Thoughts on Distance Education
for the MS-SWE Program
An open-minded perspective
With exit survey results from
SWE 642, Fall 2010
Jeff Offutt
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Advocacy and Promotion
• Much discussion on DE is one-sided, driven by
advocacy
– Instructors should not be coerced or forced
– Scientists objectively consider all sides
– If we decide a method is sound, our energy is infinite
• Last year Sharon Caraballo asked me a simple
question:
– “What would it take for the Software Engineering
program to make a full commitment to distance ed?”
??? Quantity … Quality ???
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Objective Thoughtful Deliberation
• This talk is a result of objectively consideration of
all sides of Distance Education
– After gathering information and accumulating experience
using DE in SWE 642 (F 2010), SWE 632 (S 2011), and
several invited talks
Here are my thoughts and
conclusions
• So far … I have not finished …
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Parameters and Assumptions
• DE can be applied synchronously or asynchronously
• DE can transmit the computer screen, audio, and
video
• DE can include in-class students or only internet
students
Most of the CS Department’s DE classes use:
• Synchronous delivery through the Internet
• Computer and audio, not video
• In-class students
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Quality versus Quantity
1) I am unwilling to sacrifice quality to deliver
my classes through distance education
• Despite assertions to the contrary, this is a challenge
2) DE must help “us”, where “us” is our
students, the program, me, IT&E, and GMU
IN THAT ORDER
• If the only benefit is quantity, I am not interested
3) Students First
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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Quantity Goals for Using DE
• Save our existing students the inconvenience of
driving to campus
• Attract new students from the area who are unable
or unwilling to make the commitment to coming to
campus
– This includes “blocks” of students from companies
• Attract new students from out of the area
“Why” should be the FIRST question!
But these goals are all about quantity
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Quality Goals for Using DE
• Previous goals emphasize convenience (quantity)
• Can the technologies required for quality DE make
non-DE courses better ?
• Can DE delivery improve the quality of our classes ?
– Or at least, not reduce the quality ?
• Can DE help us compete with our peer institutions ?
• Can recordings help students prepare for finals ?
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Essential Aspects of Quality
Valuable and challenging material
Clear explanations
Frequent feedback
Clear goals and learning outcomes
Fair and unbiased assessments
Rigorous assessments with high standards
Can we use DE without losing these
aspects of quality?
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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Presentation Style
• To use DE to teach effectively, we must change many
classroom habits
– This directly impacts habits that make us to be effective
communicators and good teachers
• Some habits of good teachers :
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–
–
–
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Being dynamic and interactive
Holding students’ interest
Using subtle feedback to dynamically update the presentation
Using body language to emphasize points
Using slide transition to increase learning
These are different, harder or impossible with DE
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Presentation Habits to Change
• We cannot physically point to the projector screen
– Using a mouse is a less effective alternative
• We cannot look students in the eyes to regain
attention
– Or see when their attention strays
• We cannot use auxiliary technologies like the
whiteboard
– Write notes on the computer (eg, with Notepad)
• The DE students cannot see us—we must constantly
remember and allow for this fact
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Presentation Habits (cont)
• We cannot see the DE students—we must
constantly remember and allow for this fact
• We must remember to monitor the computer
screen for questions from the DE students
• Must repeat questions from in-class students
Understand what to change,
then learn new habits
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Course Structure Restrictions
• Weekly in-class quizzes are not possible with DE
– Unless we do not use them for grading
• Handwritten homeworks can’t be submitted on paper
– We have to pay to print our DE students’ homeworks
• Feedback on homeworks is harder
– Writing on paper is natural, typing into Blackboard is
awkward
• It is harder for DE students to query about grading
Students learn more with frequent, detailed
feedback and evaluations
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Student Issues
• Experts agree that DE works best for highly
motivated, independent learners, with strong
backgrounds
– This may be why some instructors observe that the DE
students score higher—they self-select
• Many existing students tell me that even when they
register for a DE section, they come to campus when
they can
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Other Uses of Technology
• Online submission : Widely used
– If you need printouts, I don’t think it’s worth it
• Discussion threads : I have had VERY lively
discussions on various topics
• Online questions : Students can post technical
questions on BB
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TA or Prof can answer
Other students often answer !
