On Meeting the Guidelines for Electronically Delivered Programs At Masters Degree Level

A Report On Meeting the Guidelines for Electronically Delivered Programs At Masters Degree Level Submitted by Table of Contents Institutional Context and Commitment……………………………………………1 Curriculum and Instruction……………………………………………………… Faculty Support…………………………………………………………………….14 Student Support……………………………………………………………………17 Institutional Context and Commitment 1a In their content, purposes, organization and enrollment history if applicable, the programs are consistent with the institution’s role and mission The broad objective of Fairmont State University (FSU) is the education of its students as intelligent and productive persons, capable of participating in and understanding the world of the twenty-first century Specifically, the mission of FSU is to provide programs needed by those in its geographic service area, to the extent permitted by its financial and human resources and its assigned role in the state’s system of public higher education Fairmont State University is closely identified with its community Partnerships with business and industry, public schools, government agencies and other organizations contribute to the economic, cultural and social development of the region Through these community relationships and educational programs, the University fosters enlightened and productive citizenship in its immediate locale, the region and the world This mission is accomplished by meeting a number of objectives, including: • Bringing selected study opportunities into communities in the University’s service region through the use of the mass media, regional education centers, external degree programs and other forms of nontraditional study • Relating the breadth of the curriculum to the availability of appropriate employment opportunities and the needs of business, industrial and public service agencies in the University’s service area • Encouraging a broad segment of the populace, including various age groups and the economically deprived, to avail themselves of educational opportunities • Promoting graduate education by offering select graduate programs and by providing on-campus access to graduate programs of other institutions With the advent of electronically deliverable course material and its inherent ability to meet many of the critical elements of the mission statement, i.e., accessibility, affordability, responsiveness, and a quality higher educational opportunity, it is a natural progression for FSU to move in the direction of making electronic course delivery a reality for the citizens within its service region It is also logical that the initial electronic degree offerings through the Graduate School be in the Masters of Education program since this degree program fulfills a distinct and essential need in the public education sector of our service region and we have a long, proud and successful history in training and educating public school teachers The number of courses delivered entirely online by Fairmont State (Fairmont State University and Fairmont State Community & Technical College) has steadily increased since the 2002- 2003 academic year when a total of 45 courses were offered In 20042005 a total of 144 online courses were taught In 2005-2006 we offered a total of 178 online courses Two years ago we offered no graduate courses online while in 200520062005 we offered 39 1b It is recognized that a healthy institution’s purposes change over time The institution is aware of accreditation requirements and complies with them Each accrediting commission has established definitions of what activities constitute a substantive change that will trigger prior review and approval processes The appropriate accreditation commission should be notified and consulted whether an electronically offered program represents a major change The offering of distributed programs can affect the institution’s educational goals, intended student population, curriculum, modes or venue of instruction, and can thus have an impact on both the institution and its accreditation status “Fairmont State University has already developed a substantial set of courses taught online to its service area using the WebCT Vista platform and has put in place a number of excellent support structures for these courses, including creation of an office supporting online faculty development for faculty developing courses, establishment of financial support and release time for these faculty, and the creation of the Center for Teaching Excellence In addition a number of WebCT learning resources for students have been developed, and the experience base of the faculty is growing rapidly Online courses being offered currently or planned for the near future will enable students to receive a degree However, FSU will need to ensure and document that all elements of the program address criteria for best practices in electronically delivered programs.” (Assurance Section, Report of a Comprehensive Evaluation Visit to Fairmont State College, ID# 1663, April 28-30, 2003 for The Higher Learning Commission, page 29.) “The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Learning Technology are two excellent examples of how FSU has responded to new and emerging challenges These Centers address the need for faculty development and for leading the university into new areas of endeavor such as the electronic delivery of degree programs.” “The information technology infrastructure of Fairmont State has been significantly upgraded over the past four years, and a plan for continued upgrades is in place Investments in BANNER software and implementation, Campus Pipeline and WebCT Vista all contribute to strongly position the College for the future.” (Advancement Section, Report of a Comprehensive Evaluation to Fairmont State College (University), ID#1663, April 28-30, 2003 for The Higher Learning Commission, page 41.) Fairmont State Community and Technical College has already developed an accredited on-line Associates degree program in General Studies made possible in large measure by the excellence of the faculty development opportunities and continuing support of the Centers mentioned above 1c The institution’s budgets and policy statements reflect its commitment to the students for whom its electronically offered programs are designed The institution had a designated and sufficient budget for the fiscal year 2005 for the support and delivery of distance education This year, Fairmont State was one of three public higher education institutes (Marshall University and University of West Virginia being the other two) that were selected to implement the new VISTA version of WebCT VISTA is a much for flexible and powerful tool for both faculty and students The Center for Learning Technology is providing intensive training workshops for faculty members to facilitate their transition to VISTA