Distance Learners

1. Distance Learners What do they look like? How do they perform in class? What does it mean?

2. Presentation Goals • Inform • Characteristics • Retention and success • Discuss • Implications • Suggest • Questions to be answered

3. Definitions and Sources of Data • Source of Data. All data was obtained from HEI enrollment and course queries, plus internal CSCC query of distance sections. • Demographic data definitions: • Gender - male or female as reported to HEI • Age - Year of Term being reported on minus student year of birth reported to HEI • Full-time Status - student enrolled for 12 or more credit hours • Part-time Status - student enrolled for fewer than 12 credit hours • New Student - any student whose first term of enrollment reported to HEI is the same as the quarter being reported on • Returning student - any student during a given quarter who had a first term of enrollment equal to a quarter prior to the quarter being reported on • Inter-Quarter Retention - The percentage of students who were enrolled and reported to HEI for one quarter and enrolled and were reported to HEI for the subsequent quarter identified • Annual Retention - The percentage of students enrolled and reported to HEI one autumn quarter who were also enrolled and reported to HEI the following Autumn Quarter • No Distance Student - A student who took no sections identified as a distance class section during the quarter being reviewed • At least one Distance plus non-distance - a student who was enrolled for at least one distance class section and at least one non-distance class section during the quarter being reviewed • Distance Only - a student taking only class sections identified as distance learning sections • Race - race and/or ethnicity as reported to HEI • AI - American Indian/Alaskan Native • AS - Asian • BL - Black or African American • HP - Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders • HS - Hispanic • MR - Multi-racial • NR - Non-resident Alien • UK - Race or ethnicity Unknown • WH - White or Caucasian

4. What do distance learners look like? • Selected demographic information • Comparison with non-distance population • Similarities/differences

5. Selected Demographics of Students Taking No Distance, at Least One Distance, and Only Distance Courses (Gender) Comment. While females represent about 55-56% of enrollments in non distance courses, they represent 60-64% of enrollments in at least one distance course, and 65 to 70% of distance learning enrollment only.

6. Selected Demographics of Students Taking No Distance, at Least One Distance, and Only Distance Courses (Race/Ethnicity) Comment. The White race/ethnicity category is the only consistent category where a higher percentage prefer at least one distance course or distance courses only over no distance.

7. Selected Demographics of Students Taking No Distance, at Least One Distance, and Only Distance Courses (Age) Comment. For traditional age students (19 and under), no distance courses appear to be the preference. For the 20-21, 22-24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35-39 age categories, at least one distance course in combination with no distance is the preference. It also appears that as age increases, the percentage of students taking at least one distance and distance only gets higher.

8. Selected Demographics of Students Taking No Distance, at Least One Distance, and Only Distance Courses (Enrollment Status) Comment. Students who take at least one distance course in combination with a no distance course are more full-time attending than students taking no distance courses or only distance courses. Students taking distance courses only are consistently part-time attending.

9. Selected Demographics of Students Taking No Distance, at Least One Distance, and Only Distance Courses (Returning and New) Comment. A higher percentage of returning students prefer taking at least one distance course with a non distance course or distance courses only than no distance. A higher percentage of new students prefer taking no distance courses rather than at least one distance course with a non distance course or distance courses only.

10. How do distance learners do? • Retention patterns • Course success patterns • Comparison with non-distance students and courses

11. Inter-Quarter Retention Patterns (Autumn to Winter) Comment. Students taking at least one distance course with a non distance course are retained 4 to 5 percentage points higher than students taking non distance courses only, and 20 to 22 percentage points higher than students taking distance courses only.

12. Annual Retention Patterns (Autumn to Autumn) Comment. Students taking at least one distance course with a non distance course are retained 2 to 3 percentage points higher than students taking non distance courses only, and 13 to 15 percentage points higher than students taking distance courses only.

