Benchmarking St. Petersburg College:
A Report to Leadership
How Can St. Petersburg College Leverage Technology to Increase Access to Courses and Programs for an Expanded Pool of Learners?
Submitted by Joyce Burkhart
Coordinator, Research, Evaluation and Dissemination
Project Eagle
December 30, 2001
Introduction
To
formulate an evaluation process of e-learning practices at St. Petersburg College (SPC) for Project Eagle, external evaluator Dr
Gordon "Spud" Van de Water, Education Commission of the States,
suggested that the college first identify critical issues. Dr. James Olliver,
Project Eagle director, with the help of the Project Eagle Work Group,
formulated six questions, which were then worked into an evaluation plan by
Dr. Van de Water and Joyce Burkhart, Coordinator of Research, Evaluation and
Dissemination.
The decision was made to consider one question per quarter
for the next 18 months, taking the following steps:
1. First,
examine best e-learning practices related to that question, both nationwide and
worldwide, using the Web as the primary source of information. The results of
this external evaluation would be published in an issue of Project Eagle's
monthly newsletter, Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP).
2. Next,
compile a list of all practices related to the question currently in use at
SPC, using a variety of appropriate techniques and strategies.
3. Compare the
best external practices with those offered at SPC.
4. Benchmark
SPC and submit a report to the college leadership on the college's performance
in the area under consideration.
5. Finally,
disseminate the results nationally, using the Project Eagle Web site and other
forms of information distribution.
This report
represents Step 4, incorporating the results of Steps 1-3.
Background
The fourth
question to be evaluated dealt with ways to expand access to courses and
programs through the use of technology. In July 2001, research was completed to
compile a list of ideas nationwide for such expansion. In August 2001, the
results were published in Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), Number 11, "Broadening the
Base of E-Learners." The methods suggested for accomplishment fell into four categories:
A.
Planning an E-Learning Expansion
B.
Individual Initiatives
C.
Collaborative Efforts
D.
Retention
From November to the middle of December 2001,* steps were taken to determine
what SPC has done to increase access. These steps included the following:
1. Examination of current methods of increasing access to eCampus,
University Partnership Center (UPC), and specialized SPC programs.
2. Dialog with selected administrators, faculty, and learners.
3. Contact with
departments working with special populations.
In December
2001 external and internal results were compared and compiled in this report.
An executive summary appears in Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), Issue 16, January 1,
2002.
*Completion
of this report was originally scheduled for November 30, 2001, but postponement of the previous
Project Eagle Evaluation Question has pushed back the publication of the
remaining reports by one month.
Results
A. Planning an E-Learning Expansion
Nationwide/worldwide. In a number of studies and articles, the need for careful
planning before embarking on an expansion of e-learning programs was stressed.
Three different approaches that could be useful in the planning stages follow:
1. Ideas for higher education that can be transferred from the business community
emerged in "Lessons for Higher
Education from the Dot Coms" by Chris Brezil in Educause Quarterly 23 (4),
2000:
a. Have a business plan that makes sense. It need not be formal, but should
include a review of the soundness of the approach and the goals to be achieved.
b. Focus on your expertise. Consider an institution's long-term goals and incorporate
them into your online strategy. Stay within your institution's realm of experience
and know you customer in order to build a platform for later expansion into
new opportunities.
c. Don't underestimate the costs. Cutting corners in the wrong places can have
immediate and long-term negative consequences. Look for ways to save on labor
by using current staff as much as possible, and shop for around for quality
software that is sometimes free.
d. Don't focus just on price. Instead, develop a complete consumer package that
includes a quality experience.
e. Remember that your people are your finest assets. Train the employees you
already have when possible, because of the experience, commitment and common
sense that they possess.
2. Eight areas to assess for an institution's preparedness were offered in "Prepare Your Campus for E-Business" by Jill Kidwell, John Mattie and
Michael Sousa of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Educause Quarterly 23 (2)
2000:
a.
Does the strategy address the emerging environment?
b.
What are the available skills?
c.
Do the processes support the strategy?
d.
How is performance measured?
e.
Does the infrastructure support the business?
f.
Can we deliver?
g.
What are the tax and legal issues?
h. What is our competence in security?
Such
an assessment determines where an institution is and isn't ready for
e-business. Knowing this enables the development of a strong strategic plan for
e-business and a corresponding implementation plan.
