some students not persist? is any of this related to the course, the instructor, or support services? are any of the causative factors within our control?)

The Service Approach to Helping Faculty with Online Course Design

2010-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

There are clearly several approaches to online course design, with varying opinions as to the resulting quality. Frequently, we see a simple approach that attempts to move elements of a traditional course to the online environment, with a typical course unit consisting of learning materials, related discussions, and some type of assessment (project, quiz or test). Instructional designers may take a different approach that often considers learning outcomes and assessments first, and then builds backwards upon these. So what happens when the instructional designer and the faculty do not agree on the approach? What if the instructional designer is certain that his or her approach is the surest way to enable the development of a high-quality course? I tend to err on the side of the faculty on this one. Ultimately, they must feel comfortable in teaching this course, must feel ownership in order to be fully engaged, and will learn best not from what they are "told," but by a process of trial-and-error. Our primary function in distance learning administration, above all others, is support. While our programs skyrocket as traditional programs remain flat, we must humble ourselves to remember to remain customer focused (students and faculty). We can guide faculty and inspire them and give them just-in-time training, but we can never tell them what they need. It would be like going to McDonald's and ordering a Big Mac, and the server telling you that you would be much better off with a salad instead. Now, I realize that this is completely contrary to what is considered many to be top-banana instructional design. In fact, Cathy Moore, who has one of the best instructional design blogs in the world, flat out warns against becoming an "order taker" or letting online courses become an "information dump." Sure, this is ideal. But higher education is a different world both in terms of traditions (yes, some date back from centuries ago) and in governance.

The Second Thing That Has Come Out of Texas in the Last 10 Years That Makes No Sense

2010-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

UT Telecampus was a bright shining star in the world of quality, award-winning distance learning administration. Darcy Hardy was the one who taught many of us how to get it started way back when. So now they say that they did their work so well that their mission is complete. The only downfall visible to the rest of us is that it wasn't self-sustaining. Perhaps the mission needed to be updated and redefined, but am I the only one who is thinking that this makes absolutely no sense from a quality, economic (in the big picture), streamless student services, visibility, or common-sense viewpoint? Well, apparently not. Here's just a few tidbits of reaction from the blogosphere.

" A service available at a larger campus might not be available at the smaller ones and they need the extra assistance. There is no discussion about the redundancy of effort in each campus having to reproduce each of these services on their own-with highly varying quality. What is the real cost of that redundancy? It will be buried in the campus ledgers." - Russ Poulin, WCET
"One has to wonder: "What's the rest of the story". Elimination of the Available University Fund (formerly the PUF fund, I suppose) moneys could have crippled the TeleCampus by 2012. No doubt, the AUF has been losing money like any other fund, especially as Texas oil fields have become depleted. However, a longer-term approach to reducing dependency on those funds could be approached in such a manner as to actually improve the performance of the TeleCampus and the System's smaller campuses." - Mary Lee, past TxDLA president
"Will the cost of marketing increase as each unit that markets their academic college scales up? Most likely, yes, unless you are the Business School and have your well-oiled marketing team in place, but if you are Liberal Arts, I doubt a true integrated marketing function exists. In the least, the stronger programs won't be there to underwrite the weaker programs. The richer will become richer and the weak weaker." - Jim Fong, Education Marketer

There's a lot more speculation and comments out there. It's quite interesting that this early consortium is shutting down, while others are just building up and experiencing major growths. I'd love to see what lessons there are, if any, to be learned.

Flashback to 2000: Remember When They Thought it Was a Fad?

2010-01-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since we breathed a sigh of relief when we escaped the would-be doom of Y2K. Around this same time, a significant number of technophobes also believed that online learning was just a passing fad. Not only has online learning flourished wildly in the last decade, but has grown up quite a bit as well. Here are some ways online learning has evolved in the last 10 years. Can you think of more?

It's no longer seen as a trend.
There are fewer small Course Management Systems, and a few very Big, Ginormous Ones.
Other tech-based services (registration, testing systems, tutoring, live meeting spaces, data analytic tools, etc.) must integrate seamlessly with the Big, Ginormous Ones in order to be successful.
Students don't have to be trained to use computers before they can take online courses.
Only some faculty have to be trained to use computers before they can teach online courses. :-)
It's not just for older, working folks and moms with little children anymore. Or for people living far, far away in the hills with only dirt roads and no traffic lights.
It's still about convenience. But it's a lot about the money, particularly in the last year or so.
It's fiercely competitive. It's no longer difficult to find affordability and quality and strong support services. However, the proprietary institutions still generally seem to have a big edge on marketing.
It's a lot more social, particularly with increasing integration of Web 2.0 tools.

