Overview of the major findings such as MOOCs, OER movement, student completion, and specific examples of what to do about Financial Aid Fraud, State Authorization, and Student Authentication.
A Conversation About the Challenges Facing eLearning Leaders A Review of ITC’s Distance Education Survey
1. Sponsored bySponsored by
Archived session and slidedeck will be
available to all participants.
Results of the 2012 ITC NationalResults of the 2012 ITC National
Distance Education SurveyDistance Education Survey
Wednesday, June 19th
, 2013
3. Fred Lokken
Truckee Meadows CC
Reno, Nevada
George Self
Cochise College
Douglas, Arizona
David Rhoads
San Diego Christian College
El Cajon, California
4. ITC’s Report OverviewITC’s Report Overview
Fred LokkenFred Lokken
Dean of WebCollegeDean of WebCollege
Truckee Meadows Community CollegeTruckee Meadows Community College
5. Do you consider the data you have for
your online classes to be adequate?
6. ITC Annual National DE Survey ResultsITC Annual National DE Survey Results
• Survey conducted annually by the
Instructional Technology Council
• Only DE survey of community colleges
• Designed for eLearning practitioners
• 9th
year of the survey – longitudinal data
– basis for ascertaining trends
• Distributed to all CC Presidents,
members of Congress and all Governors
7. ObservationObservation
The “Great Recession” has fostered an unprecedented
paradigm shift for higher education in the United States.
It has redefined traditional funding formulas and fostered
even greater momentum for the community college
movement with a renewed focus on workforce
development. As community colleges meet the new
funding challenge, eLearning will emerge as the “best tool
in the shed” and become the major method of preparing
this and future generations.
8. Survey Results: Major IssuesSurvey Results: Major Issues
• Rise of MOOCs
• To date, mostly a top-tier
university-driven movement
• Extremely expensive
• Extremely low completions (4-6%)
• Promoted as a business model
of sustainability for universities
• Decision by ACE to grant credit -
implications
• Threat or opportunity?
9. Are you working with MOOCs or
considering to do so in the next year?
10. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
MOOCS
“Massive Open Online Course”
•Forty-two percent of respondents reported they have no plans for
incorporating MOOC content into their online courses.
•Forty-four percent reported they are beginning to explore options
for incorporating MOOC content into their entire courses.
•Less than one percent reported they are offering course credit or
certificates for completing MOOCs.
11. Survey Results: Major issuesSurvey Results: Major issues
• OER Movement – is it real?
• What it is
• Challenges of “buy-in” and sustainability
• Change in campus textbook culture
12. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
OER
“Open Educational Resources”
What level of impact do you expect OERs will have at your
institution in the next three to five years?
•Thirty-six percent of respondents anticipate a significant impact
•Sixty percent anticipate very little impact
•Four percent anticipate no impact
13. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
OER
What roadblocks do you anticipate for the adoption of OER solutions at your
institution?
•Sixty-seven percent of respondents indicated concern about the time faculty
need to locate and evaluate OERs
•Sixty-six percent indicated concern about a lack of faculty awareness
•Forty-five percent indicated concern about the credibility of sources
•Twenty-one percent indicated concern about the lack of ancillary materials
•Fourteen percent indicated the concern about a resistance from administration
14. Survey Results: Major IssuesSurvey Results: Major Issues
• Increased Federal regulation – and opportunity –
result of passage of the HEOA in 2008
• Financial Aid fraud rings
• State authorization
• Student authentication
• Veteran’s educational benefits
15. Financial Aid FraudFinancial Aid Fraud
David RhoadsDavid Rhoads
Dir. of Adult Professional StudiesDir. of Adult Professional Studies
San Diego Christian CollegeSan Diego Christian College
16. What to Look ForWhat to Look For
• Phone calls to/from prospects who sound like they are calling
from a call center.
• Prospects that are providing a large number of referrals.
• Prospects that help many others complete their application and
admissions requirements.
• Many prospects that have the same phone numbers or
addresses.
• Many prospects that work at the same place of employment.
• Many prospects that earned their GED from the same Testing
Center.
• Multiple schools on NSLDS report.
• Prospects with phone numbers from known FA fraud areas. (Ex:
662, 601, 229 area codes)
17. How to Safeguard Your SchoolHow to Safeguard Your School
• Train Admissions/FA staff on what to look for.
• Train Admissions/FA staff on what to ask/say/not say.
• Establish policies and procedures that can be followed
and used in suspicious cases:
• Require Verification for FA clearance to establish identity.
