Distance Education Plan 2014-2017
Southwestern College Mission Statement
Southwestern Community College District promotes student learning and success by committing to
continuous improvement that includes planning, implementation, and evaluation. We serve a diverse
community of students by providing a wide range of dynamic and high quality academic programs and
comprehensive student services.
We provide educational opportunities in the following areas:
●
associate degree and certificate programs
●
transfer
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professional, technical, and career advancement
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basic skills, personal enrichment
●
non-credit adult education
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community services
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economic, workforce, and community development.
Southwestern College Distance Education Mission Statement
Southwestern College supports faculty and staff in developing and delivering quality online learning for
successful student outcomes.
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Table of Contents
Southwestern College Distance Education Plan
Mission Statement 2
About the Distance Education Plan 2
Distance Education in California 3
Distance Education at Southwestern College 4
Definitions 5-6
Data 7-12
Management and Support 12-13
Budget 14
DE and Academic Senate 14
Technology and Digital Infrastructure 14
A Note on Course Level Student Learning Outcomes 14
DE Program Level Learning Outcomes 14
DE and Academic Program Review 15
Program Goals & Objectives 15
Southwestern College Distance Education Handbook
Distance Education Handbook Introduction 20
Course Approval and Curriculum 20
Copyright 20
Design and Accessibility Requirements 20
Regular and Substantive Contact 21
Last Date of Attendance 23
Electronic Mail 25
Currency of Materials and Courses 22
Course Quality Evaluation and Assessment 22
Course Orientation 24
Evaluation of Faculty 25
Student Authentication & Fraud Prevention 25
Syllabus Requirements for Distance Education 26
Distance Education Faculty Training 26
Ongoing Professional Development 27
Course Management System Training for Web-Enhanced Instruction 27
Technology and Digital Infrastructure 27
Faculty Technical and Program Support 28
Student Support 28
Accessibility/Universal Design 29
Organization and Human Resources 30
Facilities 30
DE Plan Implementation Timeline 30
References 31
Appendix: Distance Education Syllabus Requirements 31
CurricUNET Distance Education Procedures 34
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Development of the 2014-2017 Distance Education Plan
The Distance Education (DE) Plan reflects the Southwestern College Mission, Strategic Plan and
Educational Master Plan. The purpose is to establish common goals and criteria for quality online
instruction, identify facilities and infrastructure needs, set standards for training faculty and students, and
make recommendations for faculty evaluation. This plan will guide online instruction over the course of the
next three academic years, 2014 – 2017. It is available to the Southwestern College community on the
college website at [Insert swccd.edu hotlink].
The DE plan will be evaluated and updated annually. The evaluation process requires the participation of the
DE Curriculum Committee ad hoc task force, the Academic Technology Committee, Online Support
Services, the Information Technology Department, distance education faculty, the Academic Senate, and
the Budget Committee. Annual review of the DE Plan is a three-step process:
1. Planning: The current plan is presented at a DE Curriculum Committee ad hoc task force meeting where
participants determine plan sections to be deleted, updated, or added. Suggestions for changes are
documented The DE ad hoc lead establishes a timeline and guides preparation of the first draft of the plan
revision by the group.
2. Review: This first comprehensive draft is submitted to the Curriculum Committee, Academic Technology
Committee, online instructional faculty, Online Support Services, the Information Technology Department,
and deans for review and feedback via a web based form.
3. Final Revision & Approval: The DE Curriculum Committee ad hoc task force prepares the final draft of
the plan based on the feedback collected during the review process. The final draft is then submitted for
review and approval to the Academic Senate and lastly to the SCC. An annual update is made by the
faculty to the Governing Board.
Distance Education in California
“People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to. Life in an
increasingly busy world where learners must balance demands from home, work, school, and family poses a
host of logistical challenges with which today’s ever more mobile students must cope.” ~ Horizon Report
Higher Education Edition, 2012, p. 4
Enrollment Growth
Distance Education is an important part of California higher education. Of the state’s three public higher
education systems, the California Community Colleges are the largest provider of distance education
offerings. (Steenhausen & Boilard, 2010, p.3) According to the California State Chancellor’s Office 2011
Distance Education Report, from 2005 to 2010 among the California Community Colleges, there was an
overall enrollment growth in distance education sessions that exceeded growth in traditional sessions by
over 14 percent. (p.15)
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Growth is fueled by demand. Students with ubiquitous access to web and mobile technologies value and
expect the convenience of access to course content anywhere, anytime. This expectation has been met by
the adoption of asynchronous communication methods for course delivery. According to the California State
Chancellor’s Office, “Online instruction (asynchronous Internet) delivery is by the far the most widely used
method of conducting DE because it offers students the greatest flexibility in taking courses.” (2011, p.11)
State survey results show that California higher education students choose distance education because
Internet-based courses facilitate access to a college education and integrate more easily with other aspects
of their lives. Flexible learning schedules permit students to arrange work, family, and other personal
obligations to suit their individual needs. According to the 2011 California State Chancellor’s report on
Distance Education, “The reasons why students take DE courses can be summarized in one word:
convenience .” (p. 35) Students take distance education courses because they provide a more convenient
way to manage both a heavy work schedule and “personal circumstances (family, health, etc.)” (p. 34)
Challenges to Distance Education
Distance education courses are required to maintain the same academic standards and instructional contact
hours as traditional face-to-face courses and have many of the same challenges, especially as technology is
increasingly infused in traditionally delivered instruction. Recommendations to the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges found in the State Chancellor’s 2011 Distance Education Report, as well as
results from the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) survey, which looks primarily at public community
colleges across the United States (ITC, 2010), and observations noted in the Horizon Report Higher
Education Edition from the New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (Johnson et al.,
2012), all reiterate common challenges to post-secondary distance education.
