Description of SUNY Oswego's forthcoming online course enhancements.

1. 5 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
OF ONLINE LEARNING
JILL PIPPIN, DEAN, DIVISION OF EXTENDED LEARNING
GREG KETCHAM, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF EXTENDED LEARNING

2. AGENDA
• Background
• 5 essential elements explained
• Resources
• Timeline for implementation

3. BACKGROUND
• Increasing need to ensure student engagement in online learning
• Increased focus on course quality in existing Oswego online programs
• “Net Native” generation’s expectations for interactivity and information on demand
• Production quality of MOOCs and leading edge online programs (2U, etc)

4. BACKGROUND
• Development of 5 essential elements with Provost and Dean’s Council
• Provost’s communication of the 5 essential elements to Faculty Assembly

5. 5 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
• Online student orientation (video)
• Online instructor introduction ( “meet your instructor” video)
• Online course guided tour (“about this course” video)
• Online office hours
• Calendaring of assignments for mobile learning access

6. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: STUDENT ORIENTATION
• Rationale: provide an Oswego focused student orientation to using Blackboard
• Action: replaces existing generic Blackboard orientation created by Open SUNY
• Benefits: provides an accurate, Oswego themed orientation to orient students to using Blackboard

7. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
• Rationale: humanize online learning and minimalize transactional distance issues between students and
faculty
• Action: create a short video with standard elements (examples: research interests; favorite elements of
teaching; scholarly background; outside interests)
• Benefits: supports the concept of teaching presence (Garrison, 2007)
• Example:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhk8Wtgpb1w

8. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: ABOUT THIS COURSE
• Rationale: explains the purpose of the course; discusses learning outcomes; alignment within a major
• Action: create a short video to explain what the course is about and who should take it
• Benefits: allows students to understand the intent of the course upfront
• Example:
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/CUOnline/OnlineCourses/CourseOverview/Pages/Online-Course-
Videos.aspx

9. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: ONLINE OFFICE HOURS
• Rationale: provide an opportunity to answer student questions and build a sense of community
• Action: offer workshops and job aid videos on Bb Collaborate; Google Hangouts
• Benefits: bridges transactional distance for students; provide an upfront opportunity to identify issues
within the early part of the semester.

10. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: M-LEARNING
ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
• Rationale: provide critical course information to students in a “just in time” manner via mobile apps
(Blackboard Student)
• Action: develop workshops and job aids for faculty utilization of assignment due dates. Promote
awareness of app to students.
• Benefits: reaching students where they are, on devices/apps they use

11. RESOURCES
• Academic videographer: search underway
• “one button studio” for video creation: planning for build in process
• Customized student orientation: in pre-planning stage
• Workshops for m-learning calendaring: in development

12. TIMELINE
• Videographer hire: mid-spring semester
• Production of instructor and course videos: beginning summer 2016
• Updated student orientation: late summer 2016
• Assignment calendar support: early summer 2016

13. QUESTIONS?
• Jill Pippin: jill.pippin@oswego.edu
• Greg Ketcham: greg.Ketcham@oswego.edu