Dean Louise Pagotto, Faculty Senate Chair Neghin Modavi, and KITE Coordinator, Judith Kirkpatrick, in January, 2005, discussed the AACJC/WASC Distance Learning Manual which was revised in August 2004.
In the center of the manual, several pages are devoted to questions that an institution should address when offering courses through "electronic or other modes of distance delivery." Kirkpatrick has prepared brief answers to each of these questions. For clarity, the questions are numbered, so if you want to add input you could refer to a particular point in the document.
Dr. Pagotto and Kirkpatrick discussed these points with the KapCC Faculty Senate on February 7, 2005.
ACCJC/WASC Questions are in Italics.
KAPCC Responses in BOLD
ACCJC/WASC (Our College's Accrediting Agency)
10 Commercial Blvd. Suite 204
Novato, CA 94949
August 2004
To get the entire document, please go to their website: http://www.accjc.org
Click on "Core Documents & Publications" and get the 4th Document down.
Questions (pp 12-15) to Aid in the Evaluation of Distance Learning
An institution offering courses through electronic or other modes of distance delivery is expected to meet ACCJC standards and policies. The questions below are provided to assist institutions in undertaking discussions as part of self-study development. Evaluation teams will similarly use them in assessing quality.
I. Curriculum and Instruction
I.1. What means does the institution have to ensure that courses intended for electronic or other modes of distance delivery are developed through a process similar to traditionally-delivered courses?
As with all of our courses, the courses offered via distance have the same course outlines, learning outcomes, and evaluation as courses in "traditionally-delivered" courses. Distance courses are taught by regular college faculty who also teach traditional courses. Anyone wishing to teach a distance delivery course first discusses the intent within the discipline; then, department chairs and deans of instruction discuss the offering with the faculty member before it goes into the schedule. Faculty are informed of "Best Practices" for distance delivered courses and asked to develop courses in line with these practices.
Further explanation of policies and procedures can be found at the University of Hawai'i distance learning website:
http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/faculty/
Also, institutional responsibilities within systemwide good practices for teaching a distance course can be found at:
http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/general/resources/GoodPracticesinDeD.pdf
The UHDE Committee, currently chaired by Chancellor Peggy Cha, Kauai Community College, developed a set of Best Practices for Faculty. These practices were approved by all faculty senates in the community college system and have been in place as a reminder of our responsibilities to students at a distance. You can read them at:
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kirkpatr/fig
Fourth document down, UHDE Faculty Interest Group (FIG) Best Practices
I.2 How does the institution ensure that courses and programs provide for timely and effective interaction between students and faculty?
Courses and programs undergo the same evaluation and review as all of the College's courses and programs. Faculty are encouraged to participate in training and professional development offered at the College and within the system:
I.3 How does the institution ensure that courses and programs provide for effective interaction among students?
A faculty member chooses one of several platforms that encourage collaboration, such as WebCT, WebBoard, MOOs, and other web-based curricular tools. Course outlines and syllabi reflect the same interactions as the courses in a traditional classroom. Often, students have more student-to-student interaction in distance courses than they find in their traditional classes.
I.4 How does the institution ensure that faculty has responsibility for and exercise oversight of electronically-delivered courses and programs, ensuring both the rigor of those courses and programs and the quality of instruction?
Course and discipline coordinators and department chairs assign peer evaluation and assessment strategies that ensure that the courses meet the same academic integrity and rigor as all of our courses.
I.5 How does the institution ensure that the technology used is appropriateto the nature and objectives of the courses and programs?
Faculty are supplied by departments with the technology they need based on their professional needs and desires. They keep current through university-wide training, campus-wide discussion groups, disciplinary demonstrations and sharing of materials, and reading current professional journals.
I.6 How does the institution ensure the currency of materials, courses, and programs?
Distance courses are kept current or even more current than traditionally delivered courses due to the advance of open knowledge through academic institutions on the Internet.
I.7 How clear and effective are the institution's distance learning policies concerning ownership of materials, faculty compensation, copyright issues, and the utilization of revenue derived from the creation and production of software, telecourses, or other media products?
