1. Distance Learning Benchmarking
A North Texas Community College Consortium Project
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2. NTCCC
It was founded in 1989 by the University of North Texas and a number of community colleges in the area
The Consortium has 28 member institutions
The office is located on the University of North Texas campus
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3. NTCCC - Mission
To provide high quality, low cost, easily accessible professional development opportunities for community college administrators, faculty, and staff.
To further institutional planning, institutional research, and institutional effectiveness.
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4. Institutional Research Committee
Projects addressing the research needs of all member colleges
Workshops concentrating on accreditation issues
Benchmarking projects that would help colleges in the institutional effectiveness process
Involved in the Consortium strategic planning
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5. Distance Learning Survey Project
It started as a request from the faculty and administrators of the member colleges
Input was gathered regarding the needs of the distance learning departments in terms of data/benchmarking
The 1997 Principles of Good Practice (THECB) required that educational effectiveness of distance learning programs is compatible with that done for on-campus courses
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6. Distance Learning Survey Project
With THECB and SACS more and more interested in distance learning, the need of a benchmarking tool became more evident
In 2001 a subcommittee started the development of an instrument that will gather information about enrollment, technology, methods of delivery, faculty training, and methods of assessment of distance education
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7. Enrollment in Distance Learning
The number of distance learning courses offered increased 236% and the headcount 279%
In comparison, the headcount of students enrolled increased only 20%
The highest increase is observed for interactive video courses (500%) with an increase in enrollment of 2685%
The lowest increase was in TV course offerings (69%) and increase in enrollment of 146%
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8. Infrastructure wiring (T1 lines etc) Classroom wiring
Has the institution invested significantly in the following during the past three years?
Infrastructure wiring (T1 lines etc)
Classroom wiring
Computers with Internet Access
Computers in the library
Computers in learning laboratories
Computers in faculty offices Laptop computers for faculty use
LCDs and other classroom computer equipment
Other
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9. Has the institution invested significantly in the following during the past three years?
The least amount of money was spent for faculty laptop computers, classroom wiring, and computers in faculty offices
Everybody invests in computers with Internet access (100%) and LCDs and other classroom equipment (96%)
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10. What is the number one concern at your institution regarding funding for telecommunications needs related to distance learning?
Concerns include that TIF funding might not be continuing in the state and that the operational budget will not be adequate to maintain the current level of technology
Internet course creation, enhancement, and upgrade funding.
Network keeping up with college growth
Staff support, compatibility & longevity
Equipment Replacement/Maintenance
Cost of technology
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11. Faculty
65% of the total faculty teaching distance learning are full-time
The number of faculty teaching only distance learning doubled between the administrations of the survey (from 13% to 27%)
27% of the colleges always compensate the faculty for developing a distance learning course
64% of the colleges sometimes compensate the faculty for developing a distance learning course and 9% never compensate
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12. Faculty
36% of the colleges do not have a minimum number of students that have to be registered in distance learning classes
The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in an Internet class varies from 1 student to 15 and maximum between 25 and 100
The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in a TV class varies from 1 student to 30 and maximum between 22 and 300
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13. Faculty
The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in a two-way interactive video class varies from 10 students to 15 and maximum between 22 and 50
The minimum/maximum number of students allowed in TV classes is higher, maybe because the faculty are more comfortable teaching them
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14. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses?
Faculty
Compensation for continuous enrollment courses
Training requirements to become certified DL instructor.
Reliability of equipment, salary & course load
Compensation for training, course creation, course supervision and mentoring.
Faculty willing to develop courses for the core areas
Number of hours spent communicating with students
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15. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses?
Faculty
Underestimating the time to prepare to teach online
Intellectual property ownership
How to determine "office hours" calculation for faculty teaching internet courses
Too many students in a class
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16. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses?
System
Reliability of the infrastructure/ continuity of the instructional environment
Hardware failures
Provision of technology to instructors so that they can teach the courses
Provision of technology to students so that they can take the course online
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17. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses?
Students
Textbook issues
Deadline problems with students (getting homework and tests back in time to meet institutional deadlines)
Evaluation
Evaluation of distance instruction is at the beginning
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18. Faculty
All colleges have a training program for DL faculty, with 55% of faculty considering the program excellent and 45% fairly good
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19. Budget The budget allocation, when done, decreased from 2001 to 2002
Colleges with smaller enrollment tend to allocate more dollars/student in distance learning
The amount per student varies from $1200 to $1.5
The median value for the amount allocated is around $40/student
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20. Support System - Counseling
25% offer counseling on-campus only
36% offer counseling via distance only
36% offer counseling both on-campus and via distance
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21. Support System - Advising
9% offer advising on-campus only
36% offer advising via distance only
55% offer advising both on-campus and via distance
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22. Support System – Testing for remediation
45% offer testing for remediation on-campus only
27% offer testing for remediation via distance only
27% offer testing for remediation both on-campus and via distance
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23. Support System – Testing for course
9% offer testing for course on-campus only
55% offer testing for course via distance only
36% offer testing for course both on-campus and via distance
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24. Support System – Library Resources
0% offer library resources on-campus only
55% offer library resources via distance only
45% offer library resources both on-campus and via distance
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25. Support System – Tutoring
55% offer tutoring on-campus only
27% offer tutoring via distance only
18% offer tutoring both on-campus and via distance
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26. Evaluation How often is the evaluation of distance learning courses done by the faculty?
18% once a year
9% once a term
55% every time a course is offered
18% less than once a year
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27. Evaluation How often is the evaluation of distance learning courses done by the students?
18% once a year
27% once a term
55% every time a course is offered
0% less than once a year
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28. Retention Fall 2001 (median) Fall 2002 Fall 2003 For all courses 77%
72%
63%
For only distance learning courses
71%
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29. Conclusions Only 11 colleges submitted the survey both times
Smaller colleges increased their distance learning offerings/ enrollment the most
Smaller colleges allocated more money for the development of distance learning
The retention of students in distance learning courses followed the on-campus courses
Unresolved issues are still unresolved after one year
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30. Lessons Learned
It is time consuming to collect all data required by the survey
Needs collaboration between IR and DL offices
Because sometimes the survey was forwarded to DL office it was never submitted
There are not significant changes from one year to the next, so an yearly administration is not meaningful
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