Of the issues confronting distance education listed in these reports, the following are the most relevant to
Southwestern College’s Distance Education goals and objectives for 2014 – 2017:
• 508 accessibility compliance
• Academic integrity, student authentication, documentation of regular/substantive contact, and last date of
attendance
• Access to student services
• Training of faculty, including quality course design, delivery, and evaluation of teaching and learning
• Training of students for online learning
• Success and retention rates
• Quality of course management system
Distance Education at Southwestern College
Distance Education has quickly become a part of our college instructional delivery; currently 19% of our
course offerings are fully online. The motivations (Howell, Williams, & Lindsay, 2003) to create and expand
distance education offerings are strong across all levels of the college community.
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●
Institutional Benefits: The institutional and administrative motivators for offering Distance
Education classes include the efficient use of physical space and the need to offer an alternative
delivery method for those who cannot come to campus. Special populations served by distance
education include students with children, military students, and students with disabilities.
●
Program Benefits: Southwestern College programs have implemented distance education for a
variety of reasons, including improved access for students and efficient capacity utilization.
●
Student Benefits: Student reasons for taking Distance Education classes include a flexible
academic schedule, reduction of commuting time and transportation expenses, and, for students with
physical disabilities, accessibility.
●
Faculty Benefits: Faculty members decide to teach Distance Education courses for a variety of
reasons, including the promotion of student success and enhancement of traditional instructional
methods, such as transferring curriculum development and teaching techniques from online to the
traditional classroom.
DEFINITIONS
Distance Education at Southwestern College, like other colleges in the state, has been conducted primarily
through asynchronous communication but is working toward offering more opportunities for synchronous
engagement. Distance Education at Southwestern College primarily refers to the delivery of online and
hybrid courses, as well as the use of an online course management system (CMS).
California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Definition and Requirements
In its California Community Colleges Distance Education Guidelines, the State Chancellor’s Office defines
distance education as follows:
“Distance education means instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by distance and
interact through the assistance of communication technology. All distance education is subject to the general
requirements of [Title 5, Chapter 6] as well as the specific requirements of this article. In addition, instruction
provided as distance education is subject to the requirements that may be imposed by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. §12100 et seq.) and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
(29 U.S.C. §794d).” (Chancellor’s Office California Community Colleges Academic Affairs Division
Instructional Programs and Services, 2008)
It is important to note that section 55206 of the Guidelines also includes specific curriculum procedures for
hybrid as well as online classes: “If any portion of the instruction in a proposed or existing course or course
section is designed to be provided through distance education in lieu of face-to-face interaction between
instructor and student, the course shall be separately reviewed and approved according to the district’s
adopted course approval procedures. NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 66700 and 70901, Education Code.
Reference: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code.” (p. 7)
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Accrediting Commission Definition
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) defines distance learning for
accreditation purposes as follows:
“Distance education is defined, for the purpose of accreditation review as a formal interaction which uses
one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and which
supports regular and substantive interaction between the students and instructor, either synchronously or
asynchronously.” (Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of
Schools and Colleges, 2011, p. 5)
Application of Definitions of Distance Education at Southwestern College
Southwestern College distance education is defined as instruction where students and faculty are separated
by distance and interact using a variety of technologies. There are three types of courses supported by the
Distance Education Program.
Online Course
An online course at Southwestern College is a class instructed entirely online. The class may meet online or
face-to-face for orientation and/or exams, but not for face-to-face instruction. Instructional time follows the
Carnegie Unit. This means the faculty must plan an approximate 1:2 ratio of instruction time to homework
and study.
Definition for students in Schedule of Classes: Online Courses have no face-to-face classroom
instruction. All instruction is online, although some courses may have on-campus meetings for orientations
and/or tests.
Hybrid Course
A hybrid course at Southwestern College is a class that offers instruction both online and face-to-face on
campus. Required face-to-face meetings are included in the schedule of classes following a predictable
pattern (on the same day[s] of the week and at the same time). Online instruction also follows a predictable
pattern. Instructional time follows the Carnegie Unit. This means the faculty must plan an approximate 1:2
ratio of instruction time to homework and study.