Preparing Dozens of Faculty to Teach Online in a Month or Less

2009-10-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

This scenario is not all that uncommon. Just when you've got your faculty development program zipping along nicely, you find out that you've got a huge, unexpected increase in online courses or programs next semester. Program growth is generally good news, but you cringe at the thought of all the 18-hour days it will take to get these faculty prepared for any resemblance to quality online teaching. First of all, ditch the idea of a series of face-to-face training sessions that focus on the course management system. It will be nearly impossible to get all faculty in attendance, and you probably won't have time for make-up sessions. The recipe for this scenario consists of three parts: a short online training course focusing mainly on the pedagogy; a peer mentoring system; and a just-in-time technical support system. The online training course should include some basic course management system information, but most faculty will pick some of this up by their participation in the course. The online training course should focus more on how faculty can make their courses successful for students, and will give the faculty a first-hand look at the student experience. In the peer mentoring component, faculty should be assigned to veteran online faculty who agree to allow them to visit their own courses and assist them with course design and pedagogical questions that arise. This will also free up administrator time to focus on other many other support issues that will arise in the short weeks leading up to the beginning of the "growth" semester or quarter. Lastly, several temporary employees or trained student assistants should be available for an expanded call center to enable these new faculty to get just-in-time assistance by phone or email during the weeks preceding the term as well as the first few weeks of the term.

Five Ways to Boost Online Faculty Morale This Month

2009-09-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

1. Positive Feedback. Send each faculty member a personalized email thanking them for their good work, and pointing out some of their strengths. Copy department chairs on exceptional ones. Remember to always be looking for them doing something right!
2. Enlist their Wisdom. Select a few top faculty and ask them what their top secret tip is for their online teaching success. Then take a digital camera and ask them to record a 20-30 second “spot” talking about this secret. Edit all these clips together into a 5 minute clip, and post to your faculty resource page.
3. Be an Extended Family. Be diligently aware of any personal issues going on in the lives of online faculty, particularly adjunct ones. Use tools such as FaceBook, group blogs, or email lists to virtually recognize birthdays, births of children/grandchildren, and coordinate offers for assistance if times are tough (illness, natural disasters, etc.).
4. Have a Contest. Contests are fun, educational, and build team spirit. Do these weekly or monthly on topics such as program or institution trivia and award small prizes (institutional t-shirts, recyclable grocery bags, small gift cards, etc.)
5. Offer a Mini-Conference. Faculty love to get presentations on their vitas, so develop a two-day mini-conference (online of course) where those who choose can present 30-minute webinars on relevant online teaching topics.

Getting Aquainted

2009-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

I think that the single biggest challenge that faculty and students face in an 100% online course is the feeling that they don't really know each other at all. This can be overcome, but it is very difficult, and requires an ongoing and creative effort by the instructor to reach the students. This part is not so bad for most instructors - but there's more. It also requires that the instructor show his or her vulnerability so that the students can view him or her as a real person. This all starts in the first week of the course in the getting-aquainted exercises. There are lots of get-to-know you exercises, but my very favorite of all time is called "100 Things About Me." This is simply where you make a list of random statements about yourself, some of which are quite personal, and then ask students to do the same. I have my own list that I created a few years ago, and try to keep somewhat updated. Check it out and see if you don't feel like you know me a lot better.

5 Things Not to Cut from Your DL Budget

2009-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

I recently read Fred Miller's Educause article, 10 Ways to Cut Your IT Budget. While I have long argued that distance learning is not really an IT function, there were a couple of cuts that he suggested that I would apply to distance learning. First of all, he said to wait another year before getting new computers. This is a no-brainer but probably gets overlooked and can save gobs of money. Another tip was to negotiate prices with vendors. Just a couple of years ago, this would have probably not worked, but now everybody knows that frugality is expected and cool.
Now, what would I NOT cut from a DL budget?

Personnel. No way, no how. As the economy helps to drive increasing DL enrollments, the entire system will fall apart without the support staff. It is quite likely that increased staffing would even provide an overall payoff in terms of even more enrollments.
Communication systems. This includes advanced telephones, live helpdesk systems, etc. We have to be more efficient in supporting faculty and learners than ever before and premiere communication is money well spent.
Course management systems. I suppose that some folks are thinking this is the best time to start looking at lower-cost home-grown systems and stop writing the mongo checks to you-know-who. Not me. The transition costs would be enormous in the short-run, and it's the short-run (hopefully) where we are all having our money woes.
Some travel. Clearly, I'm cutting back on the number of trips and having a lot of meetings by phone or online technologies. But I would not cut out all travel because I know that much of it really provides cost-benefit. At our annual DLA Conference, for instance, I learn more in three days from my colleagues about marketing, faculty development, student support, etc. than I normally do in six months. DL is a notoriously busy field, and we absolutely have to invest a little money and immersive time for learning. I have to pick and choose these opportunities carefully. A conference with a registration fee of over $400 is less likely to happen this year.
Marketing. This is probably one of the most important times for marketing online programs since the early 2000s.

