MCCVLC Distance Learning Administrators Survey Results & Discussion

Who Twenty-four submissions 23 community colleges 1 four-year institution (LTU) Based on ASC grouping: Group 1: 7 submissions (10 possible) Group 2: 6 submissions (7 possible) Group 3: 7 submissions (8 possible) Group 4: 3 submissions (3 possible)

Organization Structure Reporting Line – 42% report to Chief Academic Officer ( %) – 17% report to Academic Dean ( %) – 13% report to Non-Academic Administrator (2012 – 4%) ITC National Survey: more than 74 percent of respondents indicated they reported to the vice-president of academic affairs or to an academic dean.

Organizational Structure In 2012: Centralized – 33%/Decentralized – 26%/Mix – 33% In 2011: Centralized – 33%/Decentralized – 17%/Mix – 46% In 2010: Centralized – 48%/Decentralized – 19%/Mix – 33% In 2008: Centralized – 48%/Decentralized – 22%/ Mix – 30% In 2006: Centralized – 48%/Decentralized – 26%/ Mix – 26%

Personnel Full-Time Staff in DE Program 2012 – Majority of Programs had 0 – 2 FT Employees

Personnel Part-time Staff in DE Program Majority of programs had 0 – 1 part-time staff

Program - Enrollments What is the percentage of enrollment (credit/contact hr) that your institution’s online program is of the total enrollment for your institution? Average: 14.7% ( %) Median: 12.4% ( %) Range: % ( %) What percentage increase in enrollment has your distance education program experienced in the past year? Average: 5.5% Median: 6.7% Range: – 34% Nationally – ITC reports a modest growth of 6.52% in online course enrollments.

Program LMS Breakdown Blackboard – 9 Moodle – 8 Canvas – 4 Desire2Learn – 3 Angel – 2 WebStudy – 1 LMS Switch Just 3 colleges said “Yes” (12%) – Down from 26% in 2012 Nationally, LMS switching down to 29% - ITC Survey

Programs Assessment of course prior to offering 63% have some assessment (2012 – 52%) Assessment of course after offering 46% report having assessment practices at some point after course is first offered Offering online degrees In 2013 – 58% said yes (14 colleges) In 2012 – 48% said yes In 2011 – 42% said yes In 2010 – 38% said yes In 2006 – 52% said yes Nationally – 90% offer at least one online degree – ITC study

Program Section enrollment caps for online Limiting # of classes taught 27% report that colleges limit number of class sections a full-time faculty member can teach during a given period. Up from 34% in ITC 2012 Study CourseMCCVLCITC Math2425 Composition2325 Intro Pol Science2427

Completion Rates Nationally – 43% claim retention is comparable to on-campus rates; 50% said retention is lower for online classes; 4 percent report retention is higher for online classes than for tradition instruction. ITC – 2012 Study

Student Authentication 100% of respondents require authentic username/passcode access to course Nationally – 98% have a similar requirement Other options: Require at least one proctored exam MCCVLC study – 38% ITC study – 16% Use remote video proctoring MCCVLC study – 4% (1 college) ITC study – 8% Authentic assessments MCCVLC study – 3 colleges

Open Educational Resources Impact on institutions 38% - Very Little (60% - Nationally) 29% - Significant (36% - Nationally) 29% - Not Sure 4% - None (4% - Nationally) Roadblocks to adoption Faculty reluctance to change (19) Lack of faculty awareness (19) (ITC – 66%) Time needed to locate/evaluate resources (18) (ITC – 67%) Credibility of sources (15) (ITC - 45%) Lack of ancillary materials (7) (ITC – 21%) Resistance from administration (4) (ITC – 14%)

MOOCs Beginning to explore options MCCVLC Study – 13 responses, 54% ITC Study – 44% Have no plans to incorporate MOOC content MCCVLC Study – 14 responses, 58% ITC Study – 42% Offering course credit/certificates for completing MOOCs MCCVLC – 1 response, 4% ITC Study - <1% Incorporating MOOC curriculum into existing online courses MCCVLC – 1 response

