Increasing Postsecondary Access through Online Education Accessibility Subcommittee May 25, 2010

Awareness of the Promise: Online Learning Opportunities Over 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2008 term; a 17% increase over the previous year. The 17% growth rate for online enrollments far exceeded the 1.2% growth rate for overall higher education that year. Over 25% of all US higher education students were taking at least one online course in fall Source: Sloan-C, Learning on Demand: Online Education In the United States, Source: Sloan-C, Learning on Demand: Online Education In the United States, For the past several years, online enrollments have been growing substantially faster than overall higher education enrollments.

Online Growth Fall 2009 – 95% of institutions (that offer online programs) reported rising enrollment in their online programs 38% reported a one-year gain of 15% or better. 47% expect online enrollments to grow by 15% or more over the next three years. Source: WCET & Campus Computing Project, Managing Online Education, October Source: WCET & Campus Computing Project, Managing Online Education, October 2009.

Institutional Online Program Growth Driven by: Student demand for flexible schedules Providing postsecondary access to those who otherwise would not have the opportunity. Need to expand capacity Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions, Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions, 2008.

Student Profile Source: WCET & Campus Computing Project, Managing Online Education, October 2009.

Access vs. Convenience Widespread agreement that fuel costs, child care, work schedules (i.e., convenience) will lead to more students selecting online courses. Institutions offering programs that serve working adults are the most positive about the potential for enrollment growth being driven by rising unemployment. Source: Sloan-C, Staying the Course: Online Education In the United States, Source: Sloan-C, Staying the Course: Online Education In the United States, 2008.

Online Education Market Share 32% 7% 14% 19% 53% 74% Source: Eduventures, Inc., 2009

Online programs have grown rapidly across academic divisions, and have been forced to generate greater efficiencies of scale due to budget constraints. Online education has generated a great deal of dialog and introspection among academic departments. Traditional units may perceive growth of online programs as a threat; control issues have emerged. Online programs continue to be a “change agent” at campuses, allowing for updating and improving services for faculty and students campus-wide. Online Education Trends Source: Instructional Technology Council (ITC), Distance Education Survey Results, 2008 & Source: Instructional Technology Council (ITC), Distance Education Survey Results, 2008 & 2009.

Quality Retention Student completion rates for online courses lags behind traditional face-to-face courses. ITC Survey – 7% gap National data are limited Learning Outcomes US Department of Education (April 2009) released study showing students in online learning conditions performed better, on average, than those receiving face-to-face instruction (with blended instruction having a slight advantage over purely online). Sources: ITC, 2008, 2009; US Dept of Education, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, April Sources: ITC, 2008, 2009; US Dept of Education, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, April 2009.

Quality Comparative advantage of online not attributed to the technology itself, but to: Greater time on task Giving learners control over their interactions Opportunities for prompt feedback and learner reflection Source: US Dept of Education, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, April Source: US Dept of Education, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, April 2009.

Summary Online growth is expected to continue. Unmatched convenience for students Indirect cost savings (gas prices, childcare) Growing sophistication and disciplinary range Need for skills retraining, career change Institutions view as a cost-effective solution to increase capacity Greater employer acceptance In a July 2009 survey of human resources professionals across industries, 76 percent of respondents said they view online degrees more favorably today than they did five years ago. Sources: Eduventures, Inc., 2009; Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), July Sources: Eduventures, Inc., 2009; Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), July 2009.

Colorado Community Colleges (Enrollment Data) Source: Data from Banner by instructional method. Includes colleges’ online enrollment and CCCOnline. Source: Data from Banner by instructional method. Includes colleges’ online enrollment and CCCOnline.

CCCOnline CCCOnline delivers online courses for all 13 colleges, but is not a college itself. Students apply, register, graduate and transfer through their chosen home college.

CCCOnline Services course delivery and support services to 30,000 students annually consortial faculty recruitment, pay and evaluation faculty training and professional development instructional course design, development, and quality control online tutoring and bookstore services (eBooks) systemwide support for the learning management system (Desire2Learn) oversight of 24/7 helpdesk and call center functions

CCCOnline Enrollment

CCCOnline Student Demographics 56.4% take less than 12 credits per term 67% female; 33% male Average age = % resident; 15% non-resident Ethnicity: 65.58% White/Caucasian 9.58% African American 12.48% Hispanic/Spanish 3.36% Asian/Pacific Islander 1.73% American Indian

For more information: Rhonda M. Epper, Ph.D. Co-Executive Director Colorado Community Colleges Online