Scaling Quality For Online Education

Scaling Quality for Online Education: A Comparison of Faculty Development Models
Thomas B. Cavanagh
Assistant Vice President, Distributed Learning
University of Central Florida

Why Faculty Development?
Rapid growth in online courses
12.9% growth in 2008 (national: Sloan)
31% growth Fall 08-09 (UCF)
Minnesota State system proposes 25% of all MnSCU credits be earned online by 2015.
Faculty who have never taught online are being assigned (or have expressed an interest)

Why Faculty Development?
True online course is not simply a “remediation” of classroom presentation
Video/Theater analogy
Enable faculty success (and student success)
As opposed to onerous administrative requirement

Accreditation Requirements
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Faculty support services are appropriate and specifically related to distance education.
Faculty who teach in distance education programs and courses receive appropriate training.

Accreditation Requirements
Western Association of Colleges and Schools
The institution provides an ongoing program of appropriate technical, design, and production support for participating faculty members.
The institution provides to those responsible for program development the orientation and training to help them become proficient in the uses of the program’s technologies, including potential changes in course design and management.
The institution provides to those responsible for working directly with students the orientation and training to help them become proficient in the uses of the technologies for these purposes, including strategies for effective interaction.

Comparison
Public
Large
Metropolitan
Multi-disciplinary Programs
Private
Medium / Large
Global
Specialized Programs

Comparison – UCF / ERAU

Comparison – UCF / ERAU
Both schools have online:
UG/ G programs
Individual courses (GEP)
100% online and Hybrid/Blended
Different emphasis

ERAU Model
Four Course Sequence
Required to teach online
All faculty – tenure track, tenured, instructor, adjunct
All 100% online
No incentives provided

ERAU Model
FACD 700 / 700L – Instructional Use of Blackboard (with Lab)
5 week online course
How to use CMS
Why to use certain features
Best practices

ERAU Model
FACD 701 – Teaching at Embry-Riddle Worldwide
Audience is new online and F2F faculty
Responsibilities of ERAU instructors
Best practices for course prep and delivery
Special perspective on teaching in aerospace and military contexts

ERAU Model
FACD 702 – Supporting Online Learners
Teaching focused
Best practices in online learning
Student-centered approaches to teaching
Instructional applications for web-based collaboration tools
Application in a blended environment

ERAU Model
FACD 703 – Developing Online Course Materials
5-7 week online course
Design focused
By invitation only
For faculty developers of master course templates
Objectives, interaction design, assessment, TEACH Act, ERAU course production process, etc.

ERAU Sequence Summary

UCF Model
Different courses for different purposes
Four course options
Combination of online and blended facilitation
All faculty required for certain levels of access
Incentives provided
$2,000 stipend
Laptop computer (fulltime faculty only)

UCF Model
Essentials (includes lab component)
Introduces UCF’s online course policies and procedures
Teaches faculty core skills needed to set-up and deliver a “web-enhanced” course
Provides safe practice environment
Allows faculty to demonstrate skills mastery
Approx. 5 hrs contact time

UCF Model
ADL 5000
How to teach an existing W/M course
Pedagogy, logistics, technology topics
Online, self-paced
Approx. 35 clock hours contact time

UCF Model
IDL 6543
Award-winning course for original design/delivery of online/blended courses
Broader and deeper in scope than ADL 5000
Taught in blended format
Minimum of 80 clock hours contact time
$2,000 stipend incentive
Laptop computer for successful completion

UCF Model
IVD 6000 (development in progress)
Training program for lecture capture streaming video.
2 parts: online self-paced and live
Best Practices, examples, integrating interactivity

UCF Sequence Summary

Training Based on Best Practices
Sloan’s 5 Pillars
Quality Matters
Blackboard Greenhouse Rubric
SREB/SREC
Accreditation Best Practices
SACS, WASC, etc.
Plus others
Find what works for your institution and combine/modify/amend as necessary

6 Core Tenets re: Faculty Development
1) Include technology subjects
Use of the CMS
2) Include pedagogy subjects
Three types of interactivity
3) Model what you want, as much as you can
Try to conduct at least a portion online

4) Involve faculty in design / review of program
Provide peer credibility
Balance against IDOL expertise of ISDs, others
5) Follow up with assessment
Did it help? What could be improved?
Student performance / perceptions?

6) Require faculty development
Restrict modality access
Provide incentive, if possible
WCET / Campus Computing Project
“Managing Online Education Programs” (10/09)
53% of institutions report mandatory training
Average # of hrs: 27
Average # of continuing ed training hrs: 2.5

Conclusion / Questions
Thomas Cavanagh, Ph.D.
Assistant VP, Distributed Learning
University of Central Florida
cavanagh@mail.ucf.edu