Often start interesting discussions
Very effective in SWE 642 and 205, less so in SWE 632
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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Delivery Technology
• Most technologies support
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Audio delivery
Sharing of the entire screen, or individual applications
Limited feedback from the students
Video (GMU has few facilities for video)
• Some features do not allow powerpoint transition
– A very effective presentation technique !
• They have accidental differences, but they do not
affect the essential concern
Question of quality education is
mostly independent of technology
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Technology Summary
• I preferred Adobe Connect
• Elluminate has advantages
– For advanced users (Usability : More to learn)
– For instructors who already use BB heavily
• Some students had trouble connecting to Elluminate
• Elluminate recordings are only available to class members
– By default—instructor can get an external link
– And can be deleted at the end of the semester
• It’s easy to forget some of the little steps
– I have a detailed checklist
GMU has chosen Elluminate as a standard
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My Elluminate Checklist
BEFORE CLASS
0. CHARGE THE MIKE!!!!
1. Create a new session
a. Blackboard, click Teach
b. Click Elluminate icon
c. To create a new session *CLICK HERE*
IN CLASS
1. Login to BlackBoard (courses.gmu.edu)
2. Teach tab
3. Click on Elluminate session name
4. Setup microphone
a. Tools - Audio - Select Input Device
Revolabs xTag
b. Click microphone icon bottom left
5. Open applications: PPT, browser
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Part of My Elluminate Checklist
6. Share applications
a. Click left icon of screen with green arrow
b. Choose Firefox, PPT, notepad, ...
7. Start recording
Tools - Recorder – Record
WHEN FINISHED
8. Stop recording
Tools - Recorder - Record
9. Stop sharing desktop
Click left icon of screen with green arrow (same icon)
10. Session - leave session
VIEWING RECORDINGS
Blackboard - Course Content - Elluminate - Recordings
Use the calendar control top right to choose the right day
Click on the Recording Name
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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Motivating Instructors
• It takes more effort to teach online
– Mostly the first few times, learning new habits
• I had 75 students last semester … why would I want more?
• A teaching reduction is a net loss with an instructor shortage
– SWE needs instructors in the classroom
• Other ideas :
– Summer support
– A GRA (not taken out of the GTA pool!)
– A bonus
• I paid a $75 additional fee for my daughter to take a DE
course at VA Tech
– The instructor said he got a direct cash bonus
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Motivating Instructors (cont)
• In a recent meeting, discussion was cut off as soon
as critical questions came up
• If GMU wants more DE, wouldn’t it be better to
convince and motivate us?
– Offer us help?
– Strategy so far has been to pressure us, stifling teamwork
• A suggestion:
A full-time staff member who is an expert in DE
This person can visit our classes and advise us on
how to use DE effectively
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Intellectual Property
• University policy number 4002
– http://www.gmu.edu/facstaff/policy/newpolicy/4002res.html
• Based on my reading of this policy, we have no
rights to our recorded lectures
– GMU can use our lectures to teach the class again,
without our consent and without any compensation
– If I want to teach my class in the summer, GMU could
say “no”, then “teach” the class using my recorded
lectures and a TA to grade homeworks
Why would I consent to have my lectures
recorded and archived ?
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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(8) Exit Survey, Fall 2010
• Offered DE to SWE 642 students, Fall 2010
– Announced on first day, used Adobe Acrobat
• 37 students
– 18 students attended online at least once
• Survey at the end of the semester
– Anonymous
– Google survey
– 20 responses
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Num Lectures
Joined Online
Num
Students
0
8
1
3
2
4
3
3
4
1
8
1
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Why Did You Attend Online ?
• Conflict kept me from coming to campus (12)
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Tired after work
Couldn’t leave work on time
Sick
Daughters sick
Missed the bus
A meeting at work ended at 4:00 every week
• Attended online 8 times
• No other reason given
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Why Not Attend Online More?
• Could not hear questions from in-class
students (5)
– Instructors need to repeat questions
• Easier to concentrate in classroom (4)
• Enjoy interaction in class (4)
• Too many technical difficulties in other
classes (3)
– Instructors must become skilled with technologies
• Sitting at home doesn’t feel like college (2)
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Why Not Attend Online More?