The Center also provides an expanded faculty support system that includes faculty mentors that are available to assist any faculty member with questions regarding the fundamental use of VISTA as well as ways to enhance the pedagogical use of this on-line delivery system Refer to Appendix A for the Online Course Policy that was developed for online course delivery 1d The institution assures adequacy of technical and physical plant facilities including appropriate staffing and technical assistance to support its electronically offered programs The Instructional Technology office has a full-time staff of three The Director has primary responsibility for preparing and delivering instruction for faculty in the development of online course materials The director holds faculty rank within the School of Education The other two positions within the office include a Learning Systems Administrator and one full-time clerical support position The Learning Systems Administrator has the responsibility to see that the technical components of the online delivery service are functioning properly In addition, she is responsible for supporting batch processes to load courses from the student information system into the online course management system The clerical position serves as the initial point of contact for faculty’s technical questions This individual either addresses questions directly using an established knowledge base, or she refers questions to the Director or Learning Systems Administrator Online courses are also supported by the college’s help desk located in the computer services office or alternatively in the Library during the hours when the computer services help desk is not available These services are the initial point of contact for student questions concerning the technological functions of the online course system Course content questions are the responsibility of the faculty member Technical questions that cannot be answered by these services are referred to the Instructional Technology office All faculty members have computers at their desks with an internet connection A help desk exists at the Ruth Ann Musick Library to assist students with technical problems they encounter with their computer connections The library’s hours are M-TH 7:30 a.m to midnight, Friday 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Saturday a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday p.m.midnight Students also have direct access to their instructor via WebCT interfaces There are over 700 computers available on campus in open laboratories giving students computer access while on campus and e-learning centers are available in locations in the service area with broad band connectivity to the campus servers Currently there is a three year cycle for up-grading computers owned/leased by the Fairmont State 1e The internal organizational structure which enables the development, coordination, support, and oversight of electronically offered programs will vary from institution to institution Ordinarily, however, this will include the capability to: • Facilitate the associated instructional and technical support relationships • Provide (or draw upon) the required information technologies and related support services • Develop and implement a marketing plan that takes into account the target student population, the technologies available, and the factors required to meet institutional goals • Provide training and support to participating instructors and students • Assure compliance with copyright law • Contract for products and outsourced services • Assess and assign priorities to potential future projects • Assure that electronically offered programs and courses meet institutionwide standards, both to provide consistent quality and to provide a coherent framework for students who may enroll in both electronically offered and traditional on-campus courses • Maintain appropriate academic oversight • Maintain consistency with the institution’s academic planning and oversight functions, to assure congruence with the institution’s mission and allocation of required resources • Assure the integrity of student work and faculty instruction Fairmont State determined that an electronically delivered M.Ed degree in Online Learning and a M.Ed degree in Professional Studies were important in meeting its mission The service region for Fairmont State constitutes 13 contiguous counties in north-central West Virginia, one of the most rural states east of the Mississippi river The topography is mountainous, making travel difficult to the main campus in Fairmont or to one of the two larger delivery sites within the service region; i.e., Clarksburg or Morgantown There is adequate computer connectivity and bandwidth throughout the region to support delivery of courses via internet; therefore, the decision was made to offer a significant number of courses within these graduate degree programs via the Web Once this decision was made steps were undertaken to assure that there was an infrastructure in place to support the delivery Fairmont State chose to use WebCT as their Learning Management System (LMS) software because: • there was a statewide license for WebCT • it was currently being used by most higher education institutions in West Virginia and • it was being used by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) of which Fairmont State is a member Support for the WebCT server hardware and software resides in the Computer Center Organizationally, the Center falls under Academic Services Maintenance on the server is provided by the Computer Center Staff In October 2003, a WebCT administrator was hired to support the WebCT server and provide a level of technical support beyond what is provided by other staff In September 2001, the Learning Technologies Center (LTC) was established to assist the campus community in their efforts to develop the online two-year associate degree program The Center’s Director initiated the Online Course Development Grant program to support faculty who were developing online courses The grants are available through an application process and require the signature of the department chair A person seeking a grant must be a full-time faculty member or an adjunct faculty member who has previously taught the course for the college A committee consisting of the Provost of FSC&TC, the Vice President and Provost for FSC, the Vice President of Academic Services, and the Director of Learning Technologies review applications and award the grants Grantees must sign a waiver form indicating that they give up ownership of the course to Fairmont State The LTC staff is also responsible for all faculty training, support, and documentation The first line of support for students is the reference desk at the Library All reference desk staff members have completed a six-hour training course on the use of WebCT from a student perspective Second tier support is currently being offered by the LTC staff The newly hired WebCT administrator will also offer second tier support 1f In its articulation and transfer policies the institution judges courses and programs on their learning outcomes, and the resources brought to bear for their achievement, not on modes of delivery According to System Procedure No 31 of the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC), students who transfer from one state college or university to another may transfer core coursework that will count toward fulfillment of institutional requirements at the receiving institutions Copies of the agreement are available in the office of the Registrar and online at http://www.hepc.wvnet.edu/academic/index.html Additionally the Graduate School has a Graduate Transfer of Credit Requirement policy approved and adopted by the Graduate Council Refer to Appendix B.