Capstone Project Michelle Knittle-Bires

Executive Summary Everest College is a for profit college Retention is important to staying in business Attrition budget is 4.4% Actual attrition is 3.8%

Audience Background and Environment Employees are educated professionals. Employee turnaround is low. Most employees have worked here for more than five years. Policies unintentionally put department against department.

Performance Gap Attrition rate is 3.8 Attrition budget is 4.4 Summer brings high numbers of dropouts

Issues Needing to be Addressed According to this research, the issues that need to be addressed that relate to retention are: –communication between departments, –a more positive work environment, –accountability, –promotion of the online class options.

Issues Needing to be Addressed Communication between departments –Without communication, confusion rules. –Students need to feel secure in their learning environment. –If the faculty and staff do not know what is going on, the students will not be confident in their own endeavors and in their choice of a school.

Issues Needing to be Addressed A positive work environment: –Contributes to the confidence of the students. –When teachers are unhappy, students can sense it. –Students like positive, happy environments.

Issues Needing to be Addressed Accountability –Is important in attempting to reduce attrition. –Problems must me identified and acknowledged. –Without acknowledgement, there is no solution.

Issues Needing to be Addressed Promotion of the online program –Will reduce the number of parents who drop out to take care of children in the summer. –Will give additional options to those students. who: Are having a baby. Other medical conditions and procedures. Going on vacation. Get jobs that interfere with class schedule.

Solutions to Narrowing the Performance Gap Solution indicated is training for faculty and staff. Full time staff are currently required to participate in training, part time staff are not. This training is essential for both full time and part time employees so that everyone is on the same page.

Instructional Goal The faculty and staff will work together to keep the attrition numbers under 4.4%. Goal will be met in the course of day to day operations by working together, being positive, being accountable, and promoting the online course options. The tools available for the faculty and staff are located at the school. All computers have access to the internet. Department managers are also available for quick advice.

Instructional Strategy Will cover four modules: –Methods of Communication. –Ways to a More Positive Work Environment. –Accountability in the Work Place. –Retaining Your Students by Referring Them. Will be available online through eCollege. Will take six weeks to complete. Tutorials will be available for review and/or update of skills learned.

Media Selection Internet, available through the school’s computers. eCollege, the colleges current online courseware. PowerPoint. Video. Handouts.

Instructional Materials to be Developed Four modules as listed previously. Student materials will largely be printable. Students will be grouped to encourage brainstorming. Handouts for all, even those not in attendance. PowerPoint presentations.

Cost Cost will be minimal. Course designer is already on staff. Only additional cost would be to pay staff not already required to attend trainings.

Completion and Deliver Timetable Time to complete the design process is one month. Delivery will take place over four to five weeks, one for each module with a make up Friday at the end. Part time employees will be allowed a longer space of time. Brush-up courses will be available on request.

Assessment Assessment will be achieved through the use of short answer quizzes and research papers. The quizzes will be evaluated through the use of answer keys. The papers will be evaluated through the use of rubrics.

Instruction Evaluation The instruction will be evaluated through the use of end of module evaluations. The evaluations will be administered online. and the results will be sent to the module facilitator. Results will be used to make changes to the course according to the results of the evaluation.

Performance Gap Evaluation Changes will be measure over time If attrition is less then 4.4%, goal is met and training was effective If attrition is 4.4% or more, training may need to be revisited and modified

Resources Piper, T. (2003) Outsourcing Versus Insourcing Your e-Learning Projects. The AMA Handbook of E-Learning Retrieved on April 8, 2006 from

Resources Tripp, L. (2003) WORKSHOP REPORT: How to do Assessment and Evaluation in Media Literacy. The Center for Media Literacy Retrieved on April 23, 2006 from e18.html