(cont)
• Worried about missing things on board (1)
– Type notes on the computer, not the board
• I wanted to get my homework back (1)
– Grades on blackboard are assessments, not
feedback
• Felt like I learned more in class (1)
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Numeric Answer Questions
• Was the quality of learning online as good as being
in class?
– (1=Much worse, 3=The same, 5=Much better)
2.93
1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4
• How was the quality of the audio ?
– (1=Poor, 5=Excellent)
4.15
• How was the quality of the visual component ?
– (1=Poor, 5=Excellent)
4.08
• How was the quality of the interaction with online
students?
– (1=Poor, 5=Excellent)
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3.62
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What Should be Improved ?
• Video of professor (9)
– Many DE experts believe that video does not improve
learning
• Audio pickup of students questions (2)
– Instructor should repeat. (Always?)
• Feedback on assignments (1)
– A very important part of learning
• See where the professor is pointing (1)
– Using the mouse to point is a difficult habit to internalize
• Use ANYTHING but NEW!! (1)
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Dropdown Answer Questions
• Would video increase learning ?
No : 2
Yes : 12
• How did this DE class compare with other classes
that used DE ?
Worse : 0
Same : 2
Better : 10
• What DE technology did you use in other classes ?
Elluminate : 3
New : 7
Moodle : 2
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If You Did NOT Attend DE
Why Not?
• Prefer interaction with professor and
classmates (5)
– Try to involve online students
• Can’t concentrate online (4)
• Already on campus (1)
• Technical problems in other classes (1)
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How Did the DE Affect In-Class?
• Software required too much attention (2)
• It was handled more smoothly than other
classes (2)
• Minimally (unlike in other classes!) (1)
• I would like to hear online students talk (1)
• Don’t forget to record lectures ! (1)
– I forgot this twice …
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Recordings
• Did you watch any recordings ?
No : 6
Yes : 14
• Did the recordings help ?
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Helpful to review hard topics (7)
Helped when I missed class (2)
Slightly, when I missed part of the lecture
A lot in doing homeworks
Yack, deadly dull!
Not much—needs editing, and it’s hard to search for a
topic
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Other Comments?
• Much better than other DE classes (SWE 621, SWE 625, CS 555)
• NEW is awful and should be prohibited !
• Most professors ignore online students, never ask questions,
never repeat questions, …
• Classes with boring professors are fine online, but we lose a
lot watching this class online
• Students know online classes are crap, but it’s better than
driving
• I hated online last semester, but now I’ve seen Elluminate
and a professor who changes his teaching style. I’m glad
GMU finally got some training for professors!
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Other Comments?
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Higher fees for online is a terrible idea !
Include video
I like being able to review the recordings
In my other class we lost 10 to 15 minutes almost every day
because of technology problems
Can I access it out of the states ?
Need better hardware
It was handled well in swe 642, unlike other classes
I love you because you didn’t use NEW !!!
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Outline
1. Goals of DE
2. Changes in Teaching
3. Delivery Technology
4. Motivating Instructors
5. Exit Survey in SWE 642
6. Summary
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Summary and Recommendations
• Yes, it is possible to teach DE courses well
– Help students who have trouble making 4:30 classes
– Not hurt students who come to the classroom
• Some benefits :
– Recordings are available for reviews
– Increased availability and convenience
– Marketing
• No evidence that DE sections increase enrollment
• Instructors need modest help getting started:
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Knowing what to change
Help on how to change
Learning technology
Turning skills into habits
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Teachers Must Adapt and Learn
• Go to the classroom 10 minutes earlier
• Write comments in Notepad, not on the whiteboard
– Or a technology that lets us draw pictures
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•
•
•
•
Use the mouse to point on-screen
Keep DE students involved
Give feedback to DE students electronically
Watch for DE students’ questions
Learn technology well enough so our fumbling does
not affect students in the classroom
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Universities Must
• Invest in DE technology
– Elluminate … done !
• Invest in modest training
– At our convenience
– Preferably attending classes to offer tips and suggestions
• Motivate us to put out the extra effort
• Re-negotiate ownership of recordings
• Video teachers ?
– Many experts say video does not improve learning
– Students definitely want it !
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Can We have Quality and Quantity?
Yes
But we have to work at it
Learn new skills
Turn skills into habits
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