3. A multi-step model for planning e-learning was developed by Hezel Associates
and published in "Strategic
Planning in E-Learning Collaborations: A Recipe for Optimizing Success" by Richard T. Hezel and Paula Szulc
Dominguez in Education at a Distance 15 (40), April 2001:
a. Gather and analyze targeted information about e-learning programs and services.
b. Perform a needs assessment and market analysis of potential users in order
to understand their programmatic interests and motivations.
c. Conduct a feasibility study.
d. Develop an e-learning business case for the organization.
e. Prepare a mission and goals that align with the organization's institutional
mission and culture.
f. Create and nurture collaborative relationships among the departments, agencies,
business, and individuals that will be key participants.
g. Have a technical expert compose a technical feasibility study, design the
system, and plan for the rollout.
h. Identify sources for sustainable funding.
i. Articulate strategies to reach identified markets.
j. Devise an evaluation plan to assess the system's management and outcomes
in terms of costs and effectiveness.
k. Implement a system to engage, support and train faculty members in order
to expand the content and programs offered.
l. Create and deliver student support services, with an eye toward limiting
student attrition.
m. Unfold the e-learning program through phased installation with a pilot test
of the services and system.
n. Using the evaluation data gathered, let the planning process generate recommendations
for improving the e-learning initiative.
o. Incorporate those recommendations into the
full-scale rollout.
SPC. The college has produced a number of
planning documents, both before and during the development of its distance
learning program.
1. Technology Plan. In 1999, SPC released its Information
Technology Plan 1999-2001, a 72-page, comprehensive report that included an
analysis of the present state of technology at the institution at that time, as
well as future needs and strategic plans for dealing with them. Specific areas covered
were ongoing technology upgrades, IT departmental organization, training,
disaster preparation, the Y2K problem, data and video networking, and software
licensing,
At the time
of the report, the college was preparing for an accreditation review by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). As part of that
preparation, an Exploring
Digital and Global Education (EDGE) steering committee was formed to design
an assessment and planning process for future technology needs related to the
impact of communications technology. Among the many documents it produced was a
Strategic
Planning Model for developing and assessing institutional directions and
objectives.
2. Electronic Campus Plan. In October 1999 "A Plan for the New SPJC
Electronic Campus" was completed. It outlined the methods that would
be used to expand the use of instructional technology in classes offered by the
college's newly created eCampus. With funds provided by the Project Eagle
grant, the intention was to develop and implement new A. S. and certificate
programs; create a complete AA degree through online or other video or
Web-based delivery methods; allow flexibility and increase access through
e-learning opportunities; and create targeted online workforce programs.
The number
of programs and types of courses offered were determined by the Provosts'
Council and the President's Cabinet consistent with college goals and
objectives. The eCampus director coordinated decisions about when to offer the
courses. A schedule of dates for completion of other initiatives related to the
delivery of e-learning services was also determined.
3. Distance Education Master Plan. In early 2000 SPC's eCampus produced
the comprehensive "Plan for Distance Education at St. Petersburg Junior College" (not online). The previously mentioned electronic
campus plan was only one part of this document, which included sections on the
nature and scope of programs; ensuring program quality; student services to
support distance education; access to resources; faculty issues; and organizational
structure.
The plan
contained organizational charts, forms, and guidelines, including the distance
education "must
statements" issued by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS), for various aspects of e-learning development. It was designed to
be used from the 1999-2000 through 2003-2004 school years.
B. Individual Initiatives
Nationwide/worldwide. Beyond the usual transfer of traditional courses already
offered by institutions to an e-learning format, some schools came up with unique
ideas for increasing numbers, offerings and access:
1. A complete degree at home. Sam Houston
State University
(TX), for example, offers online a full Master of Arts degree in Military
History and Master of Education degree in Reading.
2. A virtual lecture hall. Developed by the University of South
Florida, this service was designed to reach the desktops of individuals
unable to attend lectures, using streaming audio and video and IP multicast
technologies.
3. Online courses in unusual subjects. John
A. Logan College
(IL) works with thirteen other Illinois
colleges and offers noncredit courses like the history of the Beatles or UFO's.
4.
A personalized virtual room for incoming first-year students. The University of Dayton allows students to connect with the
university community online months before they begin their studies. This
service takes advantage of the energy and enthusiasm recent high-school
graduate have toward their college experience long before they come to campus.
5. A "let the college come to you" approach in a variety of formats. Rio Salado
College (AZ) not
offers a complete associate degree by using the Internet (including CD-ROM),
audio and videocassettes, and print-based materials. The school also provides a
variety of specialized courses, including a law enforcement technology program
for police officers across the United States,
a professional development program for K-12 teachers entirely online for Arizona credentialing, and a dental
assisting
program.
SPC. Even before the college
received its Project Eagle funding, SPC had undertaken a number of unique
e-learning initiatives. It offered the first Veterinary Technology A. S. degree online, as well as the
capability of getting an A. A. degree entirely through telecourses. Recent
innovations have included:
1. The development of teleweb courses that combine televised and online
instruction.
