ADEC Webb-Godfrey-Hill Distance Education Award of Excellence

1. ADEC Webb-Godfrey-Hill Distance Education Award of Excellence Department of Human Ecology University of Maryland Eastern Shore “2+2 Child Development Distance Education Program” Team: Dr. Shirley Hymon-Parker, Dr. Nina Lyon Jenkins, Ms. Donna Satterlee May 2, 2006

2. University of Maryland Eastern Shore

3. Distance Education Facilities

4. UMES Mission • The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), a Historically Black Land Grant University, awards baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts, sciences, and professions with particular emphasis on its 1890 land grant mandate by offering distinctive academic emphases in agriculture, human ecology, marine and environmental sciences, hospitality and technology. Degrees are also offered at the master’s and doctoral levels

5. UMES Mission cont. • UMES aspires to become an educational model of a teaching/research institution that contributes to the state, nation and the world. It continues to enhance its interdisciplinary curriculum, sponsored research, and outreach to the community (e.g., the public schools, rural development, and expand its collaborative arrangements).

6. UMES Distance Education Philosophy • To help better serve the community, including the non-traditional students, the University has embraced distance education facilitated by instructional technologies to be able to provide classes in remote areas and during hours that are convenient to a working student population.

7. The Department of Human Ecology • Offers programs in Fashion Merchandising, Dietetics, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Child Development, and is currently at the forefront of the University’s efforts to expand learning opportunities through well-developed distance education programs

8. What is the 2+2 Child Development Distance Education Program? • A program that offers courses leading to the bachelor degree in Human Ecology –Child Development concentration, to students in rural communities on the Eastern Shore of Maryland • Most students are non-traditional age (25-50), and are employed full-time as early childhood educators • This program builds upon the associate of arts/ applied science degrees granted by Chesapeake College and Wor Wic Community Colleges located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

9. Who is Involved- The Team ? • Dr. Nina Lyon Jenkins • Assistant Professor, Family Studies • Ms. Donna Satterlee • Lecturer, Child Development • Ms. Donna Long • Director, Child & Family Development Center, and Lecturer • Dr. Shirley Hymon-Parker • Professor and Department Chair

10. How Did the Program Evolve? • The project begun out of the desire to meet the educational needs of early childhood providers in rural communities that wanted to employ individuals trained in child development/early childhood • In addition, Head Start enacted a mandate that by 2003 50% of the Head Start employees must have an AA or BS/BA degree in the field • The Human Ecology Department partnered with Shore Up! Inc. (the Head Start provider on the Eastern Shore) to make educational opportunities available to their employees

11. How Did the Program Evolve? • The Department of Human Ecology secured funds from: • DHHS to support students (tuition & books) • USDA to develop a video-conferencing room • Entered into MOAs with Chesapeake College and Wor Wic Community College to develop a 2+2 program that would enable students to have a seamless transition into the bachelor degree program

12. How is the Program Operated? • Program offered as a “cohort” • Courses are offered to students in three formats: • Totally WebCt (1-2 courses per semester) • Video-conferencing (1 per semester) • On-site at local Community College (1 per semester)

13. Faculty Preparation • Faculty received training from Visual Systems Group in the use of the video-conferencing equipment • Received training in WebCT, with the end product being development of one WebCt course • A detailed handbook (electronic) was developed for faculty and students use and navigation of WebCT

14. Differences Made (Impact) Meeting the educational needs of individuals and businesses in the community/region • 1st Group (1994) – free styled • learned many lessons • 40 students completed 1 class, • 28 earned certificates • 6 BS 7 AA (WWCC) • 1st Cohort (2000) – 7 enrolled, 4 graduated (2005) • 2nd Cohort (2004) • 7 BS and 3 AA students • BS slated to graduate Dec ‘07 • AA slated to graduate May ‘08

15. Differences Made (Impact) • While the Human Ecology 2+2 Child Development Program began with non-traditional students in mind, we now offer at least one course each semester on-line for traditional students in all Human Ecology majors (11 courses total) • This action has helped to increase the department’s and the University’s ability to offer more courses for students while keeping costs down • The Department of Human Ecology is currently the only department in the university to offer a program via distance education

16. In Conclusion • The Department of Human Ecology believes that well-developed course websites: • enhance the learning experience by allowing faculty to respond to individual learning styles and engage in greater personal interactions with learners, • create learning communities, • facilitate collaborative learning projects, • support self-directed learning, • foster intellectual discourse and in-dept analysis of course information, • invite greater course participation and student expression, and • provide students with skills to be independent thinkers and life long learners.