Questions to Aid in the Evaluation of Distance Learning (for Accreditation)

Recommendations

1. purchase of Etudes NG for Fall 2006 (starting July 2006 - training of faculty for Fall 2006 Semester) - cost $9000
Resource Analysis, Assessment & Planning, Districwide DE Committee, District VP's

2. Develop Application to Teach online and other required Article 40 forms - DDL Committee - http://profj.us/ddl/forms/application.htm

3. Establish online tutors, help desk, online tutorials, online library and databases available to online students

4. Develop a Faculty Training Center for online training

5. Develop student labs for students

6. Develop an online complaint process and "ombudsperson" to handle resovling student complaints.

7. the new LRC Director to establish a program to ensure students when logged in, are not just "surfing" or "playing computer games", and instead are doing meaningful, legitimate classwork such as class research papers.

Question for Accreditation:

An institution offering courses through electronic or other modes of distance delivery is expected to meet ACCJC standards and policies. The questions
below are provided to assist institutions in undertaking discussions as part of self study development. Evaluation teams will similarly use them in assess-
ing quality.

Curriculum and Instruction - Said Pazirandeh

1. What means does the institution have to ensure that courses intended for electronic or other modes of distance delivery are developed through a
process similar to traditionally-delivered courses?

(COMMENTS: DDL to create the Application to teach online and checksheet. Curriculum will notify new faculty who plan to teach online about the application. Other methods of dissemination of Article 40 requirements as to teaching and seniority need to be used to advise faculty of the new duties, obligations, and rights under the contract (Staff and Prof. Development to do this). The LACCD also will develop online programs, AA, etc. and faculty can then be contacted in various IGETSE disciplines and encouraged to teach their respective classes in an online format.

2. How does the institution ensure that courses and programs provide for timely and effective interaction between students and faculty?

COMMENTS: Here we can use "Meet and Confer" for Office Hours and online tutors.

3. How does the institution ensure that courses and programs provide for effective interaction among students?

COMMENTS: Here is where the Course management system uses threaded discussions, forums, and online chatrooms to student to student interaction.

4. How does the institution ensure that faculty has responsibility for and exercise oversight of electronically-delivered courses and programs, en-
suring both the rigor of those courses and programs and the quality of instruction?

COMMENTS: LAMC needs to develop electronic evaluation of the online faculty. Also establishing a Faculty Mentoring Program would provide quality instruction. Finally, Faculty, both on campus and online should be required in their syllabus to provide "Student Learning Outcomes" to ensure high quality programs.

5. How does the institution ensure that the technology used is appropriate to the nature and objectives of the courses and programs?

COMMENTS: LAMC needs to purchase ETUDES NG to ensure good use of technology. Belonging to a community of educators and developers will enhance the technology used to deliver our online programs and classes.

6. How does the institution ensure the currency of materials, courses, and programs?

COMMENTS: use of online evaluation by students - other ways?

7. How clear and effective are the institution’s distance learning policies concerning ownership of materials, faculty compensation, copyright is-
sues, and the utilization of revenue derived from the creation and production of software, telecourses, or other media products?

COMMENTS: Sandy Thomsen, Mike Climo, DDL and Tech Committee to discuss and develop these copyright materials.
Faculty Compensation is covered in Article 40 of our new contract. (contract issues - reivew and implement). Ownership of Copyright by Faculty is covered in Article 41 of our new contract.

8. How does the institution ensure that appropriate faculty support services specifically related to distance learning are provided?

COMMENTS: provide a common platform, like Etudes NG, to ensure the teaching platform is up and running 24/7 and establish a Faculty Center with "Best Practices in Teaching with Technology"

9. How does the institution provide effective training for faculty who teach using electronic means?

COMMENTS: a Faculty Center, workshops by Professional Development, and continuing relations with the Etudes NG and Sakai Community to ensure the latest implementation of technology by our college.