Definition for students in Schedule of Classes: Hybrid Courses are taught both face-to-face and online.
While a class may not meet every week, those meetings that are scheduled will occur on the same day and
at the same time of the week.
Web Enhanced Course
Web enhanced courses at Southwestern College are face-to-face instructional courses that offer students
access to class materials, grades, and resources online. Web enhanced courses may offer supplemental
activities and homework online, and they may include online communication and electronic submission of
coursework. Web enhanced courses may not use Internet-based resources or activities to replace required
on-campus face-to-face instruction or in-seat contact hours. Trained instructors may use Blackboard™
course sites.
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Enrollment Growth of Distance Education at Southwestern College
The Southwestern College Distance Education Program offers students online and hybrid courses. As seen
in Table 1, the overall enrollment growth for Southwestern College Distance Education reflects the growth
trend in the state in good economic years and a decrease in years of fiscal challenge. From 2010 to 2011
there was a growth rate of 15% (from 2044 to 2355) in distance course FTES at Southwestern College
(Distance Education Governing Board Report, 2013, Mink Stavenga).
Table 1: Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) & Course Sections, 2010–2011 (Cummings Report, Census
Day Numbers)
FALL 2011
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
842
705
84%
235
Hybrid
465
352
76%
127
SPRING 2012
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
992
851
86%
284
Hybrid
553
400
72%
152
SUMMER 2012
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
4
2
50%
1
Hybrid
46
45
98%
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SUMMARY 2011-2012
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
1838
1558
85%
520
Hybrid
1064
797
75%
290
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RATIO Distance Education VS. F2F
Portion
Total DE Sections
offered 2011-2012
ALL Sections offered
2011-2012
Online
12%
520
4352
Hybrid
7%
290
4352
Total via
DE
19%
810
4352
FALL 2012
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
837
759
91%
228
Hybrid
459
386
84%
133
SPRING 2013
FTES Scheduled
FTES Earned
Efficiency
Courses Offered
Online
754
710
94%
214
Hybrid
445
378
85%
121
Sources: Cummings Report at census for 2011-2012; 2012-2013
* Includes trailing and ending summer census
Prepared by ISS Supervisor- Brian Ebalo; 03/01/2013
Distance Education Success, Retention, and Persistence
Improved Student Success
Successful student completion of a course is defined as performance with a passing grade or a grade of “C”
or better (A, B, C, Credit, or pass). According to the most recent data for Distance Education from 2009 to
2011, Southwestern College is in the average range. Southwestern’s DE success rate ranges from a low of
43% to a high of 91%. From 2005 to 2010 in the California Community College system, the success rates
for distance education rose from 53% to 57% while the rates in traditional courses rose from 64% to 67%
over the same time period (California State Chancellor’s Office, 2011, p. 23 – 25).
For improving student success, the California Student Success Task Force (SSTF) report from January
2012 recommends that community colleges develop and use a centralized, integrated technology which can
be accessed through the campus or district web portals. This helps students to manage their educational
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plans, monitor their grades, and understand their level of technological skills in order to follow an appropriate
pathway of success (SSTF, 2012, p. 27). Southwestern College continues to improve its internal technology
to generate efficiency in processing applications, grades, and online learning access.
Table 1: CCCCO Statewide Success Rates: The number of students in Table 1 is the total student
headcount in all distance education (DE) and traditional education courses from 2005 to 2010. As shown,
both DE and traditional courses increased and decreased simultaneously in correlating years.
Table 2: Table 2 is the total number of DE and traditional classes offered each year from 2005 to 2010. As
shown in the table, DE increased in the total number of classes offered, while traditional education classes
decreased.
Table 3: CCCCO Statewide Success Rates. The number of students in Table 3 is a duplicated headcount,
which means that students may be counted more than once. If they enrolled in two DE courses, they were
counted two times, etc. The DE success rate rose slightly from 2005 to 2010, from 53 percent to 57 percent.
This success rate compares to an increase from 64 percent to 67 percent for traditional education students.