Course Quality Regarding course content and rigor – online courses compared to face-to-face traditional courses: Superior to face-to-face traditional courses MCCVLC Study – 2 responses, 8% ITC Study – 7% Equivalent to face-to-face traditional courses MCCVLC Study – 17 responses, 71% ITC Study – 83% In need of improvement MCCVLC Study – 4 responses, 17% ITC Study – 10%

Greatest Challenges Challenge Ranking 2013 Ranking 2012 (Spring) ITC Ranking 2012 (Fall) Adequate quality assessment of distance learning courses 122 Support staff needed for training and technical assistance 253 Operating and equipment budgets 314 Adequate student services for distance learning students 441 Adequate administrative authority 535 Student authentication in online courses 677 Faculty acceptance 7910 Organizational acceptance 8811 Compliance with new financial aid attendance requirements State Authorization regulations 10 6 Adequate space for training and technical assistance Student acceptance

Greatest Challenges Other Challenges Accessibility and ADA Compliance Maintaining/Achieving Quality Faculty – Contracts, Training Lack of vision by upper administration Decentralized situation = Responsibility and no authority Lack of commitment from other departments Public Policy Issues Future federal regulations – state authorization

“Growing competition for online courses from other colleges and universities.” —2012 ITC Survey Respondent “Ensuring online materials are compatible with mobile devices. Keeping up-to-date with new technology.” ITC Survey Respondent “Every proposed change must go before committees for approval before implementation, which is a very slow process.” ITC Survey Respondent

Student Support Services Top Services provided Campus testing center for distance learning classes Dedicated distance learning program website Dedicated faculty training staff Online admissions to institution Online information & application to financial aid Online library services Online payment of tuition and fees Online registration of courses Online student course evaluations Online textbook sales Online student orientation

Student Support Services Services less available to online students 24/7 faculty help desk 24/7 student help desk Online counseling services Online plagiarism evaluation Online student organization website/services Online tutoring assistance Online writing lab

Development of Services Over half (52%) describe a collaborative effort to provide online support services. In most cases, development teams include members from instruction, information technology, student services and student success centers. Thirteen percent reported that support services for online students are developed through the student support services division. Other responses (35%) indicate that there are a variety of online opportunities for online students, spread out over several departments with no apparent oversight.

Greatest Challenges/Students Challenge Ranking 2012 (Spring) ITC Ranking 2012 (Fall) Cheating/Secure online testing 17 Orientation/student readiness for taking distance education classes 21 Low student completion rate 35 Computer problems/technical support 44 Assessing student learning and performance in distance education environment 53 Completion of evaluations 66 Providing equivalent virtual student services (e.g. financial aid, library services, tutoring) 62 Recruitment/interest in distance education 88 Disruptive student behavior 99

Students Orientation 33% require orientation for first time students (2012 – 37%) 67% do not require orientation (2012 – 52%) “Having a mandatory tutorial in place for students to take prior to enrolling in an online course would greatly enhance online retention rates for newer students.” ITC Survey Respondent

Students Demand for courses 54% report demand exceeds course capacity (2012 – 54%) Nationally – 53% report demand exceeds capacity

ITC – Key Observations and Trends Demand for distance education courses by community college students continues to grow – at a rate much greater than demand for traditional courses. However, the unprecedented growth of the past decade has slowed on many campuses, as overall student enrollment at many community colleges has declined.

ITC – Key Observations & Trends As online instruction continues to mature, distance education administrators see a pressing need to address course quality and design, faculty training and preparation, course assessment, and improvements in student readiness and retention.

ITC – Key Observations and Trends Growth in the use of blended, hybrid, Web-assisted, Web- enhanced and Web-facilitated classes continues. The gap between distance learning and face-to-face student completion rates has significantly narrowed. Online program administration has shifted so that more academic administrators, such as deans and academic vice presidents, are responsible for distance education, rather than library services or the IT department.

ITC – Key Observations & Trends Many colleges continue lack compliance with the accessibility requirements of online instruction outlined in sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Nearly every distance education program authenticates student access to online courses. From the ITC 2012 Distance Education Survey Results: Trends in eLearning: Tracking the Impact of eLearning at Community Colleges (