Drexel University The University of Toledo & Iowa State University Online Communities:

1. Drexel University The University of Toledo & Iowa State UniversityOnline Communities: Beyond the Bells and Whistles Lessons Learned The 14th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks Dr. Kristen Betts, Dr. Karen Rhoda, and Susan Fey, MA November 7, 2008

2. Presenters: Kristen S. Betts, Ed.D. Assistant Professor of Education Master of Science in Higher Education Program Drexel University Karen I. Rhoda, Ph.D., Associate Dean Assistant Professor Division of Distance Learning The University of Toledo Susan Fey, MA Program Coordinator North Central Regional Center for Rural DevelopmentIowa State University

3. The University of Toledo - DL: Public-semesters at/$283.98 underg; $434.00 graduate credit hour A centralized operation Number of courses: 1025 Number of students enrolled in DL: 12,000 per year Number of DL course enrollments: 20,000+ Number of DL certificate and degree programs: 41 Drexel University - DL: Private-quarters at $575/underg; $800/ graduate credit hour (low $447 RN/BSN to high $1,059 MBA) A decentralized operation Number of courses: 750 (majority graduate and certificate) Number of students enrolled in DL: 5,000 per year Number of DL course enrollments: 13,819 Number of DL certificate and degree programs: 63 Size of DL Operations – 2008-2009

4. Size of DL Operations – 2008-2009 • Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Consortium (IDEA) - DL • Participating Universities: 11/5 participate in CD program • Common fee structure across all universities $415 per credit hour (graduate credit or certificate) • Number of students enrolled: • 1,892 • Number of DL course enrollments: • 2,848 • Number of Programs (certificate • and degree): 8 Iowa State University - DL : • Public semesters at undergrad: $231/ graduate credit hour: $359 unless MBA or Master’s of Seed Tech: $467 • A de-centralized operation, as of Fall 08. • Number of DL Certificate and • degree programs: 42 • Number of students enrolled: • Summer 07-Spring 08: 6,589 • Number of DL course • enrollments: Summer 07-Spring 08: 8,919

5. Online Data & Trends • 18 millioncollege enrollment ~ up 14% 2007-16 • 3.5 million students enrolled in at least 1 online course - up 10% from previous year • 9.7% growth rate online vs. 1.5% overall HE pop. • 83% admins. expect more online growth in next year

6. Student Attrition (1) • On-campus student attrition: • 58% student retention rate across USA (2006) • 42% attrition; loss of revenue; loss lifetime value • 20% current students have transferred (1 in 5 students) “Generation Y, those between the ages of 16 and 25, will be less loyal to corporations, career tracks, and more likely to be entrepreneurs than other generations.” - NASFAA 2008

7. Online student attrition: As high as 70% - 80%(Forrester, 2000; Flood,2002; Dagger & Wade, 2004) Often quoted as 20% - 50% (Frankola, 2001; Diaz, 2002) 10% - 20% higher than for traditional students(Carr, 2000; Angelina et al., 2007) 42% on-campus + 10%/20% = 52% to 62% avg attrition rate (NCES, 2007 – 6 yr grad rate) Note: Most online students are online; no national grad retention data Student Attrition (2)

8. Student Persistence Research (1) Tinto’s Departure Theory (1975, 1993) • Failure to acclimate to an environmental setting • Need for faculty-student interaction, peer group interaction, and extracurricular involvement Astin’s Theory of Involvement (1984) • Students learn more when involved in academic and social aspects of the collegiate experience • Activities related to the campus and interacting with faculty • Angelino, Williams & Natvig (2007) • Challenges for online learners:physical isolation lack of support, and feeling disconnected

9. Student Persistence Research (2) Online Human Touch (OHT) Instruction & Programming The OHT concept asserts: • that online students are more likely to persist if engaged in and outside of their courses, experience is personalized • community development – critical engagement and retention • community development - recruitment process, matriculation,graduation • students – opportunities to engage in numerous academic and social communities throughout their enrollment • students must be presented with community building opportunities (Betts, 2008/2009)

10. Student Persistence Research (3) Journal of Online Learning & Teaching:http://jolt.merlot.org/

11. Defining Community (1) • Learning community – very broad • Learning takes place on multiple levels (direct/indirect) • Academic and social communities • Institutional and program connectivity • Include students, faculty/adjuncts, staff, administrators, etc. • Interaction - strategic, purposeful, and meaningful • Bring community to students – lifelong bond