Cats and Dogs in Online Universities

2009-07-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I just returned a few days ago from our annual DLA Conference where my colleague, Janice Hilyard of Darton College, received a well-deserved Wagner Award. In her acceptance speech, she spoke of how far advanced the marketing techniques of for-profit online institutions are as compared to traditional institutions. In her quest to learn more about their recruitment processes, she said she often asks for information in her dog's name. Then when phone calls come in asking for "Sadie Hilyard," she knows who they are from. So, beware, my cat may soon be requesting information from an institution near you.

When Online Universities Flounder

2009-04-09T05:14:00.001-07:00

Recently, some online initiatives in higher education have made the news, but not because of their success, but because of their failure to meet hopes and expectations. This week it was the Global Campus of the Universityof Illinois (story). Why do some struggle to attract enrollments in spite of millions of dollars invested where others easily thrive? I think that one primary reason has to do with administrative structures. Too often, these structure are cumbersome and clunky, and try to fit key processes - such as course development and student support - into traditional frameworks. For online programs to meet their potential, programs must be set up in a way that allow for rapid decision making and response times to issues rather than waiting on faculty committees. Faculty must be involved in the course development process as content experts, but as invited or paid team members rather than the drivers of the process. This is a key reason why for-profit insitutions and two-year colleges seem to grow more quickly - even when their tuition is high. Other elements of success: developing a pool of qualified faculty ready for last-minute assignments, a self-sustaining budget, and a strong student support system.

Four Rules for Facebook Friendships with Students

2009-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

It seems like just a mere year or so ago, I thought that never in a zillion years would I befriend any of my students on Facebook, for fear that I would seem like one of those middle-aged-people-in-denial who frequents bars for 20-somethings, or worse - simply "creepy." Now, even in my relatively sparse use of Facebook, I've been amazed, first-hand, at its sheer power and force at breaking down social barriers and building or rebuilding relationships (ex: my 7th-grade best friend whom I probably would have never happened to cross paths with again is now my Facebook friend, among others). Now, one of THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES in the online classroom is clearly building a sense of community, creating a personal environment, feeling truly connected, blah,blah, blah. So, with so many folks on Facebook (and over 1200 more have joined since I started writing this just a few minutes ag0), the question of whether or not to integrate it somehow with online teaching is no longer if - but when. To reduce my worries about privacy, appropriateness, etc., I've made myself a little list of Facebook rules.

Be real, but not overly revealing. This means no heavy political banter, no off-color remarks, and a careful eye for embarassing photos from the long-ago past, posted by friends and "tagged" to me. Revealing too much is just like going to a company cocktail party and drinking too much and thus saying too much - except that on Facebook it might be there forever.
Make it useful and efficient. If I'm going to put some time into Facebook each week, I might as well multi-task. Use it for some virtual office hours and pre-exam study sessions.
Protect your privacy. Leave off the home address and make sure that Facebook settings are such that profiles, postings are not available to those beyond the "friend" list.
Make sure it's optional for students. Most students are going to be on Facebook. But some are not, and do not want to be - or maybe they are and they just don't want to be your "friend." They must feel no disadvantage whatsoever for this choice.

Advice from Students: How to Succeed in an Online Class

2009-02-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

One of my areas of passion is online retention - so I've talked to a lot of students (both informally and through research) in trying to see why some succeed where others fail. Interestingly, when talking to students who withdrew from online courses, I've realized that reasons were rarely related to instructor issues. More often than not, the students did not fully realize what taking an online course would be like. Their advice to other students:

Understand that you will spend a lot of time on the computer.
Log in to your online course every day.
Expect to do a lot of reading - probably more than in a f2f course.
Know where to go for help, and don't hesitate to ask for it.
Get started on the course as soon as possible - log in on the very first day of class.
Don't wait until the due dates to post discussion assignments.

I use these tips, and variations of them, in both online and f2f orientations for online students. Yes, they may seem quite elementary to those of us who teach, support or otherwise breathe online learning, but now I realize that we can't overestimate how critical it is for new online students to know what to expect before their courses start.

A Hip, New Blackboard

2009-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Today brought the long-awaited release of the much hyped Blackboard 9. According to Inside Higher Ed, early reviewers are impressed with its snazzier, cleaner look and easily-modified login pages. This version also allows those who loathe change to choose different looks instead, such as older versions of Blackboard and the clunky WebCT templates (these are starting to seem almost retro now). Also - cool changes in the interface itself, allowing course designers to click and drag elements around on the page. What I like most, though, is the integration with social tools, such as FaceBook - students can get reminders of test and assignment due dates at their favorite social sites without entering Blackboard. Blackboard 9 would probably be the most exciting new technology I've seen all week if my husband hadn't come home with a Wii Fit the other day.

