1. Distance Education Focus Group

2. Charge 1&2
1. Investigating whether Ozarka College is meeting student need in offering both the quantity and variety of distance education courses needed and desired.
2. Investigating whether Ozarka College is meeting student need in offering both the quantity and variety of on-the-ground courses.
There has been much discussion at Ozarka College as to student perceptions concerning a difference in rigor for online coursework, student success in follow-on coursework, need for more on-the-ground classes as compared to distance classes, student preparedness to take online college coursework, determination of what is a viable mix of on-the-ground versus distance classes, determination concerning proper class size, and whether adequate instructor training and support has been and is provided.

3. In What Format do Ozarka Students Take Classes? (FALL 2017)
694 Ozarka Students take Online Courses
276 Ozarka Students take Only Online
(212 if Concurrent is Removed)
308 Ozarka Students take Only On Ground Courses

4. Percentage of Headcount in Each Delivery Format
FALL
spring

5. Trends in Course Offerings
Fall Courses Offered
FALL Courses Cancelled

6. Trends in Course Offerings Fall (By Percentage)
62% of course offerings are On Ground
38% of course offerings are Online
Trend - Ozarka has decreased on ground offerings by 20% in the last 7 years while increasing online offerings by 14% in Fall semesters.

7. Trends in Course Offerings Spring (By Percentage)
55% of classes were on ground
45% of classes were on line
Trend-Ozarka has decreased onground classes by 21% while increasing online classes by 23% in Spring semesters.

8. Trends in Classes and Head Count? Fall

9. Trends in Classes and Head Count Spring

10. Why? What is driving the trend?
Is the demand for online classes increasing? Is the demand for on ground courses decreasing? OR…. Are the trends being driven by an increase in the number of online sections scheduled?

11. Questions For Discussion
How do we determine what is driving the trends?
Is it demand for online or is the demand created due to what is being offered?
Determine trends in specific classes that are only offered on ground and only offered online?
Other suggestions?
What is the motivation for students to take online classes?
Survey of online and on ground students to determine
Why they take online or on ground format?
I.E. – Are they in an online class because it was not offered on ground or because on ground was cancelled?
Do they think one format is easier than the other?
Convenience?