13. Course Success-Definitions and Sources of Data • Source of Data Colleague Data Query titled, "KRP_STU_GRADE" for a given term . Reports available on Columbus State intranet at: http://intranet.cscc.edu/IDS/Stu%20Success.htm Click on Grade Distribution Reports for Autumn 2010 or Winter 2011. • Total Grade For a given course method- the total number of the following letter grades given: A,B,C,D,E,W • Percentage For a given course method- the percentage of total for the following letter grades given: A,B,C,D,E,W • Traditional Course Enrollment (No Distance)- A course in which all the instructional and laboratory sessions are completed in an in-class setting either on campus or at one of the off campus centers. Courses may have an occasional web assignment. • DL Course and Blended Enrollment (Distance Web) - A course in which all the instructional and laboratory sessions are completed in an on-line setting. Students are not required to attend any sessions on campus. A course in which all the instructional and laboratory sessions are completed at adistance with a variety of technologies i.e., on-line, video, audio etc. Students are notrequired to attend any sessions on campus Students may have to go to a specific location for testing. • Hybrid - A course in which all the instructional and laboratory/clinical sessions arecompleted in a combination of traditional class and at a distance. Students attend regularly scheduled sessions/meetings on-campus, and because those on-campus meeting dates may be limited, please consult the academic department for specific information. • Division - Either Career Technical or Arts and Sciences

14. Course Success Patterns by Course Method (Autumn 2010) Comment. In Arts and Sciences the percentages of students getting A, B, or C by course method are: traditional (65%), distance (57%+), and hybrid (64%+). . In Career Technical, the percentages of students getting A, B, or C by course method are: traditional (80%+), distance (67%), and hybrid (85%).

15. Course Success Patterns by Course Method (Winter 2011) Comment. In Arts and Sciences the percentages of students getting A, B, or C by course method are: traditional (65%), distance (59%), and hybrid (63%). . In Career Technical, the percentages of students getting A, B, or C by course method are: traditional (82%), distance (69%), and hybrid (80%).

16. Some General Comments about Success Rates for Learners • There is wide variability in success rates when comparing courses • There is wide variability in success rates within some courses by method taught • It is not known if there is wide variability in both areas above by class section

17. Considering the characteristics of distance learning students and their retention and success rates………….. • Are students adequately prepared to take distance courses? What would the college consider a “prepared” student? Can Columbus State “prepare” any student? • What are the characteristics of a successful distance course? Do, should, or can all courses taught via distance possess these characteristics?

18. Discussion- What are the differences and are they important? • Implications for policies, procedures and/or processes • Implications for advertising and marketing • Implications for enrollment management • Implications for advising • Implications for course design • Implications for targeted resources and support services

19. What does it mean? Context for going forward…. • The Ohio Board of Regents 2009 “Distance Learning Report” references the Lumina goal and urges Ohio public two and four year institutions to focus attention on Ohio’s 1.3 million working adults with some college but no certificates/degrees and use distance learning as a strategy to increase their attainment rates • Sloan foundation trend data shows distance learning growth rates will be highest for those aged 25-49. • Census data indicates that there are approximately 130,000 central Ohioans (in our four county service district: Franklin, Delaware, Union, and Madison) who fit the 25-49 age group with some college/but no certificate or degree • The Sloan Foundation 2010 report indicates that institutions with large online distance learning enrollments are best suited for attracting more online learners. 11% of higher education institutions have single term online enrollments in excess of 5,000. These institutions with single term enrollment in excess of 5,000 account for 67% of the nation’s higher education online enrollments. • According to OBOR during Autumn 2009 there were only seven Ohio institutions at or above single term distance learning enrollments of 5000 out of the 37 USO institutions and these include: • University of Toledo 5,815 • University of Cincinnati 5,891 • Lorain Community College 5,672 • Sinclair Community College 5,878 • Owens Community College 6,594 • Cuyahoga Community College 8,181 • Columbus State Community College 11,122 • Columbus State’s single term DL enrollment was almost 36% higher than the next highest institution’s enrollment

20. Questions Thank You!