Distance Learning Benchmarking

1. Distance Learning Benchmarking A North Texas Community College Consortium Project

2. NTCCC • It was founded in 1989 by the University of North Texas and a number of community colleges in the area • The Consortium has 28 member institutions • The office is located on the University of North Texas campus

3. NTCCC - Mission • To provide high quality, low cost, easily accessible professional development opportunities for community college administrators, faculty, and staff. • To further institutional planning, institutional research, and institutional effectiveness.

4. Institutional Research Committee • Projects addressing the research needs of all member colleges • Workshops concentrating on accreditation issues • Benchmarking projects that would help colleges in the institutional effectiveness process • Involved in the Consortium strategic planning

5. Distance Learning Survey Project • It started as a request from the faculty and administrators of the member colleges • Input was gathered regarding the needs of the distance learning departments in terms of data/benchmarking • The 1997 Principles of Good Practice (THECB) required that educational effectiveness of distance learning programs is compatible with that done for on-campus courses

6. Distance Learning Survey Project • With THECB and SACS more and more interested in distance learning, the need of a benchmarking tool became more evident • In 2001 a subcommittee started the development of an instrument that will gather information about enrollment, technology, methods of delivery, faculty training, and methods of assessment of distance education

7. Enrollment in Distance Learning • The number of distance learning courses offered increased 236% and the headcount 279% • In comparison, the headcount of students enrolled increased only 20% • The highest increase is observed for interactive video courses (500%) with an increase in enrollment of 2685% • The lowest increase was in TV course offerings (69%) and increase in enrollment of 146%

8. Has the institution invested significantly in the following during the past three years? • Infrastructure wiring (T1 lines etc) • Classroom wiring • Computers with Internet Access • Computers in the library • Computers in learning laboratories • Computers in faculty offices Laptop computers for faculty use • LCDs and other classroom computer equipment • Other

9. Has the institution invested significantly in the following during the past three years? • The least amount of money was spent for faculty laptop computers, classroom wiring, and computers in faculty offices • Everybody invests in computers with Internet access (100%) and LCDs and other classroom equipment (96%)

10. What is the number one concern at your institution regarding funding for telecommunications needs related to distance learning? • Concerns include that TIF funding might not be continuing in the state and that the operational budget will not be adequate to maintain the current level of technology • Internet course creation, enhancement, and upgrade funding. • Network keeping up with college growth • Staff support, compatibility & longevity • Equipment Replacement/Maintenance • Cost of technology

11. Faculty • 65% of the total faculty teaching distance learning are full-time • The number of faculty teaching only distance learning doubled between the administrations of the survey (from 13% to 27%) • 27% of the colleges always compensate the faculty for developing a distance learning course • 64% of the colleges sometimes compensate the faculty for developing a distance learning course and 9% never compensate

12. Faculty • 36% of the colleges do not have a minimum number of students that have to be registered in distance learning classes • The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in an Internet class varies from 1 student to 15 and maximum between 25 and 100 • The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in a TV class varies from 1 student to 30 and maximum between 22 and 300

13. Faculty • The range of minimum number of students necessary to enroll in a two-way interactive video class varies from 10 students to 15 and maximum between 22 and 50 • The minimum/maximum number of students allowed in TV classes is higher, maybe because the faculty are more comfortable teaching them

14. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses? Faculty • Compensation for continuous enrollment courses • Training requirements to become certified DL instructor. • Reliability of equipment, salary & course load • Compensation for training, course creation, course supervision and mentoring. • Faculty willing to develop courses for the core areas • Number of hours spent communicating with students

15. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses? Faculty • Underestimating the time to prepare to teach online • Intellectual property ownership • How to determine "office hours" calculation for faculty teaching internet courses • Too many students in a class

16. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses? System • Reliability of the infrastructure/ continuity of the instructional environment • Hardware failures • Provision of technology to instructors so that they can teach the courses • Provision of technology to students so that they can take the course online

17. Faculty What are the primary unresolved issues for faculty at your institution who teach distance learning courses? Students • Textbook issues • Deadline problems with students (getting homework and tests back in time to meet institutional deadlines) Evaluation • Evaluation of distance instruction is at the beginning

18. Faculty • All colleges have a training program for DL faculty, with 55% of faculty considering the program excellent and 45% fairly good

19. Budget • The budget allocation, when done, decreased from 2001 to 2002 • Colleges with smaller enrollment tend to allocate more dollars/student in distance learning • The amount per student varies from $1200 to $1.5 • The median value for the amount allocated is around $40/student

20. Support System - Counseling • 25% offer counseling on-campus only • 36% offer counseling via distance only • 36% offer counseling both on-campus and via distance

21. Support System - Advising • 9% offer advising on-campus only • 36% offer advising via distance only • 55% offer advising both on-campus and via distance

22. Support System – Testing for remediation • 45% offer testing for remediation on-campus only • 27% offer testing for remediation via distance only • 27% offer testing for remediation both on-campus and via distance

23. Support System – Testing for course • 9% offer testing for course on-campus only • 55% offer testing for course via distance only • 36% offer testing for course both on-campus and via distance

24. Support System – Library Resources • 0% offer library resources on-campus only • 55% offer library resources via distance only • 45% offer library resources both on-campus and via distance

25. Support System – Tutoring • 55% offer tutoring on-campus only • 27% offer tutoring via distance only • 18% offer tutoring both on-campus and via distance

26. Evaluation How often is the evaluation of distance learning courses done by the faculty? • 18% once a year • 9% once a term • 55% every time a course is offered • 18% less than once a year

27. Evaluation How often is the evaluation of distance learning courses done by the students? • 18% once a year • 27% once a term • 55% every time a course is offered • 0% less than once a year

28. Retention

29. Conclusions • Only 11 colleges submitted the survey both times • Smaller colleges increased their distance learning offerings/ enrollment the most • Smaller colleges allocated more money for the development of distance learning • The retention of students in distance learning courses followed the on-campus courses • Unresolved issues are still unresolved after one year

30. Lessons Learned • It is time consuming to collect all data required by the survey • Needs collaboration between IR and DL offices • Because sometimes the survey was forwarded to DL office it was never submitted • There are not significant changes from one year to the next, so an yearly administration is not meaningful