(NEED B)This policy includes a formal process by which any prospective graduate student can seek transfer credit of any graduate course they have completed The underlying intent of our policy is to insure an appropriate level of quality while remaining flexible to the diversity of graduate school experiences The mode of delivery has no significant role in the determination of transfer credit The essential element is that the course must have been offered by an accredited graduate school 1g The institution strives to assure a consistent and coherent technical framework for students and faculty When a change in technologies is necessary, it is introduced in a way that minimizes the impact on students and faculty Fairmont State informs faculty and students of new software in several ways First, the Learning Technologies Center (LTC) has a webpage where updated information is posted Second, information is sent to all faculty members via email Third, the LTC offers extensive training and orientation sessions for faculty In addition, any new resources or changes that directly affect WebCT are posted as announcements in WebCT These announcements appear on every faculty and the student’s MyWebCT portal This infrastructure and process was utilized during the spring and summer of 2005 as a lead up to the institutional transition to the new VISTA version of WebCT Training and education of faculty, staff and students continued during the 2005-2006 academic year 1h The institution provides students with reasonable technical support for each educational technology hardware, software, and delivery system required in a program Currently the reference desk at the Library is the first point of contact for students needing help with WebCT The Library’s hours are M-TH 7:30 a.m to midnight, Friday 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Saturday a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday p.m.-midnight Students may call the Library, send email, or visit In addition, there is an email link on the standard WebCT template that students can use to send email to the LTC LTC staff monitors and check the email at least three times a day The LTC also maintains a webpage that includes a student FAQ, a series of online tutorials for students, and a student handbook 1i The selection of technologies is based on appropriateness for the students and the curriculum It is recognized that availability, cost, and other issues are often involved, but program documentation should include specific consideration of the match between technology and program Fairmont State chose to use WebCT as their Learning Management System (LMS) software because: • there was a statewide license for WebCT, • it was currently being used by most higher education institutions in West Virginia, and • it was being used by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) of which Fairmont state is a member The state recently acquired a statewide license for the next generation of WebCT software called Vista Due to the stability of their current WebCT server, the campus-wide support for online learning, and their well-planned faculty development program, Fairmont State was selected to serve as one of three host sites for in the state The campus beta tested Vista in the Spring 2004 semester and fully implemented it as its online delivery system in the Fall 2005 semester WebCT, Inc is the world's leading provider of e-Learning solutions for higher education It is used by over 3000 colleges and universities in the world It offers Fairmont State faculty the flexibility and features necessary to create and deliver their online courses It allows for 100% asynchronous courses but offers the ability for synchronous learning if desired In addition, WebCT has developed a “PowerLinks” relationship with a number of software and hardware vendors which provides increased seamless functionality 1j The institution seeks to understand the legal and regulatory requirements of the jurisdictions in which it operates, e.g., requirements for service to those with disabilities, copyright law, state and national requirements for institutions offering educational programs, international restrictions such as export of sensitive information or technologies The Director of the Instructional Technology office is the individual primarily responsible for keeping the college informed of legal compliance requirements as they relate to online course systems This requirement is explicitly identified in the director job responsibilities The director maintains currency in these matters by attending professional development conferences and seminars For the last three years the college has provided support for the director to attend an average of three national and/or regional conferences per year It is expected that this same level of support will continue into the future Refer to Fairmont Institutional Self-Study Report of 2003 for a complete discussion of compliance issues All students taking courses through electronic delivery modes are subject to the same rights and responsibilities as stated in the Self-Study Report Several widely distributed publications address student rights and responsibilities: FSU and FSC&TC Catalogs, Student Handbook, and the Faculty Handbooks of FSU and FSC&TC (IN GRADUATE CAT?) Curriculum and Instruction 2a As with all curriculum development and review, the institution assures that each program of study results in collegiate level learning outcomes appropriate to the rigor and breadth of the degree or certificate awarded by the institution, that the electronically offered degree or certificate program is coherent and complete, and that such programs leading to undergraduate degrees include general education requirements After extensive review of the few existing Masters of Distance Education and Masters of Online Learning programs that existed as of Sept 2003, The Masters of Education in Online Learning was developed This degree includes the type of classes typically found in this