The gap for the success rate between traditional instruction and DE instruction closed from 11 percent to 10
percent. The success rate for DE courses grew by 2 percentage points in one year from 2008-09 to 200910, while the success rate in traditional courses remained the same. (California State Chancellor's Office,
2011, p. 23-24)
Table 1
Total student headcount in all
DE and traditional education
course classes in California
Community Colleges 20052010
Fiscal year
DE
Traditional education
Total
Percent of
total
headcount
2005-06
328,372
2,630,207
2,958,579
12.48%
2006-07
392,355
2,694,149
3,086,504
14.56%
2007-08
483,884
2,810,572
3,294,456
17.22%
2008-09
611,689
2,923,137
3,534,826
20.93%
2009-10
349,518
2,758,831
3,408,349
23.54%
Source: Distance Education Report 2011 (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2011)
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Table 2
Total number of DE and traditional
education course
sessions/classes offered in California
Community Colleges
Fiscal years
Distance
education
Traditional
education
Percentage
2005-06
21,407
456,644
4.69%
2006-07
26,121
465,680
5.61%
2007-08
32,380
486,866
6.65%
2008-09
39,178
482,756
8.12%
2009-10
39,964
440,933
9.06%
Source: Distance Education Report 2011. (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2011)
Table 3
Success Rates for
Credit Distance
Education and
Traditional Education
Course Sessions
(Duplicated Headcount)
Credit Distance
Education Sessions
Student Outcome
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Completed
319,541
392,145
500,142
649,997
696,088
Not Completed
289,005
346,551
425,762
525,136
524,723
Total
608,546
738,696
925,904
1,175,13
1,220,811
Success Rate
53%
53%
54%
55%
57%
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Credit Traditional
Education Sessions
Student Outcome
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Completed
5,390,916
5,469,554
5,725,712
6,208,474
6,264,182
Not Completed
3,024,343
2,963,846
3,023,945
3,105,924
3,024,017
Total
8,415,259
8,433,400
8,749,657
9,314,398
9,288,199
Success Rate
64%
65%
65%
67%
67%
Source: Distance Education Report 2011. (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2011)
Southwestern College has had similar results to the statewide Chancellor’s report. Although the numbers
are slightly different, they are well within the statewide average for DE classes.
Retention/Persistence
State retention rates are calculated based on student drops. Students who drop a course with a “W” grade
are counted as not having been retained. Between 2005 and 2010 in the California Community College
system, there was a difference of 6.96% between the retention of students in distance education and
traditional courses. As with student success rates, when there is a decrease in DE retention, there is a
decrease in traditional retention as well.
Persistence in California is defined as “…the percentage of first-time students with a minimum of six units
earned in a fall term and who returned and enrolled in the subsequent fall term anywhere in the system”
(COCCC, 2012; p. 767). The 2012 report shows 69.4% of the students enrolled in the community college
system in California had an intent to persist from fall 2009 to fall 2010 (COCCC, 2012: p. 32). Southwestern
College has a persistence rate of 69.0% which is slightly lower than the state average (COCCC, 2012; p.
684).
Program Planning for Retention and Success
While the data shows student success rates in traditional lecture courses are higher than in DE courses at
Southwestern College and across the state, it is important to acknowledge both the improved success in DE
courses and the decrease in the disparity between DE and traditional courses, especially in the hybrid
delivery format. For planning purposes, it is also crucial to target the root causes of this disparity in order to
find best practices that will improve success and retention.
Although there are strategies in place to try and determine how to improve retention and persistence in
distance education, withdrawal from courses appears to be another key factor in the disparity of student
performance.
There are many reasons that retention and persistence remain a challenge for distance education. Students
tend to withdraw from their online/hybrid courses for many reasons, including personal and professional
issues (California State Chancellor’s Office, 2011). In fact, DE students tend to have more personal and
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professional obligations than traditional students, which may cause them to drop classes at higher rates than
others (Steenhausen, et al., 2010). While a heavy work schedule and “personal circumstances” were the top
two reasons students gave for taking online courses, they were also the top two reasons students gave for
dropping a DE course (California State Chancellor's Office, 2011, p. 35).
The highest percentage of DE withdrawal calculations were for personal problems including family, health,
job, and childcare. Secondary reasons were inability to combine study and work responsibilities and the
course was too difficult. Tertiary reasons were student course load mismanagement, inability to devote time
and attention to the online class requirements, and lack of instructor feedback (California State Chancellor’s
Office, 2011).
It is important to ensure that DE students have access to online student services, which include counseling,
personal instructor feedback, academic advising, and career services (Pullan, 2011). Student services play
a direct, vital role in success, including academic performance, psychological growth and program or
certificate completion (Pullan, 2011). Additionally, research has shown a correlation between online
retention, student orientation and feedback from instructors (Weng, Cheong & Cheong, 2009).
Research has also shown a correlation between retention, self-efficacy, and the effective use of learning
strategies in postsecondary education (Weng, Cheong & Cheong, 2009). Currently, Southwestern faculty
are engaged in ongoing surveys to determine which learning strategies students are employing while
engaged in a DE course. Future surveys will target learning strategies, self-efficacy, motivation, and selfregulation in order to improve curriculum development, create a more engaging experience, and improve
retention and participation in DE classes. Additionally, the DE plan includes program objectives designed to
give DE students access to more online services, increase participation in the DE course orientation, create
a DE student and faculty handbook, and increase the engagement and readiness to learn that may improve
retention and persistence.
Distance Education Management and Support at Southwestern College
The Distance Education Program hosts web enhanced courses on the Blackboard™ system for all
instructors in addition to hosting all online and hybrid courses. By definition and according to the official
designation in the curriculum process, web enhanced courses are considered traditional, not Distance
Education courses, and yet represent a growing area of responsibility for the Distance Education Program.