Fun Idea for Posting Instructor Photo in Online Course

2009-01-20T11:17:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the importance of instructors putting their photos in their online course. Now it's probably better to have it up there in the beginning of the course, but here's a neat idea that I've done before if you want to wait a couple of weeks into the course. Post four pictures - one of yourself and three of other people who look quite different from you. Let students guess, based on what they've gleaned from your interactions, which one is the real you. In my experience, only about 15 percent picked the real me, and it was a bit of a fun time for all. Fun is always good.

Why Didn't I Think of This?: Student Teachers in Virtual High School

2009-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

There's needs to be a new word like maybe jealyspired to describe how one feels when they read about something so good and so cool that they actually feel totally inspired but also jealous about not being The One to think of it. That's how I feel about what University of Central Florida and Florida Virtual High School are doing. UCF's student teachers will spend seven weeks of their student teaching in the online classroom. The implications are really big on this one, and to be honest, this isn't the first time I've been jealyspired by UCF or FVHS.

The Watchful Proctor (Now Isn't That Redundant?)

2009-01-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

The other day I was asked how to keep students taking online tests in a proctored test site from opening other browsers and looking for the answers. Wait.....isn't that the point of the proctor? So maybe we need lock-down software in situations where there is no proctor, but if the proctor is a real, live person then he or she should clearly be able to tell whether or not a student is opening multiple browsers when taking an online test. This assumes, of course, that the proctor is really watching. That he or she is on premises and is paying attention to his or her proctorees. Of course we don't have guarantees of this watchfulness - but neither do we in the face-to-face classroom. The point (again) is that it's really no easier to cheat in front of a Dell computer in 2009 than it was on row 7 of the lecture hall in 1979.

Five Quick Ways to Get Better Online Teaching Evaluations

2009-01-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

One fear that instructors have is that their teaching evaluations, and thus their prospects for promotion and tenure, will head south when they start teaching online. Not the good south in the beaches-of-Miami way, but the ugly one. This fear is well-founded as we often hear depressing stories of once-loved classroom teaching stars bathed in criticism and contempt after their first online teaching foray. No need to despair - here's five small changes instructors can make to lead to happier evaluations.

Always, always answer student emails within 24 hours. Just one slip, one late day, and your evaluation from that student will fall precisely 20 percent (this exact statistical calculation is based on my personal experience and occasional failure to follow this rule).
Speaking of rules, be a little more flexible about student deadlines and rules. Making exceptions, being understanding, and nice has its rewards. And smile when you make exceptions, even if nobody can see you.
Let them know you as a person, not just an information-dispenser/course guide. Tell them about your weekend, your seven cats, your allergy to corkscrew-shaped pasta, the musical Eiffel Tower bookends you bought for 50 percent off at Target yesterday, your obsession with Newhart reruns, whatever. Tell them something about you every week, and include pictures and audio sometimes. And be funny sometimes.
Do an informal formative evaluation midway through the term, and actually make some changes based on the results. Tell them the overall results of the evaluation and the changes you are making.
Increase the amount of personal feedback you are giving - go beyond the blanket stuff to the whole class. Yes, this one is actually not so quick.

Smile for the Camera if You're Teaching Online

2009-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I keep reviewing all these online courses for quality awards, and one of the easiest way to get two (of eighty-something required) points is for instructors to simply put their picture in their course. Now I've looked at about five in a row with no picture - not even pictures of the cat or dog or fish or iguana. Folks, we don't take online courses because we don't want to see what teachers look like. If I didn't want to see what my instructor looked like, I'd just go back to Ohio State and take one of those 8 am physics classes with 800 people in them and sit way, way in the back where I couldn't see - nor even really hear as my final grade reflected. So what's up with the lack of pictures? Do you really want your icon to be a gray sillhouette or a red X? Or do you only have a Polaroid and can't find any film? I admit, I don't like (loathe) having my picture made. Especially flash pictures because one or more eyes always winds up shut plus I always feel like I look old and fat (until I get the picture out a few years later and wish I still looked that way). You wouldn't believe how many shots it took just to get the one little profile. But anyway, online teachers and administrators, get your pictures up - in your class, on your blog, etc. In a couple of days, I'll share a really neat way to introduce your picture in an online class that's already started. You will like this idea.

My DLA Forecast for 2009

2008-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-15T05:44:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-12-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

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.

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.
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,
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).
Send lots of reminders in various formats. Use email, the discussion board as well as course announcements.

Chunking Student Support Information

2008-11-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed when I see DL students getting multi-page, ultra-wordy documents that provide important DL information - such as how to order books, how to use the CMS, where to get tutoring, etc. When we develop our courses (or train others to do so), we know that the best way to present online content is in chunks - or little bits of information at a time. So why don't we apply the same principles to our student support materials? General DL information should be provided in well-organized snippets, and should be redundant (mailing, emails, announcements within the course). Taking this one step alone pays big benefits in less student frustration, less helpcalls, and higher retention.