type of degree program as well as the core classes associated with all Masters Degrees at Fairmont State University Discipline specific courses include, Introduction to Online Learning, Instructional Design for Online Courses, Online Course Management, Online Assessment Techniques, and Copyright and Fair Use As is standard with most master level programs that either requires a thesis or a practicum, this degree program requires a practicum Students must also complete a comprehensive exam prior to graduation Instructional, the program was set up to model Chickering and Gamson's Seven Principles of Good Practice, i.e., encourages active learning In all of the Online Learning classes students are expected to complete online activities and develop projects, checklists, papers, etc Technically, the classes in the program are designed so that they are Section 508 compliant Course content is validated at the W3C web site to ensure accessibility All courses also meet the checklist guidelines developed by the Fairmont State University Learning and Technology center This checklist includes items such as what should be included in the syllabus, the size of page files, etc Finally, all courses in the program model best practices as described by the Sloan Foundation and the Southern Regional Education Board 2b Academically qualified persons participate fully in the decisions concerning program curricula and program oversight It is recognized that traditional faculty roles may be unbundled and/or supplemented as electronically offered programs are developed and presented, but the substance of the program, including its presentation, management, and assessment are the responsibility of people with appropriate academic qualifications Academic responsibility for online graduate program curricula and for recommending establishment of new online graduate programs rests with the Graduate Faculty of Fairmont State University The Graduate Faculty’s members all have an appropriate terminal degree in the field in which they will perform The Graduate Faculty delegates certain of these powers to the Graduate Studies Council 10 This online course supports the principle that good practice communicates high expectations by including a list of assignments and their point values in the course syllabus, by providing examples of model assignments, etc (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practice encourages cooperation among students by including opportunities for students to work in groups, by encouraging students to assist each other with problems, by encouraging student interaction, etc (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practice encourages time on task by including due dates for assignments and tests, by outlining the steps necessary to complete assignments, etc (1)Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practice encourages student /faculty contact by listing online and offline contact information for the instructor, by the faculty member responding to student’s questions and concerns, etc (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practice encourages active learning by including assignments and materials that require active participation by the student, etc (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practices gives prompt feedback by the instructor grading assignments in a timely fashion, by the instructor responding to student’s emails and other correspondence in a timely manner, etc (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True This online course supports the principle that good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning by providing a variety of teaching and assessment methods (1) Definitely False, (2) More False than True, (3) In Between, (4) More True than False, (5) Definitely True 13 Faculty Support 3a In the development of an electronically offered program, the institution and its participating faculty have considered issues of workload, compensation, ownership or intellectual property resulting from the program, and the implications of program participation for the faculty member’s professional evaluation processes This mutual understanding is based on policies and agreements adopted by the parties Fairmont State established the “Online Course Development Program” to compensate faculty for developing online classes Faculty members, with approval from their department chair, are given the choice to received payment for course development or release time for course development Faculty members are also paid a course overload the first time they offer the course online The course then becomes part of the faculty members’ general workload This program is fully available for the development of online graduate courses Faculty members receiving an Online Course Development Grant are required to sign a waiver form that gives ownership of the course to Fairmont State The waiver indicates that the faculty may take the course content with them should they leave the campus 3b The institution provides an ongoing program of appropriate technical, design, and production support for participating faculty members The Learning Technologies Center provides technical, design, and production support for faculty The Center has five “high-end” computers that have multimedia and other web technologies software installed to assist faculty with developing digital and web-ready materials The Center’s staff and the campus WebCT VISTA Faculty Mentors are trained in using all the software and are available to assist faculty in developing course materials In addition, the Director of the Learning Technologies Center has a background in education and instructional design and provides instructional design support for faculty The Director has a Master Online Teacher certification (21 credits hours) from the Illinois Online Network and the University of Illinois Online Faculty members who have participated in the Online Course Development Program report the following: • • • “The grant program was successful in my eyes I have become a better teacher overall as a result I have gained knowledge and skills in technology and have learned more about pedagogy I appreciate the support I received in this program I loved the grant program I believe that it should be required for faculty to complete the online course and training program even if they not receive a grant I believe the information is priceless I have found tremendous support in the assistance I received from Dr Humbert and the WebCT staff I have designed and taught WebCT courses before, but I learned many new things that have made this course better than what it would 14 • • • • • have been had I not participated in this grant program My other online classes have also improved as a result Ultimately, the students benefit from such support I am a strong supporter of this grant program The program is well-taught, logically designed and very useful Excellent I feel that Fairmont State is definitely moving in the right direction with this Through the program, I was provided with every resource I needed to develop and teach my online course The amount of time devoted to developing these courses is not adequately compensated I received less for both the development and the delivery (each) than I for an overload, and the development in particular was much more work I would recommend a two semester development time with everything else that is going on and a greater stipend for that time The grant program is well organized and complete to adequately prepare faculty to teach online classes I probably would not have found the time to become involved in online learning if the grant had not been available.” 