A Student-Centric and Geography-Based Design for Distance Education Coding

1. A Student-Centric and Geography-Based Design for Distance Education Coding University of Alaska Distance Education Improvements to Banner December 2010

2. Distance Education Defined Distance education is planned learning that predominantly occurs in situations where a student is not required to be in a predetermined location. As a result, distance courses require a different course design and development, different pedagogical techniques, and communication through instructional technologies. UA definition of distance education confirmed by SAC 5/2010.

3. New Categories and Fields to Code With this definition, a new way of categorizing and coding classes was created based on: • the amountof location-based time required of the student; • if a class has meeting times (i.e., synchronous or asynchronous); • what type of pacing the class has; • what delivery methods are used; and • what equipment requirements there are.

4. New Course Categories

5. New Course Attributes These new attributes have corresponding new fields in Banner, and are collected for every course, independent of course category (0, 1, 2, or 3). • Delivery methods: Whatbroadly-adopted strategy combining technology and pedagogy is being used to achieve specific learning outcomes? A delivery method is not just a technology. • Course meeting times: Are there set meting times (synchronous or asynchronous)? • Course pacing: What type of pacing does the class have (instructor or self)? • Equipment requirements: What standard equipment and software will students need to participate in the course? These are defined by (and attached to) the delivery method.

6. More About Delivery Methods We can choose any or all of the following delivery methods to apply to a course. UA has the ability to add or discontinue the codes as it sees fit. • Independent Learning / Correspondence: Self-paced course packets used to complete coursework. • Face-to-face: Traditional class instruction • Audio Conferencing: Participation over a telephone audio bridge. • Video Conferencing: Participation from a video conferencing site • Web Meeting: Participation over the Internet by running web conferencing software on their computer (such as eLive). • Live Television / UATV: Class to be broadcast live over UATV. • Online / Web delivered: Students participate through a course web site (such as Blackboard). • Multimedia: Participation in the course using a variety of media formats (DVD, CD, VHS, etc.). • Special Technology: Course uses special technologies that are listed in the course notes section (e.g., “course uses Skype,” or “course requires high-speed Internet access for interactive simulations”).

7. Banner Changes Status • New fields being added to Banner to gather the new category and attributes. Available December 2010 • Improvement of UAOnline; includes two new search functions and the display of new category and attribute information as part of class information. Available late March 2011 • New data must be collected from departments and faculty. Changes will be made to the proof/scheduling process to facilitate collection. Starting December 2010

8. What’s Next? The high points: • Training of all involved in the scheduling process (Banner schedulers, administrative assistants, and faculty). • Outreach to campuses to explain and facilitate new distance education definition and data acquisition. • Update and reprogramming of all instruments used to collect scheduling information. • Quality assurance checks with Institutional Reporting.

9. Questions? For more information, please contact your Key Campus Contact. Find them here: www.alaska.edu/studentservices/distance/contacts