Teaching and Learning in the Distributed Learning Environment

1

• Teaching and Learning in the Distributed Learning
  Environment
• Sheldon L. Stick, PhD
• College of Education and Human Sciences
• University of Nebraska - Lincoln

2
FOCUS

• ANNUAL INCOME TWENTY POUNDS,
• ANNUAL EXPENDITURE NINETEEN
• NINTEEN SIX, RESULT HAPPINESS.
• ANNUAL INCOME TWENTY POUNDS,
• ANNUAL EXPENDITURE TWENTY POUNDS
  
• OUGHT AND SIX, RESULT MISERY.
• Charles Dickens book, David Copperfield spoken
  by
• Mr. Micawber to Copperfield in chapter 12

3
PRESENTATION SEQUENCE

• UNL 3 - 17
• REALITIES 18 - 22
• ALABAMA 23 32
• ENDING 33 - 37

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BACKGROUND

• Enrollments Declining
• Geography and Population
• Cost
• Dislocation
• Changed Attitudes
• Traveling Team
• Technology
• email
• blended courses

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Courses

• Began with as needed (six)
• Blended and Instructors traveled Guam
• Now in excess of 34 from Department
• Research Courses from other Areas
• Educational Psychology
• University of Alabama-Birmingham
• Other institutions
• Complete Program online
• Some interviews, advising, program
• development, comprehensives, proposal,
  defense (use real time compressed audio/visual)

6
Growth

• 22 385 students
• No formal advertising 4 to 30 weekly inquiries
• Brochures at conferences.
• Curtailed enrollments and pruned rolls.
• Perhaps 240 now matriculating
• Excess of 275 Graduates
• Ph.D. and Ed.D.
• 42 to 78-months (RANGE IS 17,000 - 22,000)
  Some not on campus until Hooding

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MOTIVATION

• UNL tuition non-resident 1,100/course
• resident 455/course online
  755/course
• Initially got up to 70 of D.E. revenue.
• Currently developing market-driven contracts with
  about 33 returned.
• Fall 2006 about 84,000.
• Probably 275 graduates since 1996.

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Some Serious Money

• 275 graduates
• Average 51 credits
• Use figure of 755 per 3-credits
• 17 courses X 755 12,835
• 12,835 X 275 3,529,625
• Presumably averaged 50 1,764,812.5
• 1,764,812 /14-years 126,058/annually

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Our Program

• Both K-12 and ELHE online
• Compressed audio/visual for proposals and
  defense.
• Luxury of being in class regardless of time and
  location.
• Faculty travel
• Students travel
• Importance of advising

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RECRUITING
WORD-OF-MOUTH MAILINGS TO COMM.
COLLEGES CURRENT STUDENTS WEB PAGE FREE
ADVERTISING
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FYI

• 65-70 percent non-residents
• 10 percent international students
• Barrier free (time and location)
• Networking
• Community building
• Ramp time (platform and courses)
• Student maturity
• Self-efficacy and responsibility
• for learning

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Virtual Venues (7)

• Virtual Classrooms
• Cafeteria
• Faculty Office
• Journal
• Literature Bank
• Course Library
• University Library (24/7)

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WHAT LEARNED

• Amount of instructor time and effort
• Adult learners insecurities
• Professional development
• Front-loading of entire course
• Need for records of communications
• Early involvement critical
• Revenue generated
• Scholarship (students and faculty productivity)

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MANAGEMENT

• ONLINE EARLY
• PARTICIPANTS
• SYLLABUS
• FONT COLOR
• MODULES
• 6-10 PER COHORT
• FIRST NAME

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SUGGESTIONS

• EARLY REGISTRATION
• CAP ENROLLMENTS
• SYLLABUS
• FONT COLOR
• MODULE TIMING
• FIRST NAME
• REMINDERS

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INSTRUCTOR NEEDS
TIME 3-4 X more intense upfront ORGANIZATION
EMPATHY EXPECTATIONS TECHNICAL
SUPPORT SUPPORTIVE ADMINISTRATOR
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ADVISING RESEARCH TEACHING SERVICE ROBUST PROGRAM
-DIVERSITY -MATURITY -QUALITY
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ONLINE LEARNING

• Allen and Seaman (2004) reported that 53.6 of US
  1,100 institutions of higher education believed
  online learning opportunities were critical to
  their long-range strategy.
• Majority of academic leaders believe that online
  learning quality is already equal to or superior
  to face-to-face instruction.

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ONLINE LEARNING (CONT.)

• More than two-million students now enroll for
  online courses projected to increase.
• All Carnegie Class institutions expect more
  growth in online learning. Slowest rate expected
  at undergraduate level, but expected to find
  increases approximating 20.