3c The institution provides to those responsible for program development the orientation and training to help them become proficient in the uses of the program’s technologies, including potential changes in course design and management There are several opportunities for faculty to gain continued support in their online course development efforts: The Learning Technologies Center continues to offer training sessions and other web technologies to faculty The center has hosted an “Online Course Development Showcase” (OCDG) where members of the campus community could see demonstrations of online courses that were created as part of the OCDG As a “wrap-up” to the showcase, faculty teaching the online courses had a half hour session to share best practices In the recent past the Center has hosted a “Principles of Good Practice” luncheon series Every other week beginning in February, selected faculty will host a round-table discussion and demonstration on one of the Principles of Good Practice The sessions are open to current online instructors and others interested in teaching online The Learning Technologies Center has developed an online class “Online Course Assessment” 3d The institution provides to those responsible for working directly with students the orientation and training to help them become proficient in the uses of technologies for these purposes, including strategies for effective interaction The Library Reference Desk staff offers first level support for online courses Most of the library staff are also faculty members and are currently teaching online classes In addition, all have received a six-hour course on WebCT VISTA from a student perspective and have attended customer service training provided by Noel-Levitz The 15 second level support for students is provided by the learning technologies center staff and the WebCT administrator This group has also worked with local internet service providers to assure they have server settings compatible with WebCT so that students can participate in chats and other course activities 16 Student Support 4a The institution has a commitment – administrative, financial, and technical—to continuation of the program for a period sufficient to enable all admitted students to complete a degree or certificate in a publicized timeframe Fairmont State has spent considerable time and valuable resources as a part of the institutional strategic plan to develop the infrastructure and support the electronic supplementation and delivery of courses, as a means of meeting the institutional mission The regular scheduling of courses in the Online Learning and Professional Studies programs enable students to make reasonable progress towards the completion of either degree 4b Prior to admitting a student to the program, the institution: • Ascertains by a review of pertinent records and/or personal review that the student is qualified by prior education or equivalent experience to be admitted to that program, including in the case of international students, English language skills • Informs the prospective student concerning required access to technologies used in the program • Informs the prospective student concerning technical competence required of students in the program • Informs the prospective student concerning estimated or average program costs (including costs of information access) and associated payment and refund policies • Informs the prospective student concerning curriculum design and the time frame in which courses are offered, and assists the student in understanding the nature of the learning objectives • Informs the prospective student of library and other learning services available to support learning and the skills necessary to access them • Informs the prospective student concerning the full array of other support services available from the institution • Informs the prospective student about arrangements for interaction with the faculty and fellow students • Assists the prospective student in understanding independent learning expectations as well as the nature and potential challenges of learning in the program’s technology-based environment • Informs the prospective student about the estimated time for program completion Information about electronically delivered courses appears in the Course Schedule, both printed and available online, each semester Students are referred to the Fairmont State webpage, www.fairmontstate.edu, where they are directed to click on Distance Learning The distance learning site provides information and a link to the WebCT VISTA site for the Successful Online Student Information is also provided regarding the schedule specifically for online courses by each academic term 17 Information: FS makes every effort to keep students informed about services and provides mechanisms for students to give feedback about how their needs are being accommodated Announcements are made via the internet through the institution’s website, in the newspapers—both “The Columns” (the student newspaper) and The Times-West Virginian (the local newspaper) An FS Catalog is printed annually along with course schedules each semester Schedule inserts are included each semester in newspapers throughout the service region with information about traditionally delivered classes as well as those electronically delivered Starting in the 2006 Spring Semester a separate Graduate Studies Catalog will be available on the web Admission: Students can obtain an application for admission electronically through the FS webpage, www.fairmontstate.edu, or through a traditional paper application available from the Graduate Studies Office When admitted into a graduate program, students are assigned an academic adviser who will guide the student in meeting his/her academic goals Students registering for the first time meet with their academic adviser, either in person, by telephone or through email to discuss their academic goals, receive information about placement testing, course selection, policies and procedures, and fee payment, etc Enrollment/registration in programs and courses: Students can schedule courses after meeting