Should DL Pay for the Lights?

2008-11-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

There are some clear costs associated with distance and online programs; administrative staff, faculty, course development and redevelopment, and technology are examples. However, in a model in which DL is a self-supporting cost center, hidden institutional costs should be considered. These include office space for administrative staff and utilities. Even though DL may bring much difficult-to-quantify benefit to an institution through increased enrollments and savings in classroom space, a true cost model will include some overhead for the institution. Such costs should perhaps not be assessed until the program is meeting its other costs, but should be considered in long-term planning.

No More Boring eLearning

2008-11-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

After several days of insane, non-stop work on a crazy DL deadline - and subsequently being a miserable failure as a late-nite blogger, I happened upon an incredible, don't-miss instructional design-ish blog. Now that I've found Cathy Moore's blog, I will never be the same (how did I function without this? how did I miss this?) First stop is her Drop the Drone:Easier Steps to Lively Courses. Now, we finally have permission to take some risks, drop the filler verbiage, and truly make online courses exciting. In this presentation, she also provides compelling guidance on how to actually cut, chop and edit our online landfills of useless, meaningless words.

Facebook for Online Student Recruitment

2008-11-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

Are the days of billboards, radio, and direct mail over for higher education recruitment? I don't think so, but we can't afford to dismiss the burgeoning opportunities for Web 2.0 marketing. In the past year, there has been an increased entry of universities on Facebook. In many cases, it appears that these sites are university-sponsored, but benefit from unedited postings by students. Many are using their Facebook sites to include RSS feeds of campus news and events. While they may appear to serve as a retention and community-building tool for present students, the use of Facebook is also a recruitment tool when used properly - such as appropriate inbound links. Clearly, the appearance of the site is critical, particularly for online programs where the student may never actually see the campus. Another use of Facebook (and similar social networking sites) for university recruitment is for advertising. Facebook allows for easy creation of ads (though it requires pre-payment by credit card rather than invoicing), and allows the option of pricing per click. It would seem that the use of Facebook as a recruitment tool would be even more useful for online programs as it so directly targets potential students who seem to enjoy spending time online.

Bridge to Hawaii

2008-10-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

This has been such a serious week that I decided to lighten up a bit and adapt the old "Bridge to Hawaii" joke. Here's my version for DLA folks...just a joke, of course.....A DL Director was biking to her job at a California university, when all of the sudden she heard a big, booming voice from above. The Voice said, "You have done such a wonderful job as a DL Director and have helped to bring education to many people who previously did not have such opportunities. For your hard work, I will grant you one wish." The DL Director stopped her bike and pondered for a moment. Then she responded, "I would like for you to build a bridge to Hawaii so that I can ride my bike there any time I want." The Voice responded, "I need you to think more carefully. Your request is extremely difficult and would waste most of the natural resources that you have helped to save through your work in distance learning. You are asking for concrete and steel that will stretch thousands of miles long and hundreds of miles deep. Surely, you can think of something that is more in line with your true purpose." The DL Director thought for a long time, then finally responded. "I would like to be able to better understand and reach faculty. No matter what we do, they never seem completely satisfied. So what I want is for faculty to be happy." The Voice responded: "Do you want two lanes or four lanes on that bridge?"

Test Proctoring: Time to Ditch the Paper and the Pencils

2008-10-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

Amazingly, a very significant portion of proctored testing of online students is still conducted via paper and pencil. Not only is this a less secure way of test delivery, but is enormously expensive in terms of mailing and labor to and from the testing sites and instructors. For years, we've had built-in testing tools in our CMSs, including Blackboard and WebCT. These tools also allow us to lock the test, enabling only the proctor to open it with a provided password. I think that there are two main reasons why some of us are stuck. First of all, many university testing centers simply don't have enough computers (in their testing centers) to test dozens of students at one time (such as during midterms). Another reason - plain old resistance to change. The entire process of testing and mailing is historically so cumbersome that once we have a system underway (even a greatly flawed one), any attempt to suggest obvious and available improvements is met with fear and panic. For those still wondering if the change is worth the initial invesment, let's review the benefits of using online testing in the proctored environment:

no mailing costs

significantly lower labor costs

no printing costs

instant grading (for objective tests)

earth-friendly

ability to randomize questions through test bank

Five Ways to Make Virtual Adjuncts Feel Connected to the University

2008-10-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

One common concern regarding the use of adjunct and part-time faculty is that they are not integrated into the life of the university. Here are five simple ways to create a more inclusionary environment:

Initial training should include not just expectations about online teaching expectations, but also detailed information about the institution itself.

Require participation in at least one traditional faculty activity, such as committee involvement (virtually)

Sign them up for all electronic communications (daily bulletins, announcements) sent to on-campus faculty and staff.

Foster an administrative DL structure that provides the same level of support and respect afforded to on-campus instructors teaching DL courses. Record, digitize and post on the web all f2f training sessions for on-campus online instructors.

