Online Learning at UMass Dartmouth Jen Riley Faculty Instructional Technology Coordinator CITS/Instructional Development For Faculty Senate Meeting October 21, 2008

Instructional Technology in the United States Online Student Learning: According to the recently released “Online Nation: 5 Years of Growth in Online Learning” (2008) from the Sloan Consortium, online enrollments have grown at rates in “excess of the total higher education student population”: – “Almost 3.5 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2006 term; a nearly 10 percent increase over the number reported the previous year.” – “The 9.7 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.5 percent growth of the overall higher education student population.” – “Nearly twenty percent of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2006.” (“Online Nation” 1)

Current Trends in Online Learning Learning Management System Use Social Networking Web 2.0 Technologies (i.e. wikis, blogs; reusable learning objects) Audio and Video Use (i.e. lecture capture, podcasting) In class instructional technologies (i.e. clickers) Electronic Portfolios Second Life/Virtual Worlds Mobile Broadband Growth for content delivery

Opportunities to Increase Student Learning Mobile broadband growth provides way to reach students anytime anywhere Communication and collaboration increasing due to increase in tools that connect people (i.e. online collaborative workspaces, social networking tools, synchronous online conferencing tools) Collaborative softwares (i.e. wikis) encourage team projects and social networking Online collaborative workspaces allow students and faculty to meet and work virtually; also offers opportunities for guest speakers and connections between classrooms in different parts of the world. Grassroots video growth opens door to new ways of learning with emphasis on visual literacy Electronic Portfolios offer holistic learning tool, space for student reflection, and assessment of student learning possibilities

Instructional Technology Use at UMass Dartmouth The following instructional technologies are in use on campus: – wikis – blogs – podcasting/audio lectures – e-packs from textbooks – publisher websites – testing software – streaming video – clickers – myCourses (learning management system) – reusable learning objects

Learning Management System Use at UMass Dartmouth

Web-Enhanced, Blended, and Fully Online Faculty and Student LMS Use Fall 2005 Spring 2006 Fall 2006 Spring 2007 Fall 2007 Spring 2008 Fall 2008 Total Instructors Total Students

Future of online learning at UMass Dartmouth What might enhanced, blended, and fully online learning look like at UMass Dartmouth? What is needed to successfully integrate instructional technologies into the undergraduate learning experience?

Next Steps... We need a blended/online teaching and learning infrastructure using instructional technologies developed in the following ways: – Survey the faculty for instructional technology use to gather a clearer understanding of instructional technologies use on campus – Develop instructional technology teaching and learning implementation plan that addresses curricular issues, faculty development issues, and assessment of online learning environments – Work with colleges and departments to determine how best to build web-enhanced, blended, and online curriculums – Develop academic policies for web-enhanced, blended, and online course delivery and assessment – Support faculty with instructional technology use and assessment as it fits their curriculums and needs