with their academic adviser Students typically schedule for courses at the same session with their adviser After the initial scheduling, students are allowed to modify their schedules electronically through the FS webpage Active graduate students are permitted to register themselves for courses according to their degree plan which must be approved by their graduate advisor Financial aid: Graduate students not receive any financial aid except through the awarding of federal loans Fairmont State University provides the same assistance in facilitating this process as it does for undergraduate students Secure payment arrangements: Upon official admission into the Graduate School and appropriate program of student, each graduate student is given a UCA (Unified College Account) by which they can securely access all course information, email and pay their tuition and fees online Timely intervention regarding student progress: Grades are posted on WebCT VISTA so students and instructors know the students’ academic progress In addition, email is a built-in feature so instructors and students can 18 be in contact; instructors can communicate with students who are not submitting work on time or offer assistance via email when students are having difficulty with assignments Instructors set up assignments to be completed within a certain time period If the assignment is not completed, the student can no longer access the material This keeps students current on the material and aware of deadlines Also, students get immediate feedback on quizzes and instructors receive grades on these quizzes immediately Tutoring: Students can access the Chat Room of the WebCT course to ask for assistance In addition, students work collaboratively to help one another in order to accomplish the tasks Career counseling and placement: Fairmont State offers career counseling and placement activities through its Career Planning and Placement Office Students interact with this Office via telephone, email, and walk-in visits Career counseling is available online regarding specific questions Coaching on resume writing, interviewing, salary negotiation, and job searching is also available to students off campus through email contact with the Career Planning and Placement Office Resume reviewing is done with electronic feedback to students The Career Planning and Placement Office website includes free career quizzes, links to employers and job search sites, numerous career and employment guides, graduate school information, an online resume database, newspaper links, and other relevant services Academic progress information: Students who attend FS are able to access updated (unofficial) academic transcripts via the Banner Student Self-Service Enrollment Center located on the FS webpage at www.fairmontstate.edu The transcript can be viewed and printed out by the student from any internet site, if the student has an activated UCA account The transcript shows the student’s transfer and institutional work, courses in progress, pre-registered courses, the current and cumulative GPA’s, grades and hours completed The unofficial transcript can be viewed alphabetically by courses, or by term, a feature that will assist advisers with manual degree audits Advisers can go online and review a student’s status and communicate electronically with off-campus students about advisement issues 19 Library resources appropriate to the program, including, reference and research assistance; remote access to data bases, online journals and full-text resources; document delivery services, library user and information literacy instruction, reserve materials; and institutional agreements with local Libraries The Libraries of Fairmont State maintain continuing records of usage of circulating materials, electronic resources, use of the Libraries, and instructional sessions offered for instructors, etc As an example of usage, the following recent data is provided A Technology Resources: Library attendance (visits) in FY05: 305,443 Library circulation of print/media FY05: 64,332 Reference questions answered FY05: 7,852 (an undercounting, since we often forget and I not keep track of the hundreds of questions answered through the “askalibrarian” email account) Use of Electronic course reserves FY05: 20,836 Number of electronic databases: About 165 with over 18,000 journals full text and online Use of electronic databases FY05: 337,144 (we not have statistics for some of the databases, but this covers most of them) Number of electronic books online: over 45,000 Number of audiobooks available for download: 800, plus 30 new titles added per month Number of open hours per week: 101 hours Training in information literacy including research techniques: The Libraries of Fairmont State provide information literacy and training in research techniques in a variety of ways The Libraries have developed a special distance learning web site, with specific information for each location, and with information about how students may contact librarians for assistance The Libraries' website contains tutorials, research guidance, citation information, etc., that address information literacy and training as well as specific needs for programs Students are often asked for the telephone number where they may be reached and the librarians contact them to talk them through specific research 20 projects Students have a librarian available approximately 100 hours per week to assist them, and many take advantage of this service Through the email account askalibrarian@mail.fscwv.edu, librarians regularly answer questions from all students, regardless of location, and provide both guidance and actual documents Materials (books, videos, cds) needed from the collection are mailed to students The Libraries are currently experimenting with Docutek's Virtual Reference Librarian, an online chat service that connects a student in live, real-time chat with a Reference Librarian who can converse via chat, can push appropriate webpages/documents to the student, and can guide the student's research online Finally, the Libraries have a Distance Learning Library Services Librarian who travels to all sites and works with faculty and students The Librarian provides instruction in how to use the databases, the online electronic books, and other resources available to them through the Libraries' collections Each session is individualized to meet the course goals of each faculty member Students are encouraged to use the Libraries' services and hundreds of calls are handled to provide library services Bookstore services: ordering, secure payment, and prompt delivery of books, course packs, course-related supplies and materials and institutional memorabilia FSU operates a virtual bookstore that students can access through the FSU webpage or directly through http://direct.mbsbooks.com/fairmont.htm At this location students can purchase textbooks and