Dependable Course Management through Managed Hosting
Blackboard™ is Southwestern’s official course management system for DE classes. While some faculty use
Blackboard™ along with publisher sites or other commercial or free web services, the college’s DE program
relies on Blackboard™ as the main platform for online, hybrid, and web enhanced courses. System
maintenance, monitoring, upgrades, technical support, and systems administration expertise are all part of
the managed contract.
Use of a nationally known CMS like BlackBoard™ guarantees basic access for most students with
disabilities to the print information by using a screen reader. An additional benefit of using BlackBoard™ is
more consistent uptime, which means students and faculty can rely on uninterrupted course access
throughout the semester. Other benefits may occur behind the scenes, so they are not evident to the typical
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user. For instance, the DE program Blackboard™ system administrator can depend on the assistance of
expert support technicians who are available 24/7 and up-to-date on the newest software implementations.
This expertise has proven invaluable for the troubleshooting and swift resolution of issues. In addition,
managed hosting guarantees against network outages through the use of redundant servers and industry
standard safeguards from threats to physical and data security. Remotely hosting the system also protects
against data loss through natural disasters.
Southwestern College Support for Distance Education
The Distance Education program requires current and stable infrastructure, which is reliant upon funding
allocation and assignment of sufficient personnel to oversee instructional quality (design and delivery),
coordinate the program and technological upgrades and changes. To support the current 19% of online
instruction the coordination requires a fulltime faculty position. This has been an identified need since the
mid-1990. The current classified technical support personnel are responsible for the critical maintenance of
the course management system, provision of stable access and storage space, and continual monitoring of
all technical systems required for successful online program delivery.
Currently, two classified employees, one full-time and one at 70%, provide all technical support for students
and faculty in the use of BlackBoard™.
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Budget
Because of the size of our online instructional course offerings, an independent budget unit designation is
necessary for the Distance Education Program to guarantee program quality. Full independent budget unit
designation would afford the program permanent funding, as opposed to the blend of line item and one-time
funding upon which much of the program currently relies.
Line Item Designation: A needed DE faculty coordinator support position and the technical support
personnel would be given line item designations in the general fund budget. This program requires ongoing
funding for this full-time faculty position and the classified technical support.
Distance Education and Academic Senate
The Education Code recognizes the right of Academic Senates to assume primary responsibility for making
recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards (California Code of Regulations Title
5. Education Division 6. California Community Colleges Chapter 4. Employees Subchapter 2. Certificated
Positions Article 2. Academic Senates § 53200. Definitions. 5 CA ADC § 53200, 2009). California Code of
Regulations Title 5 further defines these areas to include "curriculum ... standards or policies regarding
student preparation and success, ... policies for faculty professional development activities ... [and]
processes for program review." This Distance Education Plan recognizes the role of the Academic Senate in
these areas, and the DE Program works with the Academic Senate to ensure that goals, objectives, and
final outcomes in these matters receive the Senate's approval.
Technology and Digital Infrastructure
●
Instructional Support Services is responsible for Blackboard Learn™, and the system is hosted off
site by Blackboard, Inc.
●
Information Technology provides automated transfers of student enrollment information from
Colleague to Blackboard.
A Note on Course Level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Southwestern College instructional programs incorporate student learning outcomes into each course during
the curriculum approval process. Distance Education course SLO assessment occurs annually as part of a
department’s established course level SLO assessment process. The process of instructional assessment is
not part of the Distance Education program review or this plan.
Distance Education Program Level Learning Outcomes
The Distance Education program level learning outcomes address student technical competency and
academic support awareness:
1. Distance Education students will use the basic features of the Southwestern College CMS at a proficiency
level sufficient to access course materials, actively interact with the instructor and fellow students, complete
course assignments and assessments, and monitor learning and grades during the semester.
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2. Distance Education students will be aware of student academic and support services as a result of direct
access to links to those services available on Southwestern College CMS course sites or the Distance
Education web site.
Distance Education Academic Program Review (APR)
The Distance Education program will now be included in our APR Cycle. While it is not a discipline, this plan
supports the Faculty Coordinator position as the author of a comprehensive academic program review every
three years and completion of an annual Snapshot as other programs do. In order to monitor and improve
the quality of our online instruction, the same distinct data elements must be gathered for our online courses
in an aggregate manner by program. In addition the APR would include the following surveys:
●
●
●
Student Satisfaction with the Online Classroom
Faculty Satisfaction with the Program
Faculty Satisfaction with Training
Annually a Summary of Online Academic Program Review Findings would be included an update to the
Senate and Governing Board.
Program Goals & Objectives for 2014 – 2017
Distance Education goals and objectives direct the online program’s development and improvement
process. The DE Program is committed to offering only those new products and services that can be fully
supported and funded with the technical, financial, and staffing resources available.