Evaluation and Assessment - Marian Manalo

1. How does the institution assess student capability to succeed in electronically delivered courses and programs?

COMMENTS: student takes an online orientation (Are you ready to take an online class?) -

2. How is this information applied to admission and recruiting? How effective is this assessment?

COMMENTS: Place tutorials up on the college web-page so students can easily access to see if they are ready, and work with Admissions to educate everyone in the mission, objectives, and technology used in online classes. Train one counselor by having them take an online class, and have that counselor answer questions from students seeking online classes. Maintain a "Help Desk" for students in online who have questions about the online classes.

3. How does the institution evaluate the educational effectiveness of its electronically-delivered courses and programs (including assessments of
student learning outcomes, student retention, and student satisfaction) to ensure comparability to traditionally-delivered courses and programs?

COMMENTS: Provide a student end of course "Satisfaction Survey". Coordinate with the Curriculum Committee on "Student Learning Outcomes" ("SLOs"), and ensure that the online course syllabus and assignments contain the SLO's. Run enrollment figures at the end of the semester, and compare with beginning of the semester. Establish an Enrollment Management Team for Online Classes, and troubleshoot "retention" problems in the online classes.

4. How does the institution ensure the integrity of student work and the credibility of the degrees and credit it awards?

COMMENTS: Ensure the quantity and quality of online assessments through enhancement of quizzes, forums, threaded discussions, and chat applications. Also implement "proctured" final exams by having remote locations such as libraries "proctor" the final online exams.


Library and Learning Resources - Sandy Thomsen

1. How does the institution ensure that students have access to and can effectively use appropriate information resources?

COMMENTS: Provide an online library of resource materials to online students.

2. How does the institution monitor whether students make appropriate use of the technology and computers?

COMMENTS: the new LRC Director will establish a program to ensure students when logged in, are not just "surfing" or "playing computer games", and instead are doing meaningful, legitimate classwork such as class research papers.

3. How does the institution provide laboratories, facilities, and equipment appropriate to the courses or programs?

COMMENTS: See our Technology Plan, and talk with our IT Director on student laboratories.

Student Services - Anafe Robinson

1. How does the institution provide adequate access to the range of student services appropriate to support the programs, including admissions, fi-
nancial aid, academic advising, delivery of course materials, and placement, and counseling?

COMMENTS: We need to develop online counseling as part of our online programs. Also Financial Aid materials have been placed online. EDTE$T® is an interactive loan counseling tool, offering participating campuses the opportunity to provide their students with online loan counseling.

2. How does the institution provide an adequate means for resolving student complaints?

COMMENTS: Develop an online complaint process and "ombudsperson" to handle resovling student complaints.

3. What advertising, recruiting, and admissions information does the institution provide to students that adequately and accurately represents
the programs, requirements, and services available?

COMMENTS: Currently the online programs are listed on the main page of the College webpage - under http://lamission.edu/online. Mission as part of the LACCD is participating in the newly orgranized Districtwide DE Committee which is planning joint districtwide advertising of the online programs, including materials for students who desire to get an AA degree taking just the online classes offered throughout the District. The DDL Committee at Mission is developing a marketing strategy including advertising of its online classes and programs.

4. How does the institution ensure that students admitted possess the knowledge and equipment necessary to use the technology employed in
the course or program?

COMMENTS: Student orientation at the beginning of starting an online class. Other support services needed to be developed for student success in online classes.

5, How does the institution provide assistance to students who are experiencing difficulty using the required technology?

COMMENTS: We need to develop and implement an online "help desk" for students who experience difficulty with technology. Also the new LRC Director should train the LRC tutors to assist students having problems with any of the campus technology or equipment. Student workers could be enlisted to help on the "help desk".

Facilities and Finances - Karen Hoefel

1. How does the institution ensure that equipment and maintenance required for electronically-delivered courses and programs are provided
effectively?

COMMENTS: Provide a uniform platform for course management - i.e. Etudes NG. Provide online materials for orientation, tutoring, online library databases etc. for the online students.

2. How are facilities, staffing, equipment, and other resources associated with the viability and effectiveness of the electronically delivered courses
and programs reflected in the institution’s long-range planning, budgeting, and policy development processes?

COMMENTS: The College needs to budget yearly for use of the Etudes NG Platform.

updated: 11-25-05 at 1:08 pm