Send them a t-shirt with the university mascot when they first sign on.

Undergrad Degrees of DL Administrators

2008-10-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

Though it's a dream job, becoming a DL administrator wasn't my dream. That's no surprise, since the field scarcely existed 20 years ago (except on a very limited basis). I took a few minutes to do some highly informal research to find out the educational origin of 25 randomly-selected DL adminers. In perusing the vitae of 25 individuals in charge of DL programs (directors, deans, assistant and associates deans and directors), I found that there was no most common bachelor's degree among them. In fact, out of the 25, there were 17 different degrees. These were:

Political Science (2)
Math (3)
Psychology (4)
Education (4)
Journalism (1 - that's me)
English (2)
Engineering (1)
Biblical Studies (1)
Spanish (1)
History (1)
Oceanography (1)
Sociology (2)
Nursing (1)
Music (1)

There were no business majors, nor computer-science, IT-related majors. Keep in mind this was by no means a scientific sample, but interesting nevertheless, I believe.

Evaluation: Why Student Satisfaction Matters

2008-10-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

I was recently part of discussion regarding the importance, or lack of, student satisfaction as a measure of the success of a DL course or program. Clearly, it is student "learning" where we focus the brunt of our evaluation efforts - and must do so lest we wish to face the woeful proposition of being admonished by our accreditors. But student satisfaction measures are not fluff. They can be clear indicators of whether or not an online class needs a major fix, and whether of not our training programs for online instructors need to be realigned. Through student satisfaction measures, we can learn much - such as whether or not an online instructor is communicating on a timely basis, whether or not appropriate support systems are in place for online students, and whether or not we may hope to retain the student as a consumer of our online programs. Student satisfaction has a dramatic impact on our marketing, our enrollment, our retention, and even our course quality - if we utilize the data to thoughtfully make course, program, and administrative improvements.

DLA Word of the Week: Academic Analytics

2008-10-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

This one is closely related to my posting Wednesday about data mining and new products such as Starfish. Academic Analytics is an emerging field that allows us to take ginormous amounts existing data (presently sitting quietly and often unused on our IT servers), and make it incredibly useful to us in decision making. Decision making might include predicting which students are most likely to succeed, what next fall's enrollment is going to be, or in the case of online learning, which students presently need or will need (predictive) certain types of support. Educause Review had a pretty good introductory article on the topic last year. I've posted some fun weekly words on this blog, but this is one you need to remember. I'm thinking this is going to be the new super hot conference topic for 2009, particularly when we're thinking about retention and online education.

Data Mining for Online Student Retention

2008-10-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

At the top of my DLA Christmas Wish List would be a tool that automatically notifies DL support staff when a student is exhibiting at-risk behaviors in an online course (not logging in, not completing assignments, poor grades, etc.). The support person could then immediately contact the student and assist them or refer them to other services if needed (tutoring, counseling, etc.). I only recently learned that Blackboard has an integrated tool called Early Warning System that operates along these lines, and allows an instructor to set certain minimum standards. When students do not meet these standards, the instructor (and an "observer" if the instructor chooses) can pull this information up in a report. Another product, which I just discovered, called Starfish Solutions Early Alert appears to go a step further by not only identifying concerns, but tracking and facilitating interventions. I am not sure why I have not seen more discussion or excitement about these possibilities, since they have the potential to provide dramatically scale DLA student support services and create immediate improvements in retention.

Online Due Dates: An Argument for Leniency

2008-10-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Should online instructors have fast-and-firm rules about online deadlines? In other words, if a student forgets to turn in their discussion posting or do their quiz by the Thursday midnight deadline, should they get another chance? I think that the answer lies in what is best for the student. For me, that means some flexibility. Now, from experience, I see that many instructors disagree with me. Many students that I have supported or advised as an administrator have had disappointing grades not because they did not learn the material, but because they missed the deadline for turning in an assignment or quiz. Many faculty believe that we are doing students a disservice if we are too flexible - that they need to learn responsibility. However, when we have students with five online classes, it is easy to overook a deadline (I sometimes can't even remember five things I need to pick up at the grocery store). The result for the student is a zero, no exceptions, and this leads the student to not only have a lower GPA but also have great disdain for online learning. Yes, I clearly realize what a pain it is to go back and re-grade late assignments (as an instructor). For this reason, I try to build in several extra credit opportunities to make up for these lapses. In addition, I am often open to letting a student complete a limited number of assignments late, with some reduction in grade. Isn't our real purpose to give them opportunities to learn and succeed?

