Slides used in conjunction with webinar for online program review at community colleges.

1. Evaluating Online
Learning Programs

2. Upcoming MCCVLC Webinars
• Apr. 12 – Effective Practices for
• New Online Student Orientation
• Student Support Services
• Professional Development
• Apr. 19 – Accessibility for Online
Learning

3. Comparing Program
Reviews to Accreditation
How does the
accreditation process
inform our program reviews?

4. Definitions
• Distance Programs (as per HLC)
• Distance-delivered programs are those
certificate or degree programs in which
50% or more of the required courses
may be taken as distance-delivered
courses.
• Source: HLC Substantive Change Application

5. Definitions
• Distance-delivered courses are those in which
all or the vast majority (typically 75% or
more) of the instruction and interaction
occurs via electronic
communication, correspondence, or
equivalent mechanisms, with the faculty and
students physically separated from each
other.
• Source: HLC Substantive Change Application

6. Definitions
• Correspondence Education:
• 1) Education provided through one or more
courses by an institution under which the
institution provides instructional materials,
by mail or electronic transmission, including
examinations on the materials, to students
who are separated from the instructor.
• Source: HLC Substantive Change Application

7. Definitions
• Correspondence Education: (cont.)
• (2) Interaction between the instructor and the
student is limited, is not regular and substantive,
and is primarily initiated by the student.
• (3) Correspondence courses are typically self-
paced.
• (4) Correspondence education is not distance
education.
• Source: HLC Substantive Change Application

8. Seeking Approval from HLC
Percentage Percentage of Distance-Delivered Offerings
Bracket (calculations are based on degree programs, not certificates)
3 Up to 100% of total degree programs
2 Up to 20% of total degree programs
Initiation of distance-delivered offerings up to 5% of
1
total degree programs
No degree programs or more than four certificate
programs (Commission policy does permit the institution to offer
0 up to four certificate programs as well as a limited number of
courses leading to degree programs through distance education or
correspondence education without seeking prior approval.)

9. Initiation with the HLC
Initiation occurs and a review is required when
the institution:
– plans to initiate its first distance education
degree program
– has initiated four distance education
certificates and plans to initiate a fifth
• NOTE: Add’l language about correspondence omitted

10. Expansion of Distance Education
Expansion occurs and a review is required
when the institution:
– plans to increase its current activity in
distance education degree programs (or
correspondence) to a higher Percentage
Bracket.

11. An HLC Review
• Comprehensive reviews examine
– curriculum,
– staffing,
– support services,
– access to appropriate laboratory and
library resources,
– and all other facets of quality higher
education.

12. Interregional Guidelines for the
Evaluation of Distance Education
(Online Learning)
http://xlents.com/2012/02
for links and info

13. C-RAC (Council of Regional
Accrediting Commissions)
The new guidelines have been
endorsed by all regional accrediting
organizations in the U.S.

14. 9 Hallmarks of Quality
1. Appropriate to mission and purposes
2. Part of regular planning and evaluation
3. Incorporated into governance/oversight
4. Curricula are coherent, cohesive, &
comparable in academic rigor (to trad)
5. Evaluates effectiveness of online
offerings, incl. outcomes achievement

15. 9 Hallmarks of Quality
6. Online faculty are appropriately
qualified & effectively supported
7. Effective student and academic
services for online students
8. Sufficient resources to support and
expand online offerings
9. Assures integrity of online offerings

16. On-Campus
Program Review
What is the purpose?

17. On-Campus
Program Review
What is your
established practice?

18. Example: Glendale CC

19. Glendale – Trend Analysis

20. Glendale – Student Learning Outcomes

21. Glendale – Parts 3, 4, 5
• 3.0 Evaluation of Previous Goals
• 4.0 Action Plan
– What is the goal?
• Is it reflected in the Academic Master Plan?
– What are the SLOs
• Core competencies (college-wide)
• Program SLOs
• Course SLOs
– How will it improve student learning?
• 5.0 Resource Requests

22. Comparing On-Campus to
Online Program Reviews
In what ways should
review of online programs
be different?

23. A Starting Point
• Gather proof that your courses are distance
education courses and not correspondence
courses. Gather evidence of:
– Regular and substantive interaction between the
instructor and the student – and not primarily
initiated by the student.
– Timeline expectations for online students to
indicate that they are not self-paced. (Maybe!)

24. Comparing Online Program Data
• Possible benchmarks:
– Similar on-campus programs
– Similar online programs
– Trend analysis over time
– Internally set goals or targets
– State or National data (to the extent
possible)

25. Possibilities to Consider
• Course Design Quality
• Online Teaching Evaluations (by admin)
• Online Course Evaluations (by students)
• Assessments of Learning Outcomes
– College-wide outcomes
– Program outcomes

26. 3 Major Components of e-Quality
Learning Level
Is High
Learning Assessment
Teaching Level Course Design
Is High Meets Standards

27. Designing for Interaction
V. LEARNER INTERACTION
General Review Standard: The effective design of instructor-learner interaction and
meaningful learner cooperation is essential to learner motivation, intellectual commitment,
and personal development. (From LSC Course Design Rubric)
Specific Review Standards Points
V.1 The course design provides learning activities to
foster instructor-student, content-student, and if 3
appropriate, student-student interaction.
V.2 The student requirements for course interaction
are clearly articulated. 3
V.3 Clear standards are set for instructor response
and availability (turn-around time for email, grades 2
posted, etc.)

28. More Possibilities to Consider
• Student e-Services Audit (if program specific)
• Student Satisfaction Surveys
• Course Completion Rate Analyses
• Course Success Rate Analyses
• Term-to-term Persistence Analyses
• Graduation Rate Analyses
• Transfer & Placement Rate Analyses

29. Review of e-Services

30. CENTSS
More coming on April 12

31. Student Satisfaction

32. Option 1 - PSOL

33. Why PSOL?

34. PSOL Basics
There are 72 questions that comprise the PSOL.
Average completion time is 15 minutes.
26 Priorities statements (can add 10)
7 Information sources about school/program
11 Factors to enroll in the program
3 Overall satisfaction questions
14 Demographics questions (can add 1)
NOTE: questions are answered on a 7-point Likert scale, where 7 is high.
34

35. The Importance of Importance

36. Data Comparisons
36

37. 2006 Data
A.A. Students are Very Satisfied
6.2
6.0
5.8
5.6
5.4
5.2
5.0
4.8
4.6
Reputation Offerings Library Quality
LSC National A.A. Business Other
37

38. 5-year Trend Data
38

39. Completion and Success

40. Grades Earned
30%
LSC Developmental Courses - 2009-2010
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
A B C D F FN W
Online On-ground

41. Passing Grades in These Courses
Passing Grades in Developmental Courses
67.5%
70% 66.8%
65%
62.3%
60.4%
60%
55%
50%
C or better D or better
2009-2010 Online On-ground

42. Persistence
Graduation
Placement
Transfer

43. Evaluating Online
Learning Programs
Q&A