DLA2008
FishBowl Summaries

Formal and Informal Faculty Mentoring  

Facilitator:
Teresa Marie Kelly, Kaplan University 

Monday, June 23, 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM

The session began with an overview of potential topics, including:

What is mentoring?

Why mentor?

Stages for mentoring

Methods of Mentoring

What not to do

The participants came from a variety of organizations at different stages of developing their distance education programs. Participants were interested in how standards for faculty were developed before mentoring even begins, which lead to a discussion of the different models for quality evaluation.

Another subtopic examined how those new to distance learning can find mentors if there are none in-house. Networking, joining organizations, and attending conferences were some of the suggestions.

Concerns were expressed at how programs with mostly adjunct distance learning instructors or programs with workload concerns could balance those issues with the need for mentoring. Suggestions included course release, stipends for adjuncts who mentor, and looking at ways mentoring funds can come from professional development monies or other sources.

Finally, the group talked about how to make sure faculty had mentors at each stage of their development with an eye towards helping faculty develop fully.

Assessing Your Online Program

 Facilitators:
Edward C. Bowen, Dallas TeleCollege

Tuesday, June 24, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

This fishbowl session explored the assessments points in evaluating the quality of online programs.

Information technology is promoting fundamental changes in how we teach and learn. American schools have embraced distance learning tools to enhance students' educational opportunities. With virtually all schools now linked to the Internet, states, districts, and individual schools are increasingly adopting online courses to expand their curricula.  

The appeal of online courses is evident: they can increase the range of course offerings available to all students as well as provide educational access to special students. In addition, they provide an alternative method of instruction, one that adults are increasingly using for both professional and personal development. The number of students participating in online courses is large and growing dramatically.

The characteristics of effective online courses at the college level have been identified in documents published by the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Sloan-C Foundation, Educause, and the regional accreditation bodies to name a few.

Potential areas of examination include: curriculum and instruction, institution’s role and mission, faculty support, resources for learning, students and student services, commitment to support, and evaluation and assessment.

Often the strengths in one component are held back by deficiencies in another component. To gain a better understanding of these challenges we will explore a framework to evaluate the components of a successful online program and examine examples of quality in these components. At a minimum we will explore course design, faculty preparedness, and students’ services.  We will address some of the following questions”

What training do faculty members need to be successful in online teaching?

What preparation do students need to be successful online learners?

What are the online student services needed to support distance education and how do you measure quality?

What is good online course design?

In this session participants noted or made comments on the following:

1. "Student feedbacks after taking multiple online courses."

2. "Needs assessment pre course design" Overall program assessment."

3. "Students stopping/dropping out -- students may not be honest about their reasons -- could assess risk factors on front end & help students stay in (proactive).  Student services could follow up with those who drop out - Why?"

4. "Mid-term (formative evaluation) in Assoc program. Faculty review of course outcomes & assessments."

5. "What areas need assessments? Variety of formats offered (open entry, open exit)"

6. "Needs assessment of the technology being used - is it appropriate. Why assess distance courses/programs with the assumption that on-campus courses/programs are perfect?"

7. "Where assess. needed (more) student services, library services, especially for students with disabilities."

8. "Quality of course design. Regular effective student/student/Instructor contacts."

9. "Remember that giving students more latitude in determining course design/format/etc. . . may eliminate choices; - student-to-student interaction, - self-paced format is less feasible: the dialogue between students in 1st & last week of course may be of little value.

-When to assess? Depends on what you want? - opening assessment identifies gap. - end of course assesses perceived learning - 1-2 years later assesses applied learning

-Discussions appear to indicate the area that most concerns them: satisfaction/attrition, learning, technology, etc."

10. "Instructors should introduce themselves by introducing their passion for subject matter.--One area assessment needs to be done - navigation"

11. "At the end of the program from the student's point of view."

Some possible resources for assessing distance learning programs are:
1. Quality Matters (addresses online course design) www.qualitymatters.org 

2. Online Instructor Competencies www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/pointersclickers/2006_11/index.asp

3. Online student services - Beyond the Administrative Core: Creating Web-based Student Services for Online Learners www.wiche.edu/Telecom/projects/laap/index.htm

Flying Monkeys: Creative Ways to Support Students and Faculty

Facilitator:
Heather Gibbons, Brenau University

Tuesday, June 24, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

Virtual faculty retreat: Host a retreat over a week’s time where faculty may join in discussion and/or view pre-recorded presentations during a 48-hour period.

Skype: FREE audio and video phone calls within the U.S. If you haven’t tried it, you’re really missing an opportunity for both faculty and student face-to-face.

Tokbox: Embed video in an email to your students for feedback on major assignments.

Constant Contact: Newsletter templates for keeping faculty and/or students informed.

Social Bookmarking: Share your favorite websites and interesting articles you find with others using tools like Delicious.com and others.

