Florida Distance Learning Consortium John Opper Executive Director May 31, 2012 Distance Learning Update

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Data Points During the academic year:  The Florida College System offered 24,605 e-learning courses.  Those courses represented 619,588 enrollments involving 268,374 unique students.  That instructional activity represented 33% of the students in the system. Over the last five years:  E-learning course offerings in the college system have increased by 74%  Students taking advantage of those offerings have increased by over 89%. Currently, web-based or Internet delivered instruction accounts for 98% of all e-learning courses offered by Florida’s colleges. Florida College System lists 159 (certificate to bachelors level) degrees that can be completed through e-learning in the Florida Higher Education Distance Learning Catalog. During the academic year:  The Florida College System offered 24,605 e-learning courses.  Those courses represented 619,588 enrollments involving 268,374 unique students.  That instructional activity represented 33% of the students in the system. Over the last five years:  E-learning course offerings in the college system have increased by 74%  Students taking advantage of those offerings have increased by over 89%. Currently, web-based or Internet delivered instruction accounts for 98% of all e-learning courses offered by Florida’s colleges. Florida College System lists 159 (certificate to bachelors level) degrees that can be completed through e-learning in the Florida Higher Education Distance Learning Catalog.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Distance Learning Data Elements What is ‘distance learning’, hybrid instruction’ and face to face anyway? Revisions to the data elements under discussion Should all use the same data scheme to be consistent. What is an online degree program?

Florida Distance Learning Consortium DL Program Approval/Authorization Reciprocal agreement discussions are underway involving WCET, SREB, SHEEO and other players. There have been no alterations to the current need to obtain approval when offering courses or programs in another state. Reciprocal agreement discussions are underway involving WCET, SREB, SHEEO and other players. There have been no alterations to the current need to obtain approval when offering courses or programs in another state.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Rapid Market Consolidation Learning management systems Tutoring Plagarism detection Publishing More to come. Learning management systems Tutoring Plagarism detection Publishing More to come.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Online Registration Initiative May 14, Master Consortium Financial Aid Agreement distributed to colleges and universities for completion. May 15, 17, 22, 24, 2012 – Transient Student Application/Financial Aid Training Webinars. May, 2012 – FASTER and Inter-institutional data transfer testing continues. June 1 – July 1, 2012 – Course loading for Fall semester begins. Implementation and testing of system available to FASTER colleges and universities that have completed the MCA and met the technical requirements. June 8, 2012 – SPEEDE data system components completed and implemented for testing. July 1, 2012 – Implementation of system available to all colleges and universities that have completed the MCA and met the technical requirements. October 1 – November 1, 2012 – Course loading for Spring December 31, Institution interface w/Pass through to be completed.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Florida Virtual Campus

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Florida Virtual Campus

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Some Recurring Themes Four years of consistent Legislative attention Desire to utilize technology and the system of postsecondary institutions to enhance ability of students to obtain degrees Automate and improve services to students consistent with marketplace activity and capabilities Focus on eliminating barriers and identifying policy issues Begin to achieve the benefits of a virtual institution program without the costly and unnecessary duplication of effort by capitalizing on the existing strengths of our colleges and universities. New fees. New services and ideas about streamlining processes. (rolling enrollment, embedded librarians, anytime mobile)

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Adult Degree Completion Initiative Six SUS institutions and two colleges – Cooperative Program Agreement Support services for adult learners – “Concierge Approach”, Acceleration! Competency-based programs? Statewide Web portal Access to FDLC online course catalog, FACTS advising resources, automated services 2.5 Million proposed allocation – VETOED!

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Riddles, Mysteries and Enigmas Can we further enhance student use of our services?  How can we further enhance access to our services?  What is the next level for student services?  Are there some things we should try? Can institutions truly work together to deliver courses and programs?  Barriers?  Opportunities? Is distance learning really more expensive? Can we move students through the system faster and more efficiently?  What about competency-based courses and programs?  What about credit for prior learning? How can we produce more degrees given our current realities?

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Open Educational Resources and Textbooks – Annual Survey 22,129 students responded 2,619 faculty responded Responses and implications are still under analysis But….. A few trends to think about.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Open Educational Resources and Textbooks – Faculty Faculty and staff are increasingly familiar with open textbooks Quality of open textbooks continues to be a concern. Intentions for the future use of open educational resources is high. Interest in authorship of open educational resources was positive. Promotion and tenure for authorship is a barrier to development.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Open Educational Resources and Textbooks – Students Students are not very familiar with open textbooks. The expenditures for textbooks for the Spring 2012 term were high. Students are willing to pay a fee in support of open textbooks. The high cost of textbooks are impacting student selection of courses, retention and success, and decisions to purchase required textbooks.  63.6% Not purchase the required textbook  49.2% Take fewer courses  45.1% Not register for a specific course  26.7% Drop a course  20.7% Withdraw from a course

Florida Distance Learning Consortium Open Educational Resources and Textbooks – Students Key reasons for lack of interest in digital textbooks still involve:  Inconvenient to read  Desire for print version to write in and highlight  Difficulty in moving through to different pages/sections – hard to use.

Florida Distance Learning Consortium E-Textbook Symposium Feedback has been good so far. There are some pilots and discussions underway The ‘digital materials’ fee? Orange Grove – Continued contributions! Next steps up to YOU? We could…..  Determine participation/interest  Select a range of courses  Target specific competencies and libraries of content  Collect quotes  Negotiate terms Feedback has been good so far. There are some pilots and discussions underway The ‘digital materials’ fee? Orange Grove – Continued contributions! Next steps up to YOU? We could…..  Determine participation/interest  Select a range of courses  Target specific competencies and libraries of content  Collect quotes  Negotiate terms