Policy, planning materials, and directions for "distributed" or distance learning are widely disseminated and publically available:
http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/general/
Each faculty member is treated individually through Deans and Department Chairs discussion with the faculty member based on his/her needs and directions. Not all faculty need the same training though general startup training is helpful for groups of instructors.
I.8 How does the institution ensure that appropriate faculty support services specifically related to distance learning are provided?
The College provides resource people for testing and assessment, training, planning, and other information. Experienced faculty mentor new faculty and share resources and strategies. The Campus Distance Learning Coordinator in the Information Media Technology Services department coordinates television and HITS (Interactive Television) courses and trains faculty for television work.
I.9 How does the institution provide effective training for faculty who teach using electronic means?
Faculty are offered a wide variety of levels of support when they choose to offer courses at a distance. Their needs must be met individually and collaboratively. Many faculty hold workshops, discussion sessions, and mentor others new to teaching at a distance.
II. Evaluation and Assessment
II.1 How does the institution assess student capability to succeed in electronically delivered courses and programs? How is this information applied to admission and recruiting? How effective is this assessment?
Students are given several chances to assess their learning styles and needs before signing up for a distance course. Experienced DL students orient themselves with the help of their instructors.
See the "self-assessment" quiz:
http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/student/
A second self-assessment is available from the e-learn website:
http://www.hawaii.edu/uhcc.e-learn
Students are advised on what to do before registering and after registering, and they may receive email advising from academic counselors.
II.2 How does the institution evaluate the educational effectiveness of its electronically-delivered courses and programs (including assessments of student learning outcomes, student retention, and student satisfaction) to ensure comparability to traditionally-delivered courses and programs?
While faculty are trained to assess their own course's student learning outcomes, faculty are also asked to participate in a pre and post assessment of other support services for their students. In a combined assessment, distance students have been submitting their pre-survey and post-survey results cumulatively, comparatively, and by course. Faculty are provided information from their individual classes while they can compare their classes with the general results. See:
http://mooat.kcc.hawaii.edu/e-learn
Also, the faculty can subscribe to conduct anonymous peer evaluations that are the same evaluations and presentation of results that we ask our faculty go conduct on campus. Guidelines for interpretation and emailed, encrypted results can be find at the FAQ page for the assessment tool at:
II.3 How does the institution ensure the integrity of student work and the credibility of the degrees and credit it awards?
Faculty within the system are able to have students use testing centers on most community college campuses.
III. Library and Learning Resources
III.1 How does the institution ensure that students have access to and can effectively use appropriate information resources?
The campus distance academic services are offered students at the college campus website. Faculty, too, guide students to library links that support students to learn library tools.
III.2 How does the institution monitor whether students make appropriate use of learning resources?
The Post-Assessment asks students about their use and satisfaction with the college learning resources that have been provided in their courses. Faculty compare their results with the general trends within the system.
III.3 How does the institution provide laboratories, facilities, and equipment appropriate to the courses or programs?
The College provides online and on campus support services for testing and tutoring. Students may use services as the college campus that is closest to their living quarters. Sophisticated laboratory facilities are offered in the sciences and geography in an online environment rather than coming to campus facilities.
IV. Student Services
IV.1 How does the institution provide adequate access to the range of student services appropriate to support the programs, including admissions, financial aid, academic advising, delivery of course materials, and placement, and counseling?
Students can use on campus or distance services for most of their needs regarding application, admissions, financial aid, advising and receiving of campus materials; however, placement testing is still required at any college campus. Testing scores can be moved from one campus testing center to another.
IV.2 How does the institution provide an adequate means for resolving student complaints?
The student grievance policy that is available for all students can be conducted, primarily, through email. However, we have not yet had a grievance hearing conducted at a distance. Generally counselors, Deans and faculty have resolved issues with students without grievance procedures.
IV.3 What advertising, recruiting, and admissions information does the institution provide to students that adequately and accurately represents the programs, requirements, and services available?
Course schedules clearly mark distance courses and direct students to proper information, course requirements, and services. All courses offered to distance learning students are offered at the Distance Learning Website:
http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/student/
Courses are also available through an online registration web search.
updated 5.1.2005 by Judith Kirkpatrick