Gabcast: In addition to recording messages for your students via telephone, you may choose to email and text the messages.

ITC: 1-hour audio conferences. $25 for TWO MONTHS for non-members

Sloan-C: Training model for faculty development.

Online Faculty Handbook

Online Blackboard Basics class for students to show them how to use the tools available.

ClearText: Bb building block is a texting tool within the platform.

Instant Messaging: Require all faculty to have a particular IM program (e.g., AOL) and to provide their user name as part of their contract information. Students like to use it.

The Challenges of Scaling Online Programs
at Traditional Institutions

Facilitators:
Peter Shapiro, SunGard Higher Education/Bergen Community College

Tuesday, June 24, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

The group discussed online courses design and facilitation; how the programs are currently supported and structured in the context of the institution and its need to expand capability. While it wasn't possible to answer all of our questions in a quick session, we shared experiences and looked at the similarities between them.

Whether it is reluctant faculty, department chairs & administrators, or bringing the late majority on board with the technology, appropriately framing the reasons for growth is critical so these stakeholder groups will work with you instead of placing barriers in your path.

Whether it is best to centralize your services, change organizational structure or tighten reporting lines, by turning the conversation to serving students, to aligning plans with the mission, vision and goals of the institution, one establishes a credible approach to the expansion of online courses and programs.

A few helpful resources on the subject:

Ives, S. K. (2006). Community colleges and distance learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(3), 85-92.

Maloney, J. F. & Oakley III, B. (2006). Scaling online education: Increasing access to higher education. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(3), 19-34. 

Paolucci, R., & Gambescia, S. F. (2007). Current administrative structures used for online degree program offerings in higher education. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 10(3), 85-92.

Schiffman, S., Vignare, K., & Geith, B. (2007). Why do higher-education institutions pursue online education? Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11(2), 61-71. 

Peter J. Shapiro, Ph.D. * Coordinator, Center for Instructional Technology * Bergen Community College * SunGard Higher Education * 400 Paramus Road, Paramus NJ 07652 * Tel 201-612-5574  * Fax 201-612-6710 *
pshapiro@bergen.edu * www.bergen.edu/cit

A Web of Possibilities: Strategies for Designing & Facilitating Effective Online Group Projects and Virtual Teams

Facilitator:
Carolyn Stevenson, Kaplan University
 
Tuesday, June 24, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

There is a saying by an unknown author that states: “Teamwork is working together — even when apart.” The concept of virtual teams has gained the attention of professional organizations and corporations. As the landscape of companies has shifted to globally diverse settings, virtual teams have grown in significance in the world of work. As such, online educators need to design and facilitate courses with a focus on group dynamics and working in virtual teams. During this Fishbowl Session participants discussed the following strategies for designing and facilitating effective online group projects and virtual teams.

• Challenges exits in virtual teams. It is important to get “buy-in” from students. Discuss ways that teams are used in their professional and personal lives.
• Major differences exist between meeting face-to-face and virtual teams. Although the teams are organized in a virtual format, try to meet via teleconference or some form of synchronous learning (i.e. live chat or seminar).
• Placing students with similar academic, social similarities and other common factors did not produce a higher retention in groups.
• Strong students often express concerns about doing all the work. Work with strong students on buying into group projects. Provide praise for their leadership ability.
• Provide a grading rubric that clearly outlines the expectations of the group project.
• Provide an opportunity for peer review and peer grading. Often, students respond well to the knowing their participation will affect other students.
• Allow enough time for group project completion. If designing a course long group project, provide checkpoints for submission of various tasks.
• Group projects are better suited for upper division courses.
• Group projects involve a large amount of work by the instructor. Only willing instructor should be assigned a course with a group project.
• Use social networking tools such as document sharing, blogs, wickis, REF Works, and other non-formal tools to promote collaboration. The social approach promotes engagement in the classroom.
• Limit topic selection by students. If the instructor assigns a similar topic, group members can be shifted in the event a member drops out.

When organizing groups for a course, it is important to remind students of the broad range of groups in which students already are members, for example: organizing a car pool for your children; serving as a condominium association member; being a student; or leading a task-force team in the workplace.  

Maintaining Collegiality Among Distant Faculty

Facilitator:
Adrian Zappala, Western Governors University

Participants discussed the need to develop and maintain collegiality and professional relationships among and between online faculty who may not always have such opportunities.  Participants noted the following points:

• Acculturation to the institution's expectations, norms, and values is essential in developing a sense of collegiality.
• Collegiality must be developed concurrently with an acknowledgement of the institution's reporting structures and formally defined working relationships.
• Collegial relationships are especially significant in regards to 'train-the-trainer' models and faculty support groups for newly hired faculty.
• Communication remains a key element in sustaining collegial relationships among online faculty.
• Leaders of organizations wishing to promote and sustain collegial relationships and a sense of "we're in this together" must model such behavior for their faculty and staff.