The Aging of DL Adminers

2008-10-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

It has just occured to me this week in certain discussions with my staff (most who have been around for the long-haul with me), that we are significantly older than we were when we started our journey into online education and its support and administration. For some reason, this is a field people seem to stay in (that's good). Then I think about my many wonderful friends and colleagues over the world in DL Admin, and realize that they, too, have matured and even grayed a bit. Many of us were in our 20s and 30s when we somehow fell into this field, often by accident, and now we are middle-aged, over-the-hill (or fast approaching), and actually paying attention to phrases like "retirement planning." We are, as a rule, a few pounds heavier (I'm still working on this one) and a little less energetic (they say our lung capacity diminishes). On the bright side, we have experience, wisdom, and respect. But are we losing our spunk, our willingness to take chances, and our shine? I hope not! As we have reached a new lifestage, so have our maturing programs. As we aging DL Adminers work to find new meaning in our personal lives as the years flash by, we must also strive to keep our programs fresh and shiny.

DLA Weekly Word: Leaky Reply

2008-10-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

This could be (or maybe has been) your worse nightmare. A Leaky Reply occurs when you hit "reply all" and send your electronic message to a bunch of people (like your boss, your students, or an entire listserv) and you only meant to send it to one. The term implies that the content of your email had some sort of embarrassing content which will cause you to panic and wish to disappear into your dark virtual cave. This certainly doesn't just apply to DL Adminers, but might be a cool term to use in student orientations or faculty training. Sally meant to tell only her online instructor about her embarrassing medical problem which would prevent her from completing her quiz on time, but was mortified when she inadvertently had a leaky reply to the entire class.

Kudos to Clear DL Policies

2008-10-16T13:52:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite DL colleagues in the whole world, Debi Moon, developed some DL policies at Georgia Perimeter that I think serve as an outstanding beginning for anyone looking to develop or revise their own policies. She clearly put much effort into these, they are concise yet thorough, and wonderfully clear rather than full of legalese (and Debi happens to be a lawyer!). I know that it took some work to get all of these approved by faculty, and I know many of us DL Adminers are jealous of this feat. Among the topics covered in GPC's Policies for Distance Learning are course standards, faculty responsibilities, class sizes, student expectations, and faculty support.

DL Courses Consume 90% Less Energy

2008-10-15T18:16:00.001-07:00

I remember years ago when most DL programs were mere infants, talking about how much gas and miles were saved by students/instructors not having to drive to class. Back in the glory days of the late 90s, this notion was interesting but was only seen as a little extra bonus. Of course, these days everybody is good bit more serious about gas prices and energy than they were 10 or 12 years ago. Today Business Wire India reports that online education is perhaps the "most effective way an institution can reduce its carbon footprint." They site a UK Open University study that found that DL courses consume 90% less energy and 85% less CO2 than do traditional courses. I truly think we'll see a greater emphasis on the green element of online learning - from conference presentations to more research to inclusion in marketing materials.

DLA Word of the Week: Lagfest

2008-10-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

When you are using your course management system to input grades, copy courses, upload files, or whatever, and everything starts going very, very slowly, you are in a lagfest. Simply put, a lagfest is that ridiculously long time that you spend waiting for something online to process. Often a lagfest is applied to computer gaming, but I think that DLA administrators may spend even more time in the lagfest zone.

DLA2009 Call for Proposals

2008-10-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that we have just opened up the Call for Proposals for our 10th Annual DLA Conference, to be held June 21-24, 2009 at the King & Prince Resort at St. Simons Island, Georgia. There are so many people who attend this conference year after year who tell me that it is their very favorite DL conference - so much discussion, learning, yummy food and fun. Though this conference is specifically for those administering DL programs (directors, deans, support staff, etc.), we usually have a fair number of online faculty who present related research. Our proceedings are bound and printed, rather than just being on a CD. Among the conference strands are: managing growth in DL; training and support; budget; marketing; ethics and copyright; quality assurance; and organizational issues. I would love to see some proposals this year about the potential impact of the Higher Education Act on DL, as well as issues related to the economy. The proposal process is simple and will take you just a few minutes.

Job Challenge Plus Fluid Environment Equals Incredible Support Staff

2008-10-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Basically, this is my simple take on continuous process improvement. As a organizational unit, we really never arrive. We must always, constantly, every day look for ways to do what we are doing better. Our rules and our roles are fluid. We will not maintain excellence if we rest on the laurels of yesterday and today. Every day I must make decisions, but rarely are these set in stone. Circumstances, opportunities, threats, and our own perceptions may change. Staff should not expect that what they are doing today is what they will be doing this time next year (or maybe even two months from now). Every year, I like to work with my own staff to re-evaluate their primary job responsibilities and shift these around a bit. In doing so, we consider how our organizational needs have changed, what areas need new blood or ideas, and what are the interests of each staff member. On a day-to-day basis, we are in constant learning mode, and never in a climate that sits by quietly focusing on the pre-determined tasks, but rather constantly challenging ourselves and one another, and listening very, very carefully to those faculty and students with whom we come in contact - for they are not necessarily saying the same things that they did last year. Sounds tiring? Well, not really. What is tiring is boredom and complacency.