Program Plan: Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Student Support & Services
Provide the support and services necessary to students for successful distance learning. This goal includes
objectives that ensure student access to existing college services as well as services designed to meet the
special needs of distance education students. Prior to enrollment in a fully online course students must
successfully pass the online readiness assessment or successfully complete CIS 90 Introduction to Online
Learning (one unit).
1.1. Objective: Facilitate student awareness of student services using the following strategies: email
reminders from technical support to all DE faculty at the start of each semester, possible system wide
Blackboard™ announcements, and announcements/links on DE web site.
1.1.a Person(s) responsible: Online Instructional Support
1.1.b Timeframe: Spring 2014
1.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
1.2. Objective: Validate online readiness assessment test working with the Assessment Center for CIS 90:
Introduction to Online Learning (one unit) prior to the first week of class.
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1.2.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator (or faculty volunteers for flex/hurdle)
1.2.b Timeframe: Spring 2014
1.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: Tenure track faculty
1.3 Objective: Work with groups campus wide, including Student Services and Institutional Technology, to
improve Distance Education student access to student services.
1.3.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty volunteers for flex/hurdle)
1.3.b Timeframe: 2014 - 2017
1.3.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
1.4 Objective: Create a Distance Education student e-handbook to provide basic information needed to be
a successful distance learner.
1.4.a Person(s) responsible: Online Instructional Support and DE instructors (Immediate faculty volunteers
for flex/hurdle)
1.4.b Timeframe: 2014
1.4.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
Goal 2: Faculty Support & Services
Provide the support and services necessary to faculty for successful distance instruction.
2.1 Objective: Refine the faculty support area of the CMS site.
2.1.a Person(s) responsible: Online Instructional Support and proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate
faculty volunteers for flex/hurdle)
2.1.b Timeframe: Spring 2014
2.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
2.2 Objective: Increase classified support staff, currently 1.75, proportional to FTES generated by online
and hybrid courses.
2.2.a Person(s) responsible: Dean, ISS; curriculum committee chair
2.2.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2015
2.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: TBD
2.3 Objective: Hire full-time faculty Distance Education coordinator.
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2.3.a Person(s) responsible: Dean, ISS; curriculum committee chair
2.3.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2015
2.3.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: $90,000 per year
Goal 3: Faculty Training
Give faculty access to necessary training for successful distance instruction. This goal includes objectives
that support the professional development of faculty through a beginning [capstone] training program and
ongoing training in distance education instructional technology and pedagogy.
3.1. Objective: Design and implement requirements for DE instructor training. Training must be SWC
approved. End of training evaluation of skills by DE committee will occur. Instructors completing the training
will be compensated by a stipend/flex/hurdle credit.
3.1.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.1.b Timeframe: Develop Spring 2014; Implement Fall 2014
3.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: 100 faculty at $200 per training = $20,000 (estimate for @One
training)
3.2. Objective: Offer annual workshops on the creation of accessible Microsoft Word documents for
Distance Education Faculty. Use Camtasia to record training and offer online for Staff Development flex
credit.
3.2.a Person(s) responsible: Staff Development and proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.2.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
3.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
3.3 Objective: Offer annual workshops on the creation of accessible PowerPoint documents for Distance
Education Faculty. Use Camtasia to record training and offer online for Staff Development flex credit.
3.3.a Person(s) responsible: Staff Development and proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.3.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
3.3.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
3.4 Objective: Offer annual workshops on the creation of accessible PDF documents for Distance
Education Faculty. Use Camtasia to record training and offer online for Staff Development flex credit.
3.4.a Person(s) responsible: Staff Development/Proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.4.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
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3.4.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
3.5 Objective: Offer annual Distance Education webinars about relevant news and information, the use of
new tools, and best practices in distance teaching techniques with presenters drawn from experienced
Distance Education Southwestern College faculty.
3.5.a Person(s) responsible: Staff Development and proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.5.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
3.5.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
3.6 Objective: Communicate best practices for improvement in distance education success and retention
through workshops, training, and dissemination of materials.
3.6.a Person(s) responsible: Staff Development/Proposed faculty DE Coordinator (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
3.6.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
3.6.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
Goal 4: Legal Compliance
Continually monitor and revise program requirements to meet state and federal laws and guidelines that
apply to distance education in California higher education.
4.1 Objective: Work with campus-wide groups including Disability Support Services (DSS), Student Support
Services Institutional Technology, and Staff Development on an accessibility review process.
4.1 Objective: Review and make recommendations to the Academic Senate for WASC, Federal, and State
Distance Education compliance for the following: Academic Success Center, Admission & Records,
Assessments, Bookstore, Career Center, Counseling /Career Guidance, School of Counseling & Personal
Development, Disability Support Services, Evaluations, Extended Opportunity Programs & Services
(EOP&S), Financial Aid, Health Services, Library/Learning Resource Center, and the Transfer Center and
related online/computerized interfaces.