12. Defining Community (2) Blending Communities Academic Social • Orientation • Discussion Boards • Group Assignments • Live Classrooms • Faculty-Student discussions • Mentoring

13. Defining Community (3) Community: • “A shared sense of identity held by a group of people who may or may not share the same geographic space.” • ~ Flora, Flora and Fey, Rural • Communities: Legacy and • Change, 2nd Edition 2004

14. Defining Community (4) University of Toledo The application of a learning community to services for DL students is intentional: • to promote and maximize student learning, retention, persistence • to build student affinity with UT • to improve the rate of degree completion in our region

15. Defining Community (5) The Importance of Online Communities • Motivating students for academic success • Giving students guidelines • Using technology to capture students’ attention • Creating affinity with the institution Kinds of Online Communities • Online orientation • Study groups • Research groups

16. Good, Bad…….and Ugly (1) • ~ Lessons Learned ~ • Drexel University, MSHE Program • Virtual Campus • Higher Education Resource Portal – now integrating courses • Second Life – SoEducation Island • (still evaluating strategies)

17. ~ Lessons Learned ~ • The University of Toledo • Web cams - Electronic Proctoring-Kryterion; student services; advising; UT-community colleges • Course redesign – infuse more use of tech for community; promote retention; career interest; promote interaction of prof/students with concepts • Greater need for collaboration as competition grows • Greater need to use scarce resources effectively • Greater need to keep faculty informed and re-educated Good, Bad…….and Ugly (2)

18. Good, Bad…….and Ugly (2) • ~ Lessons Learned ~ • Iowa State University • Partnerships • Building online community outside of class--many tries! • Advising and strong, consistent communication • Student initiative

19. Beyond the Bells & Whistles (1) • ~ What is Working~ • Drexel University, MSHE Program • Graduate Online First-Year Experience • Online Graduate Co-op

20. Beyond the Bells & Whistles (2) • ~ What is Working~ • The University of Toledo • Echo 360 • Lecture Capture • Allows contact with student on their terms

21. Beyond the Bells & Whistles (3) • ~ What is Working~ • Iowa State University • Partnering with four other universities to offer the program (now that’s community!) • Student Advisory Council • Monthly newsletters • Facebook • Inviting students to meetings with faculty, either via distance or face-to-face

22. Examples of Communities (1) Examples of Partnering for Programs • Community Development On-line Master’s Program runs through the Great Plains IDEA, www.gpidea.org • Five participating universities: Iowa State University, Kansas State University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, and the University of Nebraska • Same curriculum, common fee, rotating classes • Different technology: K-State Online and Web CT • Community is integrated into every component of the program

23. Examples of Communities (2) Examples at University of Toledo • Student orientationhttp://www.utoledo.edu/dl/Orientation/Beginning.html • Student monthly newsletter: Closing the Distance http://www.utoledo.edu/dl/newsletter/index.html • Lecture capturing via Echo 360

24. Examples of Communities (2) • Wimba Classroom • Bb Vista • Blackboard Classic • Second Life • Facebook • Demo

25. Examples of Communities (3) Wimba Classroom

26. Examples of Communities (4) Blackboard Vista 8

27. Examples of Communities (5) Blackboard Classic

28. Examples of Communities (6) Second Life – SoEducation Island

29. Examples of Communities (7) Facebook

30. Building Community Tips • Don’t make it too complicated • You can’t require people to interact outside of class, but you should offer it • Align with marketing, admissions and tech requirements • Goals: • To retain students • To build critical thinking skills • To promote degree completion • To create a lifelong bond

31. Questions and Discussion Your questions and comments are welcome. Q? A!

32. Invitation US & China Virtual Symposium “Building Virtual Communities” Hosted Nov. 10-14th by: • Drexel University • World Bank Institute’s Global Development Learning Network in Beijing, • ChinaWainhouse Research Go to: www.global-symposium.com

33. Contact Information Email: kbetts@drexel.edu Phone: 215-796-0322 Website: www.drexel.edu Email: karen.rhoda@utoledo.edu Phone: 419-530-4386 Website: www.utoledo.edu/dl Email: susanfey@iastate.edu Phone: 712-258-8999 Website: www.iastate.edu

34. Recommendations Seminal writers on this topic: Palloff & Pratt • Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom (1999) • Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching (2001) • The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners (2003) • Together in Community (2004) • Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom (2007) • Assessing the Online Learner: Resources and Strategies for Faculty (due: November 2008)