Yep, Students are Customers

2008-10-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm really not sure why there continues to be any question about whether or not our students are customers. Hello - stocks are falling, banks are failing, budgets are being cut on a regular basis, and face it, we are in competition with one another for the tuition dollars of students. While our main purpose in offering DL programs is for the good of society (most of us want smart people around us) and to create some equity in educational opportunities, sometimes DL programs are actually developed in response to market demands (gasp!). And, I see marketing and promotion as becoming a more significant line in a DL budget. Of course it all begins with recruitment. For our DL programs we not only want to get the message out that they are available, but that our school is the best available brand for a particular group of target students. Beyond that, our job as DL Admins is to try to keep these students in our virtual doors once they enroll. This is where we get back to the tried-and-true customer service principles. Treat every customer (student) the way you expect to be treated. Quickly and effectively resolve the student's problem. Go the extra mile.... Some critics of the student-as-customer concept argue that all of this somehow diminishes the quality of education. I disagree. Part of the customer orientation is the delivery of a good product - in education this certainly includes challenge.

Nicenet Still Free and Easy

2008-10-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

When we were first looking into purchasing WebCT or some other CMS 10 years ago, we discovered a simple, free tool called Nicenet Internet Classroom Assistant - brand new at that time. Clean and simple, Nicenet allows you to set up a quick online class in about 10 minutes. Features include a forum, a calendar, link sharing, document sharing and a list of class members. We used it for our very first online course, and with its lack of integration with dozens of other tools and cumbersome administrative side, I'm glad to see it's still available, still used, still free, and very much like it was 10 years ago. With a name like Nicenet, how can it not be friendly?

DLA Word (phrase) of the Week: Mouse Potato

2008-10-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

This one is almost self-explanatory, and I think anybody involved in any way in online learning, teaching, or administration is in grave danger of becoming a mouse potato. If almost all of your waking life is spent with a mouse within a close proximity of your hand, then you are a mouse potato. A true mouse potato tends to work, play, shop, and communicate on the computer, often in blocks of five or more hours. Is this better than being a couch potato? I think so...I hope so.

Quiet but Big Worries about the Higher Education Act

2008-10-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

A colleague from another state called me today to ask my opinion of the Higher Education Act (2008) reauthorized in August. Buried in this mongo, 1200-page bill (full text) is a line that says that accreditors must require institutions to ensure that any student enrolled in a distance course is truly the one doing the work. Specifically it states: "the agency or association requires an institution that offers distance education or correspondence education to have processes through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education or correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the program and receives the academic credit" So far, there are some questions and speculation but not a lot of answers. What exactly does this mean? Some, particularly companies who sell identification software (such as biometric or cameras) are interpreting it to mean that we must prove the identity of a student taking an online exam. But does this also apply to homework, discussion boards, papers, etc.? How can we prove that an online student who writes a term paper is truly that student unless they are actually proctored while writing the paper? This would be an impossible standard that could mean the demise of all online learning? Traditional courses are not held to such a standard, nor should they be. If it is only referring to proctored examinations, I can only imagine how instructors and institutions may respond. Yes, some will invest (or have their students invest) in online proctoring devices or face-to-face proctors. But I think that others would reduce or eliminate testing all together, relying only on discussion boards, papers, projects, etc. I am worried about this, and am anxious to hear how other institutions are responding, and what accreditors are interpreting this to mean.

Don't Cross the Ivory Line

2008-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

As DL adminers, we are privy to the best and worst of online courses. If not careful, we can get lost in our best practices mindset, and start to believe that we are the utmost authority on online course design, online teaching, and everything in between. We start to think that we could save all students from those occasional yucky online courses if every instructor would just develop their course just exactly like we would. The problem? Well, there's just oodles of them. First of all, it's just not our place to cross that ivory line and get into the business of telling faculty how to teach. Train them, lead them, inspire them - yes; but remember that they are the true artists who must be allowed to sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly create their own masterpieces. I'm also one who, in spite of the scalability it may provide, who is not in favor of a cookie-cutter approach to online classes. I treasured the geniune and spontaneous character of f2f courses I took long ago, and think we move into dangerous territory when we attempt to rob online courses of the same. Finally, we begin to lose respect when our egos get in the way and we forget that we are administrators in a support role.

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

2008-09-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

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:

Students who seem terrified of saying anything out loud in the f2f portion really get involved in the online discussions.
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.
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).
Since this is a freshman class, this is a great, but less risky way, for these new students to become good online learners.
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

2008-09-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

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.
Photo by FreePhotosBank.com

DLA Weekly Word: Technoplegic

2008-09-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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."

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.

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?

2008-09-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

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.

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.
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.
Student satisfaction with online courses. Usually obtained from course surveys. We also use annual telephone surveys and focus groups.
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.
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

2008-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

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?