2. The capability of getting an A. A. degree entirely online by Fall 2002, when
the college's last required course - Speech - will be offered.
3. The creation of a full-time CyberAdvisor position to assist students electronically.
4. A series of "laptop classes" that combines on-campus
attendance with online textbooks. Assignments and other class materials are
also all Web-based.
5. Fully online A. S. programs in Medical Laboratory Technology and, in the near future, Fire
Science.
6. Fully online certificate programs in Emergency Administration and Management and, in the near future, Fire Science.
7. A growing number of online courses under construction that will
eventually allow online completion of other certificate and A. S. programs.
8. The use of state-of-the-art video distribution and control equipment
to support multi-point, interactive classes.
9. A marketing campaign that included a press release kit sent in October
to major newspapers and other publications, local and nationwide.
10. An online video clip and model course (near completion) that allows
students to experience e-learning.
C. Collaborative Efforts
Nationwide/worldwide. Many institutions have collaborated with outside agencies in
order to broaden their base of e-learners. Some possible combinations follow:
1. Collaboration with other schools in the same system. The University
of Minnesota-Crookston, for example, has contracted with the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities to offer a series of courses for majors in scientific
technical communication, which Crookston cannot otherwise provide. The first
school provides all general academic requirements, and the partner provides
some or all of the major courses via e-learning. To make it work smoothly
requires careful
planning and administration.
2. Collaboration between schools at different levels. Franklin University
in Ohio is but one example of an institution that has attempted to enroll community-college
graduates in its online programs by forging partnerships. Franklin has developed
such an alliance, which allows students to shift seamlessly from local colleges
to its virtual campus, with more than 90 community colleges in the United States
and Canada.
3. Collaboration among states, regions, and countries to form virtual campuses. A number
of states have created Web sites that provide one-stop shopping for
information about the courses and programs available in those geographic areas.
States like Pennsylvania have gone a step further by forming
a consortium that will allow state residents to take courses from its member
community colleges using Internet and video technology.
4. Collaboration regulated by governmental agencies. Canada is an example of a country that has
called for provincial governments to take steps to foster online learning, with
areas of concern carefully identified and a council appointed to manage the
effort.
5. Participation in a program with the military. The United States Army has built a
portal for online education with more than twenty institutions. This ambitious
project is expected to expand to include 80,000 soldier-learners within five
years.
6. Collaboration to attract a specific market. Yale, Stanford and the
University of Oxford, England, have launched a joint effort to offer online courses to their alumni.
7. International collaboration. More and more colleges and universities are
forming alliances with schools outside the United States to offer online
specific degree programs. One example is Oakland University's (MI) MBA program for students in
Lebanon.
SPC. Presently the college is involved in collaboration of
several different kinds:
1.
Collaboration with other colleges and universities. SPC, through its University Partnership Center, has
formed alliances with twelve other colleges and universities: University of
South Florida, University of Florida, Florida State University, Embry-Riddle,
University of Central Florida, Florida International University, Florida A
& M, Saint Leo College, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of
Technology and George Washington University.
Bachelor's,
master's and doctoral degrees are offered, and general subject areas included
business, education, nursing, information technology, engineering, computer
science, information studies, hospitality, aeronautics, pharmacy, health
services, and the social sciences. An increasing number of these degrees
combine traditional and electronic learning, and Project Eagle funds have been
allocated for the development of more online courses by UPC faculty involved in
these programs.
2.
State and regional collaboration. SPC participates in the following:
a. Southern Regional
Education Board Electronic Campus (SREB). The Electronic Campus of the Southern
Regional Education Board is an "electronic marketplace" for courses, programs
and services. All courses and programs are offered by accredited colleges and
universities in the participating states and meet the Principles of Good Practice
developed by the Electronic Campus.
b. Florida
Virtual Campus. The mission of Florida Virtual Campus is to assist Florida
postsecondary institutions in providing affordable access to learning opportunities
and services by creating a cooperative atmosphere that will lead to a seamless
distance learning experience for students.
c. Florida Community College
Distance Learning Consortium. Established in 1996, its purpose is to coordinate
the establishment of a technology-enhanced community college delivery system
that supports the mission of the community colleges and ensures maximum access
to higher education for all Florida residents by utilizing instructional technology
and eliminating the barriers of distance, time, and place.
d. LINCC. This Web site is
provided by the state of Florida for the use of all community college students.
It includes an online catalog of materials, plus electronic resources in the
form of journals, newspapers, books and more.
e. FACTS.org.
The Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students (FACTS) Web site allows
students access to their academic records, find sources of information for managing
their academic activities, apply for admission to various Florida public institutions,
plan their careers, and much more.
g. eChoices.
This commercial service provides Florida students comprehensive and easy-to-use
databases for occupations, colleges, and financial aid resources.
D. Retention
Nationwide/worldwide. One of the most important, yet frequently
overlooked, aspects of expanding the number of e-learners is retaining those
who have already enrolled for an e-course and motivating them to continue their
education in that format. There are several ways of accomplishing this:
1. Constant communication. The need both to communicate with and engage
students in online courses is essential to a successful e-learning
experience. "Good
Connections: Strategies to Maximize Student Engagement" by Mary I.
Dereshiwsky and Eugene R. Moan in Education at a Distance 14 (11),
November 2000, provides a timetable for institutions and individual instructors
to connect with online students. It includes unique concepts like welcome letters
to first-time online students, a semi-weekly newsletter and a monthly student
self-report on accomplishments and problems.
2. "Student Support Online
Through Thoughtful Course Design." In a 2000 paper by Cheryl White
of Grant MacEwan College (Canada), the author reports on the results of a study
of e-student experiences. Based on those results, she suggests incorporating
ongoing assistance to students through techniques like these:
a. an FAQ page on the same Web page as an assignment,
b. brief examples of completed assignments,
c. assignment criteria sheets that take the mystery out of evaluation,
d. instructor preferences for assignment formats,
e. a discussion activity that allows students to indicate the type of hardware
and software they are using,
f. an automatic message confirming receipt of questions
or assignments,
g. an announcement from the instructor of how often and when he/she will check
the course,
h. "print-friendly" course content options formatted to be easily readable when
printed.
3. Other solutions. In "The e-Learning Taboo: High Dropout Rates in Online
Courses," an article (not available online) by Karen Frankola in Syllabus, June 2000, the author focuses on the need for a well-designed
course, an experienced, trained, and engaging instructor, a high level of
technical support, and a detailed pre-course orientation. Most important,
however are high interactivity with faculty and other students, as well as good
managerial oversight.
4. Online mentoring support. Florida
State University is an example of a school that provides tutorial guidance
and help via a mentor who acts as intermediary between e-structor and
e-student.
SPC. Like most of the other
institutions surveyed, the college has had no formal plan for improving
retention of its online students and collected no meaningful statistics.
Recently, as part of a University Partnership Center program in higher
education, a group working with SPC's Administrative Information Systems (AIS)
department has begun collection of retention data. That department is also
developing a new system (GoFar) that will facilitate data collection using
existing student records. In addition, the eCampus has been working
independently with Project Eagle funds to explore the demographics of its
e-students.
However,
even without hard data, eCampus
administration has taken a number of steps to ease the path for its e-learners.
Its well-designed Web site includes links to a self-assessment tools for those
considering an e-course, a guide to registration, the e-course catalog, the
college's full-time CyberAdvisor,
frequently asked questions, technical information and more. It also publishes
its own catalog of courses, which contains all same information available at
its Web site.
In
addition, WebCT has been the course
management software chosen by SPC for all its online classes, a decision that
provides a consistent online learning environment, no matter how many e-courses
a student takes. The eCampus WebCT opening page
offers students tutorials in the use of the software, as well as a link to the
company's Website and online assistance for logging into a course.
Faculty who
wish to teach online take comprehensive training in the form of an Electronic
Learning Journey developed by the Instructional Technology department before
they begin.
A great deal of responsibility for retaining e-learners falls on individual
faculty members, and a poll of those shows a variety of techniques that they
have employed to increase the success and satisfaction of those enrolled in
their classes:
a. group projects involving two-four students, preferably with students selecting
the group.
b. "cyber-activities" that require use of Web-based sources
related to the subject of the class.
c. messages posted by students about themselves on the discussion
board.
d. responses to student emails as soon as possible.
e. a buddy system for online work - each
student picks another to work with.
f. a question of the day for extra credit.
g. effective use of the chat function.
h. student assistants who offer tutoring services both in chat rooms
and individually.
i. telephone calls whenever needed.
j. completion of an online orientation to
the courses, possibly followed by a quiz.
k. posting of student assignments to the Web
page and allowing response.
Above all,
SPC faculty, like their counterparts nationwide, stress the need for
communication and fostering a sense of involvement in online classes. The
college's Instructional Technology Advisory Group (ITAG) made a formal
recommendation at its November meeting that online instructors be expected to
respond to student communication in less than 24 hours, five days a week.
