A Creative Approach to Online Excellence

1. A Creative Approach to Online Excellence Amy Jo Swing Online Faculty Development Coordinator

2. LSC’s Online Journey • First online class in 1996 • Currently about 30% of credits are online (471 FYE in 2013, 4190 students unduplicated) • Began LSC Online Peer Review in 2004 (based on FIPSE Maryland Online project) • over 20 peer reviewers and 70+ course reviewed, did statewide workshops/trainings • Created our Administrative Online Eval tool in 2010 • Joined QM in 2012 • Had first LSC course QM evaluated in 2013 • Decided to revise our current peer review process in 2013

3. Reviving Online Programs Takes a Village • In 2013-2014, many faculty, staff, and administrators worked together to revitalize LSC’s online program • OPAC: Online Programs Advisory Committee and OPAC Subcommittee on Faculty Development • AQIP team on Comprehensive Teacher Training • Open forums on Quality Matters and other online topics • Online Peer Review Workgroup • eCampus team (faculty, administration, IT, student services) • All these discussions and work led to a presentation to the AC (Administrative Council) in January 2014

4. LSC’s 3-part Quality Plan • Part One: Administrative Tool for Evaluating Online Courses • Developed by faculty and dean in 2010 • Implemented in 2011 • Part Two: Comprehensive Online Instructor Training • Includes online teaching pedagogy and specific IMS training • Eventually will be modular training, both hybrid and online • Part Three: Online Peer Review • For continuous quality control and improvement • To have instructors learn from each other while improving courses Lake Superior College Program for Online Excellence in Teaching (POET™).

5. Research Based: Sloan Consortium:Sharing Effective Practices • A non-profit U.S. consortium of institutions and organizations committed to sharing effective e-learning practices: http://sloan-c.org/effective/browse.asp • 2002 Report: “Five Pillars of Quality Online Education” - Research-based, 40 experts consulted

6. Five Pillars of Quality Online EducationAdapted from Sloan-C effective practices: http://sloanconsortium.org/effective Access Learningeffectiveness QUALITY Faculty satisfaction Scale (Institutionalcost Effectiveness) Studentsatisfaction

7. “Implementing Best Practices in Online Learning” Study from: Alliance for Higher Education Competitiveness (A-HEC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to research into innovation, transformation, and effectiveness in higher education.

8. Online Administrative Evaluation • Lake Superior College full-time faculty evaluated every three years by deans (probationary and adjunct faculty evaluated every year) • Evaluation process and rubric designed for on-ground classroom evaluations • Many deans had no experience teaching or taking online classes • In 2010, a team of online faculty led by the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences revised the faculty evaluation rubric to fit online teaching and learning best practices • Faculty can choose an on-ground or online class for observation • Online Evaluation is simpler and more reflective of online teaching • See rubric at: http://www.lsc.edu/poet/online-administrative-evaluation-rubric/

9. Online Teacher Training • History of training for online instructors has varied greatly since 1997 • Did week long workshops in summer • Did fully online training • Did one-on-one training with Instructional Tech. • Began comprehensive online training Summer 2012 • Started AQIP project on Comprehensive Teacher Training Fall 2012 • Recommending new model of training for online instructors both new and experienced • Much research suggests student success is affected by both course design and the quality of instruction Quality Tied to Instructors

10. Future for Online Teacher Training • Pre-beginning training: short workshops for faculty who have never taught online and are unsure of technology skills • Beginning training: comprehensive training, focusing on developing a hybrid or fully online class, includes online teaching pedagogy, best practices, planning, LSM training, and mentoring • May be done modular: one unit on teaching, unit on LMS, and then training specific to faculty/discipline needs • Advanced training: course remodel • Experienced faculty working in hybrid cohort to redo their outdated online classes • Semester or year long program • Faculty may earn badges for completion of these levels of training: beginning, online instructor, master online teachers, etc. Ideas are still in process; AQIP team still meeting http://www.lsc.edu/poet/online-teacher-training/

11. Online Peer Review • Revising former peer review rubric and process • Went from 8 sections to 6, 32 standards to 36 • Changed points system to met/not met essential standards and other best practices (23 met/13 BP) • Integrated best practices in online teaching with online course design • Lowered stipend for lead reviewer from $300 to $150 • 5 reviews will be led by Peer Review Coordinator/semester • Still faculty led and driven, no administrative oversight • The 3 Cs: Collegiality, Collaboration, Credibility

12. Online Peer Review • Materials and processes will be updated frequently • Can access materials freely at: • http://www.lsc.edu/poet • Will be revising and changing continually • If you use our materials, please just credit us (and Maryland Online FIPSE) and let us know!

13. Conclusions • Excellence in a online program needs input from all: faculty, administration, IT, student services, students • Excellence in online education means looking at both online teaching and technology/course design (research) • Excellence includes creating a program that fits your institution's needs and is sustainable • Excellence includes continuous improvement and sharing: http://www.lsc.edu/poet

14. Amy Jo Swing English Instructor and Online Faculty Development Coordinator Lake Superior College Duluth, Minnesota a.swing@lsc.edu Evaluation link: http://bit.ly/1x1lMB5