• Copy of taxes, W2’s , etc…..
• Copy of Driver’s License
• Copy of Utility bill with name and address
19. State Authorization BackgroundState Authorization Background
From the Higher Ed Reauthorization Act: If an institution
is offering distance education to students in a State in
which it is not physically located, the institution must
meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering
distance education in that State.
20. Define “Operating”Define “Operating”
• The definition is left to each state’s laws and
regulations.
• “Physical presence” is often used, defined as:
• Advertising in local media.
• Direct advertising to students.
• Preceptorships or other internships.
• Requiring a student to take a proctored test in the state.
• Hiring an adjunct faculty person (or any employee) in the
state.
• Maintaining a server in the state.
21. ObservationsObservations
• The “bottom line” seems to be consumer protection
with an identified complaint procedure for students
• Often states differentiate between public and private
colleges
• There are several “hard” states where high fees or
complex applications make compliance challenging for
colleges
• This is a “moving target” with frequent changes in state
regulations and no central source of information
22. UpdateUpdate
• Parts of the rule enforcement for institutions were
struck down by the court and it seems DoED is not
going to reintroduce them
• Parts of the rule enforcement for states originally
scheduled for July 2013 has been postponed until July
2014
• Efforts at reciprocity or common application
23. Student VerificationStudent Verification
• Accreditors have “…distance education oversight
responsibilities, including ensuring students are doing
the distance education coursework for which they
receive credit.”
• Regional accreditors accept simple password logon
procedures to verify students
• Requiring proctored exams seems to be on the horizon
24. Survey Results: Major IssuesSurvey Results: Major Issues
• Online Course Quality & Retention
• Major improvements
• Best practices for design
• Administrators believe online courses
have reached parity with traditional
courses
• Impact of QM Movement
25. Are you experiencing a similar gap
between online and traditional
student completion?
26. Major Issues:Major Issues:
Student Success & Completion AgendaStudent Success & Completion Agenda
• Completion rates of online classes continue to lag behind
those of traditional instruction – but the gap has
narrowed
• Student readiness/preparation is part of the trilogy of
online student success
• Student readiness (computer skills, understanding of the
virtual learning environment & study skills
• Quality & consistent design of the virtual classroom
• Faculty training & engagement
• Need data – lots of it!
27. Survey Results: For-profits IssueSurvey Results: For-profits Issue
• Target of most Federal regulation
• Consumes over half of all available
financial aid
• Extremely low completion rates
• Have financial resources that dwarf
what community colleges can generate
• Redefining educational landscape
• Competitive AND relevant
28. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
• Growth of eLearning enrollments slowing BUT still
substantial
• 6.7 million students took at least one online class
• 6.52% increase in CC online enrollments v.
-2.64% decline for overall enrollments
Table 1. Reasons Cited for Increased eLearning Enrollments
Reason 2012 2011 2010
Economic downturn 18 percent 22 percent 37 percent
Typical distance education growth 28 percent 28 percent 39 percent
New enrollment initiative 9 percent 14 percent 12 percent
Don’t know 11 percent 7 percent 5 percent
Other 21 percent 13 percent 7 percent
29. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
Table 2: Greatest Challenges for Distance Education Programs Administrators
Range for responses—1 is the most challenging, 8 is the least challenging
Challenge Rank
2012
Rank
2011
Rank
2010
Rank
2009
Rank
2008
Rank
2007
Rank
2006
Rank
2005
Rank
2004
Adequate student services for
distance education students
1 1 3 2 2 2 3 5 2
Adequate assessment of distance
education classes
2 2 2 3
Support staff needed for training
and technical assistance
3 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Operating and equipment
budgets
4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 3
Adequate administrative authority 5 8 5 5 4 5 4 4 5
State authorization regulations
1
6 11 — — — — — — —
Student authentication
2
7 10 — — — — — — —
Compliance with new financial aid
attendance requirements
3
8 3 — — — — — — —
Adequate space for training and
technical assistance
9 9 6 7 6 6 6 7 7
Faculty acceptance 10 5 7 6 5 4 5 3 4
Organizational acceptance 11 6 8 8 7 7 7 6 6
Student acceptance 12 12 10 10 8 8 8 8 8
1
“Student authorization regulations” was introduced as a new option in 2011.
2
“Student authentication” was introduced as a new option in 2011.
3
“Compliance with new financial aid attendance requirements” was introduced as a new option in 2011.
30. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
• Stabilization in the LMS market?Table 3: Learning Management System Usage
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Blackboard Learn 35 percent 30 percent 26 percent 26 percent 38 percent 39 percent
Blackboard
WebCT
1
2 percent 7 percent 10 percent 10 percent 20 percent 39 percent
Blackboard Angel
Learning
2
15 percent 15 percent 10 percent — — —
Angel Learning3
— — — 13 percent 11 percent 9 percent
Desire2Learn 15 percent 13 percent 8 percent 7 percent 5 percent 4 percent
Moodle 14 percent 11 percent 9 percent 6 percent 11 percent 10 percent
Instructure
4
9 percent — — — — —
1
A rapidly declining number of colleges have used WebCT for their LMS since Blackboard acquired the
company in 2005. Nevertheless, two percent of respondents still use WebCT even though Blackboard no
longer provides technical support.
2
Blackboard purchased Angel Learning in the fall of 2009.
3
Blackboard purchased Angel Learning in the fall of 2009.
4
Instructure launched Canvas in 2011.
31. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
Table 5: Greatest Challenges Administrators Face Regarding Distance Learning Faculty
Range for responses—1 is the most challenging, 8 is the least challenging
Challenge Rank
2012
Rank
2011
Rank
2010
Rank
2009
Rank
2008
Rank
2007
Rank
2006
Rank
2005
Rank
2004
Engaging faculty in
development of online
pedagogy
1
1 — — — — — — — —
Workload issues 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Training 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 3 4
Evaluation of faculty 4
Technical support 5 3 4 6 4 5 5 6 5
Buy-in to online instruction 6 5 5 4 5 4 4 4 3
Compensation 7 4 3 5 3 3 3 5 2
Intellectual property and
ownership issues
8 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Recruitment 9 7 6 3 6 6 6 2 6
1
Engaging faculty in development of online pedagogy was introduced as a new question in 2012.
32. Survey Results: Major FindingsSurvey Results: Major Findings
Table 6: Greatest Challenges for Students Enrolled in Distance Education Classes
Range for responses—1 is the most challenging, 8 is the least challenging
Challenge Rank
2012
Rank
2011
Rank
2010
Rank
2009
Rank
2008
Rank
2007
Rank
2006
Rank
2005
Rank
2004
Orientation/preparation for
taking distance education
classes
1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1
Providing equivalent student
services virtually
2 5 5 4 5 5 4 3 4
Assessing student learning
and performance in distance
education classes
3 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 2
Computer problems/technical
support
4 4 4 3 3 4 3 6 3
Low student completion rate 5 3 3 6 4 6 5 4 6
Completion of student
evaluations
6 6 6 5 6 1 6 5 5
Cheating 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 — 7
Recruitment/interest in
distance education by
students
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Disruptive student behavior1
9 — — — — — — — —
1
Disruptive student behavior was added as a new category in 2012.
33. Challenges…Challenges…
• Continuing to improve online student retention
• State authorization and the regional/national compacts
• Financial Aid Fraud – aggressive monitoring
• Identifying funding needed for expanded eLearning on
your campus (additional fees & differential tuition?)
• Identifying the eLearning leadership needed for your
campus
• Staying current – and compliant -
with increased Federal regulation
• Creative collaborations
34. PlayersPlayers
• Acxiom Identify-X Service: poses periodic questions
from public databases
• Securexam Remote Proctor: fingerprint scanner and
360-degree camera
• Kryterion Webassessor: live human proctors for tests
• Respondus Monitor: lockdown browser with test
recording
36. Helpful ResourcesHelpful Resources
• PDF of 2012 ITC National DE Survey Report:
http://www.itcnetwork.org/attachments/article/87/AnnualSurveyApril2013.pdf
• Sloan-C Annual Survey of Online Education:
http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/changing_course_2012
• Standards Documents Examples:
http://www.tmcc.edu/webcollege/downloads/documents/WEBCCourseStandar
ds.pdf
http://www.tmcc.edu/webcollege/downloads/documents/WEBCInformConsent
.pdf
• New Media Consortium Technology Outlook:
http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-technology-outlook-community-
colleges
http://www.nmc.org/horizon-project
• Instructional Technology Council website: - www.itcnetwork.org
• State Higher Education Executive Officers Assoc. - http://www.sheeo.org/
37. For more informationFor more information
Fred Lokken, Dean WebCollege
Truckee Meadows Community College
(775) 673-7148
flokken@tmcc.edu
George Self, Dir. of Online Campus
Cochise College
selfg@cochise.edu
David Rhoads, Dir. of Adult Professional Studies
San Diego Christian College
ddrhoads@sdcc.edu