The document outlines 10 things that could be improved about Minnesota Online, such as establishing common course evaluations, tuition rates, and accessibility training for faculty. It also suggests providing more flexible scheduling and degree options for students, as well as better information sharing between participating institutions to make Minnesota Online function more like a coordinated system through increased cooperation and resource sharing. The key debate is whether institutions should opt into Minnesota Online and follow common guidelines to receive benefits or remain independent in their online efforts.

1. 10 Things I’d Change About Minnesota Online

2. Honest Conversations Get on the Cluetrain We need honest, unvarnished, and sometimes blunt conversations As David Weinberger put it in Cluetrain, “Just about all the concessions we make to work in a well-run, non- disturbing, secure, predictably successful, managed environment have to do with giving up our voice.”

3. 10. Expectations for Interaction No independent study courses allowed No electronic correspondence courses allowed You can offer them, but they won’t be part of Minnesota Online. Interactivity among students and between student and instructor should be required.

4. 9. Web Accessibility Require training for web accessibility for all faculty who teach in MnOnline. We may need to hire an expert at the OOC who travels to campuses for training, creates online materials, and is the go-to person for all accessibility issues.

5. 8. Course Evaluations A common course evaluation instrument should be required for use in all MnOnline courses. Seek a great deal of student input in designing the evaluation instrument. Choose from the better practices already in existence for evaluation questions and format.

6. 7. Outcome Assessment We should have specific expectations for the documentation of student performance. Assessment projects should be required, should be developed collaboratively, and the results should be shared, discussed, and analyzed.

7. 6. Tuition and Fees Establish three MnOnline tuition rates, one for each of the following: All online courses at state colleges All bachelors level online courses at state universities All graduate level courses at state universities Cost should not be a differentiating factor among courses at the same level.

8. 5. Class Scheduling Provide increased flexibility through a more coordinated approach to the scheduling of online classes Students want more choices in start dates and term length. Enable a larger selection of courses that begin every month. Enable a larger selection of courses with 4, 5, or 6 week terms.

9. 4. Provide Better Information Provide more useful and thorough information for students and potential students to make informed choices Provide template of course info required to be gathered and displayed Synchronous requirements Test proctoring or other required arrangements Special equipment or software Group projects or other special activities

10. 3. Degree Offering Better enable students to “build-a-degree” within MnOnline Especially for “generic” degrees such as: A.A., A.F.A., Bachelor of Individualized Studies Maybe these degrees should be awarded by MnSCU with courses offered from all participating schools

11. 2. Begin to Look Like a System Common MnOnline branding to complement institutional branding of courses Shared or combined promotional efforts Someone needs to be put in-charge of the Seamless project in order to git-r-done Enable more sharing among MnOnline participating institutions Sharing faculty appointments across institutions Sharing talented adjunct (temporary) faculty for online courses Sharing seats and costs of delivery in certain online courses

12. 1. Make a Choice! Maybe schools should opt in or opt out? Each school must decide whether they are going to be part of MnOnline If not, then they cannot receive money, services, or other resources for online efforts. If so, then they have to follow certain guidelines and/or rules (such as 2-10 above). MnOnline Rule #1: OBEY ALL RULES! (source: Barney Fife, 1962)

13. Agree or Disagree? What are your ideas for ways of improving the student experience in Minnesota Online? Do we want to look like a system, or shall we give up the ghost? Can we really start sharing resources and assets? Compete or cooperate?