4.1.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator, DSS Director (Immediate faculty volunteers
for flex/hurdle)
4.1.a Person(s) responsible: Cognizant Administrators, Coordinators, Staff, and Faculty Volunteers (for
flex/hurdle)
4.1.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
4.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
4.2 Objective: Work with the Curriculum Committee to update the regular and substantive contact portion of
the course outline requirements to reflect changes in federal regulations. Add language to DE Guidelines in
Curriculum Handbook.
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4.2.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator, Curriculum chair (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
4.2.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
4.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
4.3 Objective: Work with the Curriculum Committee to develop a Last Date of Attendance policy with
guidelines for instructors.
4.3.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator, Curriculum chair (Immediate faculty
volunteers for flex/hurdle)
4.3.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
4.3.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
4.4 Objective: Update attendance policy in the College catalog to reflect changes in federal regulations.
4.4.a Person(s) responsible: Curriculum Chair and Dean, Instructional Support Services
4.4.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017 (effective 2015-16 catalog)
4.4.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
4.5 Objective: Add an ancillary text field to the WebAdvisor last date of attendance box to document how
the instructor has recorded last date of academic attendance.
4.5.a Person(s) responsible: Institutional Technology
4.5.b Timeframe: Spring 2014
4.5.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
Goal 5: Program Quality
Maintain a quality program through continual program improvement based on the evaluation of instruction,
procedures, practices, and accessibility.
5.1 Objective: Complete DE Program Review following the college cycle.
5.1.a Person(s) responsible: Proposed faculty DE Coordinator, DE Faculty, and Instructional Support
Services Dean
5.1.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
5.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
5.2 Objective: Develop a “Best Practices” online training for Distance Education teaching and learning
strategies.
5.2.a Person(s) responsible: Volunteer Faculty for Flex or Hurdle credit
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5.2.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
5.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
5.3 Objective: Work with the California Blackboard Users Group to develop statewide connections with
public and private higher education distance education programs to create a faculty network, share
resources, and consult on new regulations and procedures.
5.3.a Person(s) responsible: Online Instructional Support and Proposed DE faculty coordinator
5.3.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
5.3.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
5.4 Objective: Evaluate facilities, staffing, and resources currently used for Distance Education proctoring
center.
5.4.a Person(s) responsible: Dean, ISS and Learning Assistance Services Coordinator
5.4.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
5.4.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: None
Goal 6: Institutional Integration
6.1 Objective: Create a review process for data capture for students withdrawing from online and hybrid
courses.
6.1.a Person(s) responsible: Dean, ISS, Online Support Services Specialist, and Proposed DE faculty
coordinator
6.1.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2015
6.1.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: TBD
6.2 Objective: Upgrade Colleague Intelligent Learning Platform.
6.2.a Person(s) responsible: Institutional Technology
6.2.b Timeframe: 2014 – 2017
6.2.c Additional Fiscal resources needed: Budget allocated
Distance Education Guidelines
This section describes the Federal, California state, and Southwestern College guidelines that pertain to the
Distance Education Program. The following course guidelines ensure that the qualities of academic rigor
that apply to traditional face-to-face courses also apply to distance education courses.
Accessibility
California community colleges are required by state and federal law to ensure that distance education is
accessible to all users. Delivery systems and content must be accessible to all users in accordance with the
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California Community Colleges System Office Distance Education Guidelines (Chancellor’s Office, 2008)
accessibility guidelines and specifically in keeping with the Chancellor’s Office California Community
Colleges Distance Education Accessibility Guidelines for Students with Disabilities (Distance Education
Accessibility Guidelines Task Force, 2011). (See Accessibility Checklist, Attachment XX)
Syllabus Requirement for Accessibility: A distance education statement should appear in each course
syllabus, which informs students with disabilities of available DSS and instructor support; for example:
“Students with disabilities who want to request accommodations in this distance education course must
attach and email the instructor their accommodation form and request the accommodations they need in the
email.”
In addition to its legal obligations, Southwestern College also has an ethical commitment to provide access
to all instructional and support materials to all users, including users with disabilities.
Copyright
According to Southwestern College Board Policy #3035, responsible use of internet resources includes
“Respect for the legal protection of copyright and license agreements for programs and data.”
Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection that gives a copyright holder legal rights over the use,
sale, reproduction, distribution, display, or creation of derivatives of a given original work. Copyright
infringement refers to violation of these rights. Distance Education faculty, staff, and students must abide by
United States copyright law and protect against copyright infringement.
Syllabus Requirement for copyright pending.
Course Approval & Curriculum
The California Community Colleges Distance Education Guidelines state that “If any portion of the
instruction in a proposed or existing course or course section is designed to be provided through distance
education in lieu of on-campus interaction between instructor and student, the course shall be separately
reviewed and approved according to the district’s adopted course approval procedures” (Chancellor’s Office
California Community Colleges Academic Affairs Division Instructional Programs and Services, 2008,
Section 55206, p. 7.).
In addition, SWC Policy 4105, article 2 requires that “all courses with a Distance Education component be
taught according to the approved course outline of record (COR)...”