materials needed for their classes as well as sell books back to the bookstore Payments are accepted through a secure ordering system Ongoing technical support, preferably offered during evenings and weekends as well as normal institutional working hours The Library offers a full range of technical support to students who take electronically delivered courses The scope of support includes the following: • Guide students through setting up their Unified College Account (UCA) which allows them to access WebCT, the Student Enrollment Self-Service Center for Registration, Scheduling, Grades, etc Troubleshoot problems with passwords and problems with incompatible computers, and often perform the transactions on campus in order to get the student set up properly Contact the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, Banner personnel, etc., to get problem accounts activated and operational • Help students with federal Financial Aid forms and talk them through the process of getting a pin number, filling in forms, and filing promissory notes This is done in person and by telephone • Work through computer-related issues Many PCs are not compatible with the FS’s SCT Banner software, or are not set-up to run WebCT VISTA The library staff members talk students through these issues with machines and software, and get assistance from computing experts, if unable to fix the problem 21 The librarians spend many hours on the telephone assisting students who are trying to research Some students not have sufficient computer literacy skills, so the librarians work with individuals on a step-by-step basis The Library has a proxy server which authenticates against the UCA account of all current faculty, staff, and registered students This allows everyone to access all databases and electronic materials where ever the student has Internet access The librarians work through the use of databases with students, help with individual assignments and projects, and provide Interlibrary loan services for materials not owned by the Libraries The librarians train students to use the Internet effectively, as well, since there are many valuable sites among the millions that are not reliable or authoritative The librarians work with both faculty and students to set up Electronic Reserves (a way for faculty to post articles, Powerpoint presentations, etc on a secure website) The librarians work with faculty, regardless of location, to put materials on the electronic reserves server, and assist students in accessing the materials if they have forgotten the password or not know how to get to Electronic Reserves The E-Reserves server has the capability of converting a document faxed to it into PDF, making it easy to put documents online quickly The librarians assist students with specialized software being used for a variety of classes and work with students who have to PowerPoint presentations, need to learn to use FrontPage, have to convert documents from WordPerfect or Microsoft Works to Microsoft Word, etc The Library staff members, because of their availability, make contacts for students to get additional help/information they need from offices that are open 8:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m Monday-Friday Referrals for student learning differences, physical challenges, and personal counseling Refer to the FSU Institutional Self-Study 2003 (pp 97-98), for statements about institutional policies for students with disabilities and personal counseling These policies are the same for students taking courses through an electronic delivery Access to grievance procedures: Grievance procedures for students enrolled in electronically delivered classes are the same as for students enrolled in traditionally delivered courses Information about grievance procedures appears in the Student Handbook and on the FS website www.fairmontstate.edu 4d The institution recognizes that a sense of community is important to the success of many students, and that an ongoing, long-term relationship is beneficial to both student 22 and institution The design and administration of the program takes this factor into account as appropriate, through such actions as encouraging study groups, providing student directories (with permission of those listed), including off-campus students in institutional publications and events, including these students in definitions of the academic community through such mechanisms as student government representation, invitations to campus events including graduation ceremonies, and similar strategies of inclusion FSU has a long history of working with students throughout its service region, delivering courses in each of the thirteen counties in the service region All students receive a Fairmont State Identification Card that gives them access to all services All students are encouraged to maintain contact with FS via email, telephone, and personal visits to the campus whenever possible FS prides itself on being responsive to our students’ needs Adjunct faculty are encouraged to take advantage of in-service developmental activities sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Learning Technologies Center Adjunct faculty are encouraged to participate in advisory board and regular meetings of each of the academic units when they are at a time that is convenient for the adjunct faculty member Department Chairs/Program Coordinators remain in contact with adjunct faculty teaching within their programs of study Through WebCT VISTA students are encouraged to get involved in threaded discussions with their classmates regarding different topics in each course They can enter chat rooms specific to their courses or chat with others involved in any other online course In these discussions with fellow students faculty can discern learning needs of the students and begin to address them through individualized messages back to the students 23 Evaluation and Assessment 5a As a component of the institution’s overall assessment activities, documented assessment of student achievement is conducted in each course and at the completion of the program, by comparing student performance to the intended learning outcomes As with traditionally delivered courses assessment activities are located throughout the course in writing assignments, discussion group participation, quizzes, presentations – both individual and group, homework assignments, and, in the case of electronically delivered courses, chat room participation 5b When examinations are employed (paper, online, demonstrations of competency, etc.), they take place in circumstances that include firm student identification The institution otherwise seeks to assure the integrity of student work Faculty have numerous methods for assuring integrity of student work; e.g faculty can use selected proctors for examination administration where the proctor has a PIN that can be used to access the