1 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence The Roadmap to Online Course and Instructor Certification: Why is UMKC on this Journey? Devon A. Cancilla, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Online Learning UMKC 2 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Certification is not just about meeting accreditation standards and has to be placed in the context of the broader changing educational landscape and evolving standards associated with education. Persistence Completion Competency-based Education Stackable Degrees Gainful employment Nanodegrees/Credentialing That said, UMKC must meet the 9 guidelines for online education adopted by the HLC. Certification of courses and instructors helps demonstrate that we are in compliance. 3 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Higher Education Act Reauthorization and potential changes. Originally Passed in 1965 (a simpler time) Alternative providers and degree recognition Financial Aid and Quality Assurance of Alternative Providers. StraighterLine, Pearson, Wiley ect Accreditation Standards for institutions Competency-based education (CBE) Regular and Substantive Interactions Accessibility (New 508) New and emerging standards and requirements Student Identity Verification Who is in your class Learning Analytics/Predictive Analytics v. Trust me, I am a doctor. Stackable Credentials, Credentialing, Nanodegrees Open Learning Resources Federal Regulations and Technology Changes are Impacting Higher Education 4 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 5 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence The Journey we are on understanding the culture, customs and norms -Or- How does online education accelerate/facilitate these changes F2F Education Online or Mobile Education Ethereal, Private, Linear, bound by space and time, traditions Permanent Digital Record, Public, Modularized, Freedom from space and time, Greater use of technology (adaptive learning, analytics) 6 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence % of Content or Activities Delivered Online Type of CourseWhat it looks like 0%Traditional 1-29%Web Facilitated 30-79%Blended/Hybrid/HyFlex/ Flipped/Telepresence Greater Use of eLearning Technologies 80+ %Online/eLearning/mLearning Greater Use of eLearning Technologies Understanding the Educational Environment What each makes possible. Usually synchronous (Time/space bound) Usually asynchronous (Anytime/anyplace) 7 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence We need to understand the traditions of higher education. Universities offer courses within programs that lead to degrees recognized through accreditation and assessment. Can This Process be Deconstructed/Disrupted? Is there a Burden of proof related to educational outcomes? Degree Process Today 8 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellenceworld of virtual campuses and distributed learning..courses are consumer rated like products on Amazon...tuition set by auction services like eBay....students judged not by grades but by skills they have mastered......day growing near when higher education confronts technological disruptions that have already upended the music and book industries.. 9 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Newspapers' most reliable source of revenueclassified advertising, not state subsidywas steadily disappearing. A host of online providers had emerged that were willing to deliver information to consumers faster, more cheaply, and more conveniently. And our loyal customer base of longtime newspaper subscribersnot unlike the seemingly endless supply of high-school graduateswas starting to lose confidence in us. Byron P. White, Chronicle of Higher Education, September, Adapt or Die 10 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Are these things happening in Higher Ed? 11 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Difficulty Quality Cost Enter a non-university degree Business Model Consumer Rated Products New product 12 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Business Model Consumer Rated Products New Tuition Models 13 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Business Model Consumer Rated Products Let the Market Decide 14 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellenceeffort/94351?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en February 19, 2015 What if Universities Are Not the Only Path a Degree? Alternative Providers and Pathways 15 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Alternative Providers, financial aid and degrees. 16 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence One model of partnering 17 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Students not judged by grades but by the skills they have mastered. Competency-based Assessments New Business Model Credit Hour v. CBE 18 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Who says a course has a value (financial aid) and can be used toward a degree? 19 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence An evolving/disrupted model! New Business Model for a Path to a Degree! Assumes degree is endpoint What about Stackable certificates/nanodegrees? Educational Broker Educational Brokerage Companies/universities Course collectives Course wholesalers Open Market Courses Analytics, Competency-based or Crowdsourced Assessments Reviewed/Evaluated Consumer Rated 20 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence These are all Factors Changing Higher Education. Recognize that the Higher Ed World is Changing. We have to be innovative and agile in our approach to courses We Have to Know and Follow Evolving Rules and Standards. Certification of Courses and Instructors through nationally recognized standards is one way to compete in a broader educational environment. Where does this leave UMKC? 21 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Certification, through the use of Nationally recognized criteria is becoming the standard for online programs. 22 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 23 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Certification is used to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards. Lets look at some issues. 24 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Certification also helps us to operate in other states Levels the playing field. If we want to grow with students from other states, we have to be approved! 25 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Tying certification to specific accreditation standards? 26 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 27 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence UMKC has Adopted Nationally Established Standards and Best-Practices for Certification IDs have been trained in online course reviews and training strategies through these organizations. UMKC Online will pay for any faculty or staff member who wishes to obtain certifications from these organizations and who are willing to serve as a UMKC course peer-reviewers. 28 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of ExcellenceThe Process: Your not alone on the certification journey! UMKCs Online services are free and there is funding for course/faculty development!!!! Instructional designers will work with you in designing and building your course and they provide training to meet standards. 29 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Building Online Capacity and Meeting Standards Funding for program/course development. Department overhead allowed Bonus funds for meeting deadlines and quality standards. Implement the use of analytics Certification 30 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Certification does not directly evaluate course content. It looks at the mechanics of of delivery and overall design of an online course. The departmental/college curriculum committee evaluates content and its appropriateness. A common misconception/fear related to certification! The assumption is that the department has reviewed and approved the course to be taught as part of its curriculum. This is a check box on the request for certification. 31 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Course and Faculty 32 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 33 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 34 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Building Quality Online Programs These is not your grandparents education. Required Faculty and Course Certification Fall of 2018 What does course certification evaluate? ADA Compliance National and Universal Online Course Design Standards Ease of Navigation Production quality Appropriate Use of Supported Technologies Meets Fair Use Standards FERPA compliant Clearly stated learning outcomes Opportunities for substantive student-student and student-faculty interactions (the course is not self-paced) 35 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Three Pathways (actually 4) for faculty certification Alternate: We will pay to for faculty/staff to attend external training to become a peer-reviewer. 36 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence 37 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence US News uses training requirements in its evaluation of online programs faculty training. 38 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Faculty Certification 39 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Why is this Important - Our Students want Quality Online Courses! Student demand for Quality Online Courses is there! Nearly 6 out of 10 students indicated they would likely take an online course at UMKC in the future This was especially true if the student had already taken an online course at UMKC For the students that had not taken an online course at UMKC before, if the reason was lack of availability or awareness Students who plan to take online courses at UMKC in the future prefer a mixture of class-room based and online courses There is considerable interest in pursuing a minor online Students want Quality Online Courses They can compare our courses. 40 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Online courses have to be active and engaging! It is different! There are measurable standards. There is work involved and it is not done alone! Faculty have to be comfortable with using technology! New technologies, such as the use of analytics, are going to add a new dimension to teaching! Online education changes rapidly and constantly! To Produce Quality Online Courses: Teaching Online Faculty engagement is the number one indicator of a quality online course the Human Touch! 41 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Knowledgeable Faculty and Design Teams Produce Quality Courses Quality Courses lead to Quality Programs Quality Programs are Supported and Lead to Quality Institutions. Quality Institutions are Accredited and Approved to Offer Online Courses/Degrees Engaging the learners of tomorrow today! Also remember that: 42 Online Toward an eLearning Campus of Excellence Be online certified you will. And the force will be strong with you And finally, as Yoda says..