The document discusses recent trends in distance learning. It outlines factors shaping higher education like workforce needs, state funding cuts, and employer doubts about credentials. Emerging technologies in distance learning covered include open educational resources, adaptive courseware, next generation digital learning environments, learning analytics, digital badges, and competency-based education. The document also discusses strategies to support the future of digital learning like tracking student progress, ensuring accessibility and academic integrity, and continual quality improvement.

1. “What’s New in Distance Learning?”
Kelvin Bentley
eLearning Consultant

2. Unless otherwise noted
this presentation is licensed by CC BY 4.0

3. Factors Shaping
Higher Ed Landscape
Workforce
Development
Needs
Individuals with
some college but
no degree
US Economy
Reduced state
funding
Performance-
based funding
Limited Footprints
Employer doubts
about the efficacy
of credentials

4. Factors Shaping the
Digital Learning Landscape
Expanding Role
of OER
Adaptive
Courseware
NGDLE
Competency-
based
Education
Student Identity
and Academic
Integrity
Tutoring
Analytics eTranscripts

5. Expanding Role of OER

6. Lumen Learning

7. District-Wide OER Initiative

8. OER Degree Example:
Tidewater CC

9. Personalized Learning

10. Personalized Learning
Prior Learning
Assessment
Adaptive
Courseware
Microcredentialing
and Digital Badges
eTranscripts

11. Prior Learning Assessment

12. American Council of Education’s Alternative Credit Project
Source: https://online.dcccd.edu/cd/special-programs/pages/alternative-credit.aspx#accept

13. Source: http://bit.ly/kctcslearnondemand

14. Skill Certification: Degreed
Source: https://degreed.com/skill-certification

15. Digital Badges: Credly Example

16. Adaptive Courseware

17. Lumen Learning’s Waymaker

18. OpenStax Tutor Beta

19. Cengage OpenNow

20. SmartSparrow’s BioBeyond
• SRI International compared
1,8000 student course grades
across 4 HE institutions:
• Improvements in student success
in 3 of the 4 institutions including
ASU and Miami Dade experiencing
almost a half letter grade
Source:
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/10/02/ada
ptive-bio-course-for-non-majors-finds-success-with-
simulation-virtual-field-trips.aspx

21. Courseware in Context Framework

22. Next Generation Digital Learning Environment

23. Educause’s NGDLE
From John O’Brien, from Educause: www.tinyurl.com/y75hpuyq

24. Learning Analytics

25. Examples of Sources of Data
SIS LMS Courseware
CRM
Other (e.g.,
tutoring)

26. LMS Example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm_TvoNpzQg

27. Online Tutoring Example

28. Purdue University’s Pattern
http://bit.ly/CTArticleonPattern

29. Civitas Learning

30. Words of Caution

31. Competency-Based Education

32. Toward a Definition
• “Competency-based education allows students to progress often at
their own pace, as they demonstrate mastery-measured through
authentic assessment-of a defined set of knowledge and skills.
Programs may be organized around traditional course-based units,
but this is not required. A majority of the curriculum must include
regular and substantive faculty-initiated interaction.”
Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Institute of Competency-based
Education-March 2016

33. Redefining the High School Transcript

34. eTranscript Example: UMUC
https://www.imsglobal.org/activity/extended-transcript

36. Strategies to Support the
Future of Digital Learning
Track and Support
Digital Learning
Ensure Instructional
Content Reflects
Universal Design
Standards
Ensure the Identity
of the Digital
Learner & Protect
Academic Integrity
Revise “ALT Learn”
Strategies through
Continual
Improvement

37. Track and Support Digital Learning
• Offer Intrusive advising and nudging
• Develop and send Early Alerts
• Courseware Example: Lumen Learning Waymaker
• Online Tutoring Example: Tutor.com
• Systems such as Hobsons Starfish
• Leverage the use of predictive analytics
• Offer Supplemental Instruction
• Target poor student success courses such as Math
• What does this model look like when offered fully online?

38. Align Instructional Content with
UDL Standards
• Provide ongoing professional development for faculty
• Include modules on ADA in initial online faculty certification course
• Invite ”kick-off semester” ADA guest speaker
• Investigate the feasibility of using an evolving accessibility checker like
Blackboard’s Ally
• Create and share a rubric to help faculty assess their courses against
UDL standards
• Example: https://ctfd.sfsu.edu/sites/default/files/Preliminary-Assessment-of-
Faculty-Implementation-of-UDL.pdf

39. Blackboard Ally

40. Student Authentication and
Academic Integrity

41. Student Authentication and Academic
Integrity
• How do you know the digital learner is who she says she is?
• How do you confirm a digital student’s identity?
• How do you safeguard against cheating? Plagiarism?
• How do you ensure that exam questions are not copied and/or
posted on online study sites?

42. Source: http://www.chronicle.com/article/The-New-Cheating-Economy/237587#maincontent

43. What happened?

44. Quality Assurance

45. Source: http://bit.ly/insidehigheredgwu

46. Source: http://bit.ly/insidehigheredscottsdale

47. EQUIP, CHEA, and DCCCD
Source: https://youtu.be/r5F27FX5iog

48. Quality Assurance Strategies
• Review all applicable data (e.g., course grades, course evaluation
data, class observations, LMS activity of students and faculty) to
determine how best to improve digital learning
• Form yearly student and instructor focus groups and surveys to
discuss and rate, respectively, the quality of overall digital learning
efforts
• Collaborate with employers to assess their satisfaction with KSA’s of
alumni

49. An Important Reminder
Image Source:
https://goo.gl/images/6tCM63

50. “Here’s the thing about the future. Every time you
look at it, it changes—because you looked at it—
and that changes everything else.”
And…
Nicholas Cage’s character in the 2007 movie “Next” about his ability to see
into his future by 2 minutes.

51. Contact Information
• Cell: 810-513-6192
• Email: timelord33@gmail.com
• Twitter: blacktimelord

52. Questions?