Welcome to Course Management and Administration

1. Welcome to Course Management and Administration Dec 4, 2013

2. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to: • Organize and manage a large-scale training program, both instructor-led and online • Explain different aspects of program planning • Consider longer-term aspects of program management

3. Stumbling Blocks for Conventional Classroom Training • Time • Money

4. Online Training • “I wish I could take this class, but I can't take three days off or travel.” • “Can you run these workshops on-site or locally?” • “Can you find a way to offer this course online?”

5. Online Training • Instructor-Led Online (Synchronous) • Instructor-Facilitated Online (Asynchronous) • Self-Study Online (Asynchronous)

6. Instructor-Led Online (Synchronous) • Combines the benefits of traditional classroom learning with the convenience of online learning • Ideal for organizations with geographically dispersed staff and teams • fully interactive, real-time, instructor-led • rely on a variety of online tools, whiteboards, and breakout rooms to keep the students engaged and learning

7. Instructor-Led Online (Synchronous)- continued • Curriculum is generally the same as a traditional classroom version • Presentations, class exercises, and case studies • can include a final exam • Students are given access to course materials and texts that are used during class and afterward as a reference

8. Instructor-Facilitated Online (Asynchronous) • Can easily be accessed by all employees, regardless of their physical location • Designed to allow students to meet the same learning objectives as in the classroom • Students work from the convenience of their home or office • opportunities for interaction with an experienced instructor and peer group

9. Instructor-Facilitated Online (Asynchronous) - continued • Do not have a live component that requires real-time interaction • ideally suited for delivery across multiple time zones • students expected to complete instructor-facilitated online courses in a specified period of time • employ a variety of online tools like discussion forums, recorded presentations, and written assignments • Students given access to course materials and texts used during class and afterward as a reference

10. Self-Study Online (Asynchronous) • Allow students to complete their training at their own pace, at a location of their choice • Some courses may have time limits for completion of the programs • Ideal for organizations that need to reach widely dispersed employee populations and do not require students to progress at same pace or complete materials in step

11. Course Administration • Make use of resources (instructors, course owners, learning management systems, evaluations, existing training material, facilities, technology, etc.) • Promote a culture of learning and support the development and success of learners • Utilize a Learning Management System (LMS) • Administrators can organize and oversee training • Record and manage vital information

12. Course Administration - continued • Cost/budget constraints • Duration of project • Required vs. recommended/optional training for learners • Risk posed if training does not occur

13. Administration/Tracking • Training course evaluations • Determine quality of course • Allow measurement and analysis on learner comprehension • Improvements identified • Track learners’ progress or usage • Track number of courses offered, schedule modifications, training risks

14. Training Budget • Costs directly associated with the development, acquisition, and delivery of the training • Labor costs • Acquisition and/or administration of LMS

15. Content • What percentage of the content exists? • In what format/form is the training currently? • What percentage of the content is new?

16. Additional Materials • Prerequisites • Job aids • Workbooks • Student Guides • Instructor or Facilitator Guides

17. Activities • Interactive exercises to help engage learners • Interaction with the content, other learners, instructors

18. Appropriate Levels of Instruction Example • At the knowledge level, all that is required is recall (facts) • At the comprehension level, students need to be able to explain concepts (connections) • At the application level, student needs to be able to apply information

19. Appropriate Levels of Instruction Example – continued • Demonstrate the principles of management (a) • Explain the principles of management – (u) • What are the principles of management? – (k) Knowledge

20. Multimedia • Resources needed • Video • Animations • Complex graphics • What is currently available? • What needs to be developed?

21. Some Considerations • Testing requirements • Is there a formal test? • Describe any written or performance test that must be passed for successful completion • Will learners be awarded completion certificates or continuing education units (CEUs)? • Certification • Social learning • Interaction for participants as they progress through the course

22. Time to Create Level 1 Online Learning – 79:1 Average

23. Time Management for Online Instructors • Begins with good course design • Course objectives, content, and assessment need to be aligned • Provide clear instructions and easy navigation to reduce amount of time spent answering students’ questions about course logistics • Everything should be clear to the learner, including how: • course will proceed • learning is going to occur • they will interact with each other • they will demonstrate proficiency • to get help • Set realistic parameters that state specifically when instructors are available, how often they will check e-mail, when instructor will post to the discussion board, and when learners can expect graded assignments

24. A web-based course environment that allows instructors and students to deliver course materials, submit assignments and tests, view grades, create learning activities, and share documents, calendars, and sites LMS

25. TopClass WBT Systems

26. Content Authoring & Testing • Content authoring module for building and assembling learning content, quizzes, tests, and surveys • Can author or import SCORM or AICC compliant content

27. Continuing Professional Development • Ability to award continuing education credits for online courses, designations, and tests • Can manage all aspects of certification including expiration dates, assignment of recertification courses, and self-service certificate printing • Allows for learning plans that can be used to designate a set of courses required for a certification

28. Collaboration • Supports collaboration and social learning • Enables learners to interact, share information, ask questions, post and rate comments • Discussion forums can be linked to learning activities or groups of users

29. Staff Time to Manage LMS • Once up and running, LMS administrative time depends on level of sophistication of specific programs and volume of courses offered • Plan on a minimum of 4-8 hours per week in actual system administration • Keeping calendar current • Managing content • Creating surveys and assessments • Dealing with user correspondence • Tracking program usage or generating statistical reports for evaluation

30. Course Planning • What’s the potential number of students for a given course?

31. Geography

32. Course location Number of eligible students Course location When’s the last time if was offered How often is it needed? (for certification, etc.? Reasonable driving Distance? (driving time) Other, local factors? (New Orleans)

33. Online Synchronous Courses • Time zones • Number of eligible students? • How long does it take to complete the course? • How many times per week is it reasonable to offer?

34. Instructor Training • Qualifications? • Training? • Updates to the course? • Instructor-to-instructor feedback

35. Material Development • Time for development • Instructor guides • Student guides • Delivery (for online)

36. Material Development Instructor guide Presentation material Student guide

37. Administrative Requirements • Records requirements for any accreditation or certification • What policies and procedures guide your programs?

38. Course Improvement • Course feedback • Course evaluation • Updates to the content • Self-Assessment • Curriculum cross-walk

39. Case study • 1,000 employees scattered geographically • Live, interactive training sessions • Would like training to be accomplished in 4-5 week span • Offerings need to be small, >20 people • Front office personnel, need to have a greater knowledge than just data entry • Pilot training so far has not met expectations in terms of performance • What questions should be asked?

40. Quality Matters (https://www.qualitymatters.org/) • Eight General Standards • Course Overview and Introduction • Learning Objectives (Competencies) • Assessment and Measurement • Instructional Materials • Learner Interaction and Engagement • Course Technology • Learner Support • Accessibility

41. Quality Matters (https://www.qualitymatters.org/) • Unique to the Quality Matters Rubric is the concept of alignment. This occurs when critical course components - Learning Objectives, Assessment and Measurement, Instructional Materials, Learner Interaction and Engagement, and Course Technology - work together to ensure students achieve desired learning outcomes

42. Thank You Questions and Answers?

43. Next Session • Dec 18 – 10:30-12:00 • Lesson 8