Online Education Looking Back and Moving Forward

1. Online EducationLooking Back and Moving Forward Danielle PlassManager-Online Support ServicesCenter for Teaching, Learning & Technology

2. Evolution of Online Learning

3. Evolution of Online LearningOnline Courses & Enrollment Fall 2001

4. Evolution of Online LearningOnline Courses & Total Enrollments Spring 2011

5. Overview of Online LearningEnrollment Totals by Academic Year *unduplicated

6. Overview of Online LearningCourse Offerings by Academic Year

8. Annual Faculty Events • Online Teaching Seminars • Teaching with Technology Days • Faculty Institutes • Faculty Exchange Lunches • Lunch & Learn • Academic Portfolio Workshop • Annual Tenure & Promotion Workshops

9. Teaching Online Certification The Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology offers a comprehensive three part Teaching Online Certification program. The three parts include: • Blackboard 101 • Teaching Effectively Online • Mentoring

10. Online Learning…a Look Back

11. Current Offerings…. Online Degrees & Programs

12. A Look Forward….Fall 2011iPace

13. CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE U.S. • Colleges and universities faced with tough decisions that will truly differentiate them from their competitors • The rise in for-profit education and their intentional efforts to serve underserved populations. • Projected enrollment increase overall, nationally, from 2007 to 2018 showed that the “over 25” population is the fastest-growing student segment in higher education and has consistently increased during the last three decades • “Non traditional” students are 25 years and older and they make up nearly 50% of the U.S. college enrollment CHARACTERISTICS OF NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS • No longer financially dependent upon their parents • Have major life responsibilities outside school, through work, home, or community • Their principle identity is not as a full-time student • They are married or have depends or are single parents • They may be lacking in self confidence upon re-entry into higher education after a long delay • A recent web-based survey of 700 adults interested in continuing their education with a sample of potential adult students between the ages of 25 and 54 found that : • Balancing work and school is a major challenge • Cost is the most important factor overall when considering degree options, followed by flexibility in class scheduling, and online learning options • A mix of online and traditional classroom time is favored slightly over the traditional class or an online only classroom experience

14. NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS’ PREFERENCES • Convenience • Homework assignments that have direct applicability to their current or future jobs • Learning to have a practical end with personal relevance to their jobs • Constant feedback and two-way communication with their instructor • Organization of material, syllabus, and course content with clear expectations for performance • Options and self-directednessfor assignments TRENDS IN PROGRAM DELIVERY • Highly structured programs targeted at preparation for careers • Experimentation with program and course delivery: online; “blended;” face-to-face

15. DEFINITION OF BLENDED • Blended learning is defined as the total mix of pedagogical methods, using a combination of different learning strategies, both with and without the use of technology • Blended learning is the thoughtful fusion of face-to-face and online learning experiences…it represents a restructuring of class contact hours with the goal to enhance engagement and to extend access to Internet-based learning opportunities…key assumptions…thoughtfully integrating face-to-face and online learning; fundamentally rethinking the course design to optimize student engagement; restructuring and replacing traditional class contact hours • Blended learning takes time for both the instructor and learner to adapt to this relatively new instructional concept • POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF BLENDED COURSES • More effective pedagogy • Increase in active learning strategies • Learner-centered focus • Greater emphasis on peer-to-peer learning • Change in the way faculty allocate time for increased mentoring of individual students CHALLENGES WITH BLENDED COURSES • Finding the “right” blend • Adapting to the increased demand on time for course preparation and student interaction • Measuring the impact of blended learning environment

16. COURSE DESIGN AND DELIVERY Strategies for Instruction of Nontraditional Students • Learning teams (organized by faculty) • Integration of past/present job experiences into classes so students can draw from the varied backgrounds of each other and benefit from each other’s experiences while completing tasks • Fostering a sense of community • Utilizing a dialogic teaching mode • Treating adult students as co-learners; think of a triad of adult learning: • Who the students are—their knowledge and background and situation • What faculty have to offer them—the knowledge base • What they are going to use the knowledge for—the job they are going to do Course formats (no matter whether “distance” or “traditional”: • Structured vs. unstructured • Individualvs. group learning • Face-to-face vs. at-a-distance • Self vs. teacher directed learning In the end, approaches for course design depend on an analysis of the competencies at stake, the nature and location of the audience, and the resources available.

17. iPACE PILOT • iPace is a pilot program which aims for a distinct student audience different from current Pace students. We seek to distinguish iPace from the crowded market of online-only programs with the blended/hybrid format of course delivery (where possible) aimed at the adult/nontraditional student market which in the last ten years, at least, has not been a distinct emphasis at Pace • Target a student population we can serve uniquely; deliver what the students need more affordably, connecting student to do what they need and want with a high level of customer service • Through blended course delivery (where appropriate), we want to facilitate the student’s relationship with the instructor and with other students in the class • Target part time, working full-time students fortwo degree options, with recruitment geared for the metropolitan area • http://www.pace.edu/prospectivestudents/ipace?utm_source=REDIRECT&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirect Major Remaining Tasks: • Enhance online support services for all online students (traditional and iPace) • Including proctoring of exams • Robust assessment (students, faculty, programs; pilot; effectiveness of outreach and marketing) • Online collaborative tools