examination for a student who has identified themselves with their College Identification Card; timed tests are available that limit the amount of time a student has to complete the examination; the number of times a student may take the examination can be set electronically; in test design, faculty can use question sets from which the computer will randomly select questions assuring no two students take exactly the same examination Over the course of the semester through various assignments, instructors gain an excellent idea of the level of work students are capable of rendering When an anomalous result is registered, faculty can investigate 5c Documented procedures assure that security of personal information is protected in the conduct of assessments and evaluations and in the dissemination of results All students have a Unified College Account (UCA) that is established by the student and is password protected The UCA is entered anytime a student enters the WebCT VISTA arena The only way security is broached is if the student disseminates his/her password 5d Overall program effectiveness is determined by such measures as: • The extent to which student learning matches intended outcomes, including for degree programs both the goals of general education and the objectives of the major • The extent to which student intent is met • Student retention rates, including variations over time • Student satisfaction, as measured by regular surveys • Faculty satisfaction, as measured by regular surveys and by formal and informal peer review processes • The extent to which access is provided to students not previously served 24 • • • Measures of the extent to which library and learning resources are used appropriately by the program’s students Measures of student competence in fundamental skills such as communication, comprehension, and analysis Cost effectiveness of the program to its students as compared to campus based alternatives NEEDS NARRATIVE 5e The institution conducts a program of continual self-evaluation directed toward program improvement, targeting more effective uses of technology to improve pedagogy, advances in student achievement of intended outcomes, improved retention rates, effective use of resources, and demonstrated improvements in the institution’s service to its internal and external constituencies The program and its results are reflected in the institution’s ongoing self-evaluation process and are used to inform the further plans of the institution and those responsible for its academic programs FSU employs a comprehensive program on continual self-evaluation directed toward program improvement through various needs assessments, assessments of student perception of instruction, and ongoing retention studies for traditional and electronically delivered classes The institution submits a Compact and Master Plan for Academic Programs yearly to the HEPC showing three year trends and how well we are progressing toward strategic goals in the area of retention, graduation rates, licensure passage rates, and quality of assessment efforts, only a few of the categories For a much more detailed description of assessment activities please refer to the Institutional Self-Study 2003 5f Institutional evaluation of electronically offered programs takes place in the context of the regular evaluation of all academic programs? Institutional evaluation of electronically offered graduate programs will take place during the Academic Program Review Process for all graduate programs that is coordinated by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Council The periodic review process will adhere to the guidelines established by the Council of Graduate Schools and set forth in its publication, Assessment and Review of Graduate Programs (Refer to Graduate Council Governance Plan for specifics) Programs are also subject to special review where enrollments and placements could put the program in jeopardy 25 APPENDIX A Online Course Policy Part 1: Campus Recognized Online Courses In order to be recognized as an official online course at Fairmont State, courses must: Meet the requirements of the Online Course Development checklist The checklist may be found on the following webpage: http://www.fscwv.edu/lt/grant.html Meet the “Principles of Good Practice” as outlined by Chickering and Gamson These principles as applied to distance learning can be found at: http://pbs.org/als/frn/principle.html be approved by the Director of Learning Technologies Part 2: Listing Approved Online Courses in the Schedule of Courses Campus approved online courses must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the college/school during the normal course submission period a Online courses must include the word “online” after the course title b Online courses must also be coded as either “E” or “T” courses “E” courses are those that are 100% asynchronous “T” courses are 8099% asynchronous c Online courses must indicate whether or not they require instructor permission to enroll in the course The Registrar’s Office staff will forward a list of online courses (indicating which ones require instructor permission) to the Director of Learning Technologies The Director will include the courses in the general list of online courses for the campus and forward the list to the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) for inclusion in the West Virginia Virtual Learning Network (WVVLN) Part 3: SREB Course Information Online instructors who have their courses approved and active in the Southern Regional Education Campus (SREC) must include a section for the SREB class when classes are submitted to the Registrar’s Office during the normal course submission period All SREB courses are “E” courses SREB courses must indicate whether or not they require instructor permission to enroll Part 4: Assistance Available for Faculty Who Wish to Develop an Online Course Each semester, the Learning Technologies Center, accepts applications for an Online Course Development Grant for faculty who wish to develop an online course Complete details about the grant program can be found at: http://www.fscwv.edu/lt/grant.html The Learning Technologies Center staff is available to assist faculty who wish to develop an online class who choose not to apply for a grant 26 27 ... service region through the use of the mass media, regional education centers, external degree programs and other forms of nontraditional study • Relating the breadth of the curriculum to the availability... waiver form that gives ownership of the course to Fairmont State The waiver indicates that the faculty may take the course content with them should they leave the campus 3b The institution provides... with information about how students may contact librarians for assistance The Libraries' website contains tutorials, research guidance, citation information, etc., that address information literacy