Review and Recommendations
Student enrollment in the college's eCampus has risen
dramatically in the two years since it was officially created. In the fall of
1909, 619 students were taking online courses. That number increased to 1152 in
the fall of 2000 and 2911 in the fall of 2001. From those statistics alone, it
is evident that SPC has already achieved considerable success in expanding its
pool of e-learners. Looking
at the four key areas needed to increase access identified in this report, this
is where the college stands:
A. Planning. SPC has a long history of careful planning before new
ventures are begun. Within the Technology Plan, the Electronic Campus
Plan, and the Distance Education Master Plan, it is possible to find most, if
not all, of the issues identified nationally as critical to the successful
development of an e-learning initiative or expansion. These plans also provide
valuable background information for new staff members and faculty who are
working with eCampus management, development, or course delivery.
B. Individual Initiatives. Project
Eagle has enabled the college to accelerate the speed at which it has developed
e-learning opportunities unique to SPC. Laptop classes and complete online
programs in areas like veterinary technology, medical laboratory technology and
emergency management are among the few, if not the only, of their kind in the
country.
One critical initiative that has proven elusive is the
ability for a student to complete an application for admission online. Getting
the college's required speech course online has been another, and is one that
needs to be accomplished for the college to reach its goal of offering an A. A.
degree entirely online before the conclusion of Project Eagle in 2003. In spite
of this, students can still obtain the degree by distance if they take speech
as a telecourse. It is worth noting that even before the start of Project
Eagle, the college offered a complete A. A. degree telecourse program.
SPC is fortunate to have an administration that is not only
open to but also looking for new programs and new ways to offer them. The
college's recent change in status from a two-year to a four-year institution is
an example of this attitude. By the fall of 2002, SPC will become the first
community college in Florida to offer bachelor's degrees, and will do so in
education, nursing and some technology fields. Although this effort is in its
infancy, there is little doubt that e-learning will be part of it, thereby
increasing access to education for an even larger pool of learners.
C. Collaborative efforts. SPC's
University Partnership Center is one of the largest of such ventures in the
country. As with the development of the college's new baccalaureate offerings,
e-learning plays an ever larger part, as new courses are created and new
programs added. There is no doubt that this kind of collaboration has been a
successful means of expansion.
In addition, SPC has played an active, sometimes pivotal,
part in all the state and regional activities enumerated in this report. Like
the college, Florida has long been a leader in finding innovative methods of
delivering information electronically to the state's students at all levels.
Efforts like LINCC, FACTS, and eChoices demonstrate the commitment by the state
legislature to underwrite online ventures that provide access to everyone.
One area of possible collaboration that is growing
nationwide, but has not yet been tried by SPC, is joint arrangements with the
military or other agencies, private or public, to offer online courses and
programs. Partnership with a major player outside the academic world would
enlarge the potential student base tremendously without expensive marketing
efforts.
D. Retention. Until SPC makes collection of data on e-student retention
routine, it is difficult and impractical to get a reading of how well the
college is doing in keeping students once they enroll in e-courses. Some
preliminary studies have begun, but effective use of newly developed tools is
in its infancy. This information is vital to get a true picture of student
success or lack thereof, and the absence of such is curious in an institution
that is otherwise so committed to offering the best in e-learning.
Even with only preliminary statistics to prove it, the eCampus
recognizes the increased need for e-learners to receive support and
communication that will insure their success. The eCampus Web site is exemplary
in the inclusion of information that a student might need, and the creation of
a full-time CyberAdvisor position reflects the college's commitment to
satisfying its e-clientele.
From responses to a number of informal surveys of the
college's online faculty, it is fair to say that much of the visible success of
the college's distance programs can be attributed to them. Those who choose to
teach online are an unusually dedicated and innovative group. The online
discussion board that they have formed provides a glimpse of lively, creative folks
who truly enjoy the pioneer status they have, even with its difficulties.
Faculty are well supported by an Instructional Technology
department that strives to assist them, whether by its Electronic
Learning Journey (ELJ) training program or the one-on-one e-course development
assistance provided by instructional technologists and technical design
specialists. The college's Help Desk does an exemplary effort to provide the
technical support needed by both faculty and students.
As the eCampus continues to grow, it may be
prudent for the college to investigate the idea of a monitoring program that
would involve an intermediary of some kind between instructor and students to
handle the more mundane, often not content-related, aspects of course management.
It might require no more than a student assistant, but other schools have found
that the retention and success rate of online students improves when there is
someone like this assisting in course delivery.
Overall, SPC's attitude toward increasing access and
expanding its pool of learners is an extremely proactive one. If the momentum
for innovation continues after the funding provided by Project Eagle ends, the
future of the college in the e-learning field looks bright.
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