( aka Distance)

Paula Minear
Director of Department and Student Services
Mary Caughey
Community College Pathways Coordinator

Pathways through Online Education:
Overview of Presentation
• Online educational opportunities at OSU
• Why would DPP students want to take
OSU online courses?
• Pathways
--Identifying and describing
--Implications for advising
• Specialized services for distant students

 Over 400 unique courses
 40+ different subjects
 Undergrad degrees in General Agriculture,
Liberal Studies, Natural Resources, and
Environmental Science
 2,000+ students each term; 50 states, 18 foreign countries, military
 >11,000 SCH each term
 Growing at 20% per year; doubled since
2002-03 academic year

 Courses appear as regular OSU courses on transcript
 OSU departments are in charge of curriculum and instruction
 Different tuition/fee structure; no nonresident pricing
 Tuition revenue share with departments
 Growing at 20% per year; doubled since 2002-
03 academic year

Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United
States, 2005 Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from over 1,000 colleges and universities
 63% of schools offering undergraduate face-to face courses also offer undergraduate courses online.
 65% of higher education institutions report that they are using primarily core faculty to teach their online courses.
 56% of schools identify online education as a critical long-term strategy.
 Overall online enrollment increased from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004.

Oregon Community Colleges
OSU

OSU
• Department chairs and other core OSU faculty
( 75 %)
• Adjuncts
(17%)
• TAs under supervision of faculty; undergrad courses only (8%)

OSU Blackboard Course
Management System

Courses – on Blackboard

Course Content
 organized by week, unit, or theme

Course Content per Week/Unit
 may include video, PowerPoint lecture with audio, simulations, readings, quizzes, animations, links to Internet resources, instructions for assignments and discussions

Discussion Boards

Instructor Control Panel
 upload content, manage discussions, make announcements, create and administer quizzes/tests, check attendance, enter and calculate grades, upload final grades to Registrar

OSU

Why would a DPP student want to take
OSU online courses?
• Access to a greater breadth and depth of course offerings than available at CC
• Explore career paths before they commit to a degree
• Can complete a portion of their upper division coursework prior to moving to
Corvallis or Cascades
• Can finish their OSU degree without leaving their community

Many similar characteristics to
Community College students…
• Average age in early 30’s
• Many work, have families and busy lives
• Seeking career change or advancement
• Need flexibility of online courses

Scenario 1:
The Distance Ed “Superhighway”
Students begin at Community College and complete their OSU degrees online

Complete Degree
Information

Planning Your
Degree

Scenario 1: Students begin at Community
College and complete their OSU degrees online
 “Interactive” Advising Guides
 Specialized Student Services

Searchable
Knowledge Base
Live Chat
Forum Topics

Scenario 2:
The Distance Ed “Scenic Route”
Students take selected OSU courses while living in their communities, then finish any OSU degree after moving to campus.
 Specialized, unique lower division courses
 Upper division courses required to complete Bacc Core or program requirements

• Interactive Degree Audit systems, e.g. ATLAS/DARS http://www.dars.muohio.edu
• Use technology to track and co-advise students
•
Collaboration with CC staff to identify online courses that fill gaps for DPP students

Student Services in an Online World
Program Information
Admissions
Advising
Schedule of Classes
Financial Aid
Registration
Student Accounts &
Payment
Grades & Transcripts
“Getting Started”
Bookstore
Blackboard
Online Tutoring
Disability Services
Proctored Exams
Library Resources
Help: technical and otherwise

Assist students with problems:
 Registration
 Add/Drop
 Petitions
 Test Proctoring
 Communication with instructors
ETC.

Live Chat hosts include staff from Ecampus, Admissions,
Library, and Career Services.
Amy Folz
Student Services Specialist
Extended Campus
541-737-4166 Live Chat -- Oregon State University -- Extended
Campus - Ecampus
Hi, I’m Amy Folz, the Student Services Specialist for OSU Extended
Campus. I help students in Ecampus courses with questions they have about admissions, registration, program information, petitions, proctoring and more. I help students find answers, and connect them with the resources they need to be successful. Come chat with me!