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PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

• University of Phoenix 250,000 alumni 320,000
  students. Started in late 1970s.
• Claimed persistence rate of 60.
• Cost for Bachelor Degree 30 40,000.
• American Council on Education (2000) claim was 16
  million students attending H. E. in the United
  States during 2006, and about two-million are
  engaged in online learning.

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CAPELLA UNIVERSITY

• Cooperates with U. S. Armed Forces.
• 25 of all U.S. community colleges.
• At least 120 corporations.
• Transfer in up to 48-academic credits.
• Tuition 4050 for doctoral study/quarter.
• Costs for comprehensive exam, dissertation
  credits, and residential colloquium 3240.

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Omaha

• UN-O
• Creighton
• Several smaller institutions
• Metro Community College
• Bellevue
• Regis
• Phoenix
• Gallup 800 pound gorilla

23
BYU

• Dissertation on blended learning
• BYU maximum enrollment almost 30,000
• How to accommodate qualified students
• Survey of BYU faculty
• Interviewed 10 purposefully selected
• Small number interviewees not favorable
• Nature of course influenced attitudes

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16 PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

• Birmingham-Southern College - Birmingham, AL
• Concordia College
• Faulkner University
• Huntingdon College Judson College
• Miles College - Birmingham, AL
• Oakwood College
• Regions University
• Samford University - Birmingham, AL 
• Selma University Southeastern Bible College
  - Birmingham, ALSpring Hill College Stillman
  College Talladega College Tuskegee University
  United States Sports Academy University of
  Mobile

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15 ALABAMA PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

• Alabama AM University - Normal, AL Alabama
  State University - Montgomery, AL Athens State
  University - Athens, AL Auburn University -
  Auburn, ALAuburn University at Montgomery -
  Montgomery, AL
• Jacksonville State University - Jacksonville, AL
  Troy University - Troy, AL The University of
  Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL
•  
• University of Alabama at Birmingham -
  Birmingham, AL
• University of Alabama in Huntsville -
  Huntsville, AL University of Montevallo -
  Montevallo, AL University of North Alabama -
  Florence, AL University of South Alabama -
  Mobile, AL University of West Alabama -
  Livingston, AL University of Alabama System -
  Tuscaloosa, AL

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UAB
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Headcount Enrollment by LevelFall 2006

• Ungrad. Grad. First Prof. Total
• UA
• 19,474 3782 622
  23,878
• UAB
• 11,284 4302 975
  16,561
• UAH
• 5,7211 372 N/A
  7,093
• UA System
• 36,479 9,456 1,597
  47,532

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2005-06 Completions by Degree-level

• Bach. Master's Doc. 1st Prof.
  Total
• UA 2,815 1,201 181 172
  4,369
• UAB 1,706 1,157 143 260
  3,266
• UAH 848 350 31 N/A
  1,229
• UA System
• 5,369 2,708 355 432
  8,864

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Fall 05 Full-time Faculty and Staff

• UA UAB UAH
  UAS
• Faculty 922 1,957 299
  3,178
• Staff 2,748 5,791 819
  9,358
• Total 3,670 7,481 181
  12,536
• Not including the hospital

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FACTS

• 2005 PER CAPITA INCOME 19,493
• 2005 POPULATION 4,557,808
• STATE AREA 52,423 SQUARE MILES
• DENSITY RATIO 11.6/SQUARE MILE

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ONLINE STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

• Community not important
• Working professionals
• Prior postsecondary education.
• Family obligations.
• Older more mature.
• Goal oriented.
• Diverse Geographically Culturally.

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FACULTY LOAD

• Work done at front end.
• Better control over weekly schedule.
• Auditory issues.
• Continuously monitor.
• Know students much better.
• On call 24/7.
• Carl Rogers

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PROGRAM ISSUES

• Ph.D. versus Ed.D.
• Nature of comprehensive examination.
• Nature of dissertation.
• Need for residency period?
• Number of doctoral advisees.
• Core courses?
• Research emphasis.
• Scholarship demonstrated.

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SUMMARY

• Revenue generation.
• Increasing competition for students.
• Decreasing enrollments.
• Enhancement of quality in applicants and
  learning.
• Greater involvement between and among faculty and
  students.
• Student focused learning networking.
• Flexibility for instructors and students.
• Increased access for students.
• Marked increase in scholarship for faculty
  students.

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FINALE

• The winds of change can be expected to blow
  continuously. Some will be soft and enjoyable but
  others will be strong and harsh.
• Ivankova, N., Stick, S. (2007). Online Higher
  Education Programs New Challenges, New
  Frontiers, New Learning and New Scholarship. In
  M. Miller D. Wright (Eds.) Training Higher
  Education Policy Makers and Leaders A Graduate
  program Perspective. Charlotte, NC Information
  Age Publishing/ Greenwood.