As a recent doctoral recipient form Creighton University it is probably time to begin writing. In this case I am going to write about my area of expertise, online learning. I will be referring to an article by Mary Bart entitled, Steps for Creating and Growing Your Online Program (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/growing-successful-online-programs-at-a-small-school-2/). Bart (2016) describes the five important steps for growing your online program, with specific focus on the growth of Abilene Christian University (ACU)that decided to increase enrollment by creating an online program to reach non-traditional students. In the article Bart focused on five specific areas, that i to have addressed when writing my dissertation on, Secondary Teachers' Perceptions of Online Learning (2015). So, I encourage the reader to read her article and then read my take on each of these areas that does not have a specific focus on post-secondary (post-high school), but will also look at researcher at the secondary level (K-12).
1. Define your purpose for having an online program-At the secondary level online learning is becoming more attractive especially to those non-traditional students. According to Dew (2012) the following groups have especially emerged; (a) Adults-that have busy schedules and lean towards getting further education geared towards career advancement. Second (b) International Student enrollment has greatly increased seeking educational opportunities outside of their homeland's. Last, (c) Military Personnel, pursuing further education during and after active duty. An example of a successful post-secondary program, is the Internet Based masters in Educational Technology (iMet) program at the University of Northern Illinois. that started an online program in 2000 and of the 226 students that enrolled between 2000-2009, 93% completed all of the coursework without interruption (Cowan, 2012). This program focused on just adults living in the area that could attend classes face-to-face 25% of the time and the other 75% of the coursework could be done online. In addition, 75% of those seeking new employment were successful in finding new positions (Cowan, 2012). In conclusion, in this case it is not only understanding the purpose of the online program, but following through on keeping finding strategies on retaining students and helping them after completion of the program. In fact, many of the iMet students return to teach classes and help with the introduction part when new students arrive and attend the 4 day retreat before they start the program (they do this to address any questions or concerns new students have).
At the secondary level, the following programs varied with their purpose of starting their own online programs, however, they were unique as compared to the post secondary programs;
Washington Academy of Arts and Technology reached out to the local Hutterite population outside of Spokane that traditional had their children attend school until only the 8th grade so they could help working on their family's farm (McLester, 2011). However, by attending online courses these Hutterite children were learning not only basic skills needed after 8th grade, but, the use of technology that further helped their family in an ever-changing world where technology was becoming more relevant in agriculture. On the other hand, the Boulder Universal Online School District was losing 150 students or more annually (McLester, 2011), therefore, the focus shifted on addressing those deficits that these students had by developing an online programs that would help students get back on track to graduate.
Assign an administrative leader-I think this can be a lot easier said than done, meaning, in the infant stages of online learning, at least at the secondary level, many administrators were hired with little or no online learning experience. If they did have experience it was probably because they had taken an online course and had not taught one. Therefore, there can be a real gap in understanding between teacher and administrator when developing and executing a successful online program. This is also the case in the traditional classroom, a teacher can feel more comfortable taking advice and constructive criticism from "one" who has taught for many years vs. "one" who has no teaching experience. This is also the case in online learning!
Additionally at the post-secondary level, according to Allen et al (2012) administration and fculty were miles apart on their perceptions of online learning. For example, 80% of administrators looked at online learning with more excitement than fear, while faculty members only 42% perceived online learning with more excitement than fear. Even more telling, was that 38% of faculty members agreed or strongly agreed that online learning can be as effective as in-person instruction as compared to 83% of administrators who agreed or strongly agreed online learning could be as effective as face-to-face (FTF) instruction. Clearly a gap between those that teach the courses and administration!
Create faculty buy-in- This again can very difficult for an administrator with little experience and understanding of online learning. However through my research the following advantages of online learning were most notable by those who were surveyed at the secondary level (Brown, 2015);
Top Six Advantages of
Online Learning
|
Advantages category
|
# of responses
|
|
Students
are able to move at their own pace
|
69
|
|
Flexibility
|
48
|
|
Ideal
for students that are highly motivated
|
43
|
|
Technology or need to be tech savvy
|
25
|
|
Ideal for student who do not do well in
a traditional classroom
|
24
|
|
Ability
to accommodate students
|
22
|
In addition, secondary staff members surveyed responded that the following strategies were necessary for creating a successful online learning program (Brown, 2015);
Top 10 Strategies or
Tools to Make a Successful Online Program
|
Tools or strategies
|
# of responses
|
|
Have
to become tech savvy/easy navigation
|
49
|
|
Video
live chats/discussion threads/recorded sessions
|
48
|
|
1on1
teacher communication
|
47
|
|
collaboration
opportunities
|
30
|
|
Organized
content
|
26
|
|
Not
sure
|
20
|
|
Hybrid
classroom
|
19
|
|
Self-motivation
skills
|
18
|
|
Pace
and flexibility
|
14
|
|
Communication
amongst all parties
It should be noted that 20 were not sure, which could be for a variety of reasons, but primarily probably due to the lack of knowledge of how online learning operates.
Build online student support services-This varies depending on the level of students being taught. However, one crucial aspect of online learning is the ability of the online learning institution to create a sense of community. At Northern Illinois and even at Creighton University's (doctoral in educational leadership) the use of cohort groups to create a sense of community is a common strategy for giving students a sense of belonging. At the secondary level, events throughout the year can bring students together that otherwise do not have FTF contact with their classmates. Possibly meeting at different places throughout the state where students live for bowling or other festivities that bring students together. In addition, and probably most importantly, online programs should have knowledgeable counselors and/or staff to address issues and provide support to the students that they serve,
Consider outsourcing-This is a must, let the professionals take care of the technology part of the online program and provide the necessary training needed to operate the program. This should include 24/7 tech support and have a Learning management System (LMS) that is user-friendly to all parties involved and a Student Information System (SIS) that is informative and includes all the information needed to communicate with students and their family's. Although this may be costly it is estimated that when it a district develops their own online program it takes up to 18 months and requires a wide range of professional development on content, design, technology, and instruction (INACOL, 2010: pros and cons).
Just a few things to thing about and it was good to get back at it and think about these things again:)
References
Allen, I. E.,
Seaman, J., Leaderman, D., & Jaschik, S. (2012). Conflicted:
Faculty and online educations, 2012. Babson Survey Research Group.
Bart, M. 2016. Steps for creating and growing your online program. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/growing-successful-online-programs-at-a-small-school-2.
Brown, C. 2015. Secondary teachers'perceptions of online learning. Creighton University
Cowan, J. E.
(2012). Strategies for developing a community of practice: Nine years of
lessons learned in a hybrid technology education master's program. TechTrends,
56(1),
12-18.
Dew, J. R.
(2012). The future of american higher education. World Future Review,
7-13.
iNACOL.
(2010, July 21). Pros & cons.
Retrieved from http://www.onlineprogramhowto.org/curriculum/make-or-buy/pros-cons/
McLester, S.
(2011). Building a blended learning program. Retrieved from District
Administration website: http://www.DistrictAdministration.com
|
10
|
