Battle of the Online Kingdoms

1. Battle of the Online Kingdoms Angela M. Gibson Scott Dalrymple

2. Lori Kupczynski • Marie-Anne Mundy

3. Convenience and Cost

4. Convenience and Cost • Promote individual growth and mastery of course • Busy professionals need the flexibility these programs provide • Student learning can be self-paced (PhD) • Programs are centered around customer satisfaction • The larger online program size provides a greater funding source from tuition revenues • The typical cost of maintenance and operations for faculty are not as large as traditional educational settings (paper) • Large programs tend to reflect a broader diversity of students from both the national and international levels.

5. Convenience and Cost • APUS is among the largest online universities in the United States serving approximately 110,000 active students during the year 2011, a year-over-year increase of 31% • AMU is the #1 provider to active duty military • A leading provider to Veterans • Majority of students are working adults • Prior Learning Experience evaluated • Undergraduate Tuition $250/credit hour • Books provided • Graduate Tuition $300/credit hour • Minimized costs for books

6. Convenience and Cost • Excelsior’s online courses are all asynchronous • We used to have synchronous faculty office hours, but found that students didn’t come– now by appt. • Excelsior (formerly Regents College) acts as a credit aggregator • Only a 3-hour academic residency requirement • Most students are transfer students who arrive with an average of 5 transcripts • Cost is $390 per credit hour for courses taken at EC

7. Convenience and Cost • Large number of the local student population also takes DL • Cost is equivalent to face-to-face courses • Currently no DL fee attached to any courses nor do online students pay any less in student fees • Looking at the benefits of both assessing DL fee to courses and reduced student fees for online courses

8. Training and Preparation of Faculty

9. Training and Preparation of Faculty • 1,750+ full time and part-time faculty members • Professors work from around the world • Active professionals • Prior & current teaching at other universities • New Faculty Training Course • Regular training updates for LMS • Community of Inquiry Framework training • Professional Development

10. Training and Preparation of Faculty • Mandatory 4-week course for faculty new to Excelsior • Covers our Learning Management System, academic policies, adult ed theory • Even the Dean has to take it!

11. Training and Preparation of Faculty • Faculty wishing to teach hybrid/online courses must complete a training course with DLIT • Course consists of 15 one hour modules offered fully online, face to face or hybrid delivery • Additionally, there are Professional Development seminars designed to enhance technical skills for online and distance deliveries

12. Training and Preparation of Faculty • New faculty members are required to possess the proper credentials, content knowledge, and technology skills necessary for ease of instruction. • Mentoring courses required for new faculty prior to participating in on-line instructional programs • online training incorporates technical learning skills and strategies • Support during first online course • Ongoing training • Ongoing faculty evaluation

13. Curriculum and Course Design

14. Curriculum and Course Design • Courses are designed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Instructional Designer (ID), who work under the guidance of a Program Director • Course outcomes, content, assessments, etc. are fixed across all sections • Good news: less chance for a poor faculty member to screw things up • Bad news: less chance for faculty creativity & little pride of ownership • Excelsior owns the intellectual property

15. Curriculum and Course Design • Department follows the ADDIE principles of instructional design • Basic course template launched at a starting point for all classes • Each faculty member meets for an instructional design course mapping session with instructional designers prior to the design process • Self-review handout modeled after principles of best practices (SACS and THECB standards) • Quality Matters standards are used as a guideline for designing courses in addition to future development of review prior to course launch

16. Curriculum and Course Design • Ability to invest heavily in course development • Content/Field experts develop courses • Faculty are required to adhere to the content as designed  • Ongoing faculty feedback to aid in course revision

17. Curriculum and Course Design • Utilize the Sakai LMS • Community of Inquiry Framework • Training and professional development for faculty in course design • Institutional & specialized/professional accreditation • Satisfying demanding requirements • Demonstrating focus on academic excellence • Member of Academy for Assessment of Student Learning of the Higher Learning Commission • Continuous evaluation of student learning

18. Retention and Success

19. Retention and Success Enrollment and Growth

20. Retention and Success • Peer to peer mentoring • Faculty-student mentoring • Critical orientation course for all entering students • Online instructor course • Writing Center • Student Services Team • Success Coach • Enrollment Advisors

21. Retention and Success • 98% of seniors were satisfied or very satisfied with the education they received • 97% of seniors would recommend APUS to a friend or colleague • 98% of seniors evaluated their experience as positive compared to 82% of students at all other schools (NSSE 2009) • More than 50% of alumni return for a second degree • 40% of new students referred by others

22. Retention and Success • The faculty role at EC is unbundled: faculty teach, advisors advise • School of Liberal Arts has 19 full-time Academic Advisors, each with at least one Master’s degree • Small team of Retention Advisors who contact “at risk” students • Switched from a “call center” model to an individual caseload model • Provides more personal connection with the College

23. Thank You