Course approval and curriculum is the responsibility of the Southwestern College Curriculum Committee.
Distance Education courses have a separate approval process from traditional courses. SWC Procedure
4105 explains that any new or modified course that will include a Distance Education component must be
reviewed and approved by the Curriculum Committee and will follow the same approval process as face-toface course approval.
Regular and Substantive Contact
Instruction for Distance Education must comply with all applicable Federal and State regulations.
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Regular effective contact initiated by the instructor is essential for student success in a Distance Education
course. Title 5 Education Code states, “Any portion of a course conducted through distance education
includes regular effective contact between instructor and students...” (California Education Code Section
55204), and the Association of Community and Junior Colleges specifically defines contact as, “regular and
substantive interaction between the students and instructor” (ACCJC, p. 5). This requirement for regular
instructor contact with students will be affirmed in a coming revision of SWC’s Academic Distance
Education Policy and Procedures 4105, which will state, “Each section of the course that is delivered
through distance education will include regular effective contact between instructor and students.” The
procedures for 4105 will include examples.
Instructor Initiated Regular and Substantive Contact Practices
In a distance education environment, substantive contact refers to communication and interaction with the
instructor, not to student interaction with course materials or multimedia content. Regular substantive
contact means that an instructor must regularly initiate interaction with a student to determine progress and
encourage active engagement in the course.
Accepted practices for regular and substantive contact between instructors and students include both the
type and the frequency of contact.
1. Type of Contact: “Any portion of a course conducted through distance education includes regular
effective contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and
review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact,
correspondence, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.” (California Education Code Section 55204)
2. Frequency of Contact: The standards that apply to traditional face-to-face courses also apply to distance
education courses. The frequency of instructor initiated contact should therefore be equivalent to a
traditional course.
Syllabus Requirement for Instructor Initiated Contact: A distance education instructor initiated contact
statement should appear in each course syllabus describing the frequency and timeliness of instructor
initiated contact and instructor feedback. The following example should be customized to match the official
course outline, individual faculty preferences, and existing syllabus information regarding contact hours,
specifying expectations for responsiveness and availability.
“As your instructor, I will contact you weekly to verify your progress, participation, and performance. Our
contact will be in the form of compliant synchronous or asynchronous engagement or a combination of the
following and/or other similar engaging activities:
• Announcements
• Group or individual meetings
• Orientation and review sessions
• Supplemental seminar or study sessions
• Field trips
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• Library workshops
• Telephone contact
• Voice mail
• Email
• Feedback on your coursework via the discussion board or gradebook
• CCC Confer meetings
• Video conferences”
Course Quality Evaluation & Assessment
The same standards of quality, currency, and assessment of student learning outcomes that apply to
traditional courses also apply to distance education courses.
The California Community Colleges Distance Education Guidelines for Course Quality Standards state that,
“The same standards of course quality shall be applied to any portion of a course conducted through
distance education as are applied to traditional classroom courses…in regard to any local course quality
determination or review process. Determinations and judgments about the quality of distance education
under the course quality standards shall be made with the full involvement of faculty…” (Section 55202, p.
6.)
The DE ad hoc Committee will bring recommendations to add to Procedures 4105 two new articles: “The
same standards of course quality are applied to the distance education courses as are applied to traditional
classroom courses.” And, “Determinations and judgments about the quality of the distance education course
were made with the full involvement of the academic deans, and curriculum committees.”.
Currency of Materials and Courses
Individual Distance Education faculty members are responsible for the currency and overall quality of the
distance education courses they teach. It is expected that faculty will design, review, and revise course
content as needed to ensure that distance education courses remain accurate, up to date, and consistent
with accepted discipline standards and distance education instructional strategies.
Last Date of Attendance
The last date of academic attendance, commonly known as the Last Day of Attendance (LDA), is the date
the college uses to determine the amount of financial aid, if any, that must be returned to the Department of
Education due to student withdrawal. The Department of Education (DOE) specifically requires “using a last
date of attendance at an academically-related activity as a withdrawal date” and states that “it is up to the
institution to ensure that accurate records are kept for purposes of identifying a student’s last date of
academic attendance or last date of attendance at an academically-related activity.” (DOE, 2010, 66898)
For Distance Education purposes, the last login into a course management system is not accepted as the
last day of attendance. Instead, the Department of Education refers to academic engagement as the activitybased standard for determining the last date of attendance. There is as yet no consensus within the
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California Community Colleges on how to handle attendance verification for financial aid purposes in an
online environment; however, regulations include the following guidance:
(7)(i) ‘‘Academic attendance’’ and ‘‘attendance at an academically-related activity’’—
(A) Include, but are not limited to—
(1) Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor
and students;
(2) Submitting an academic assignment;
(3) Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction;
(4) Attending a study group that is assigned by the institution;
(5) Participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and
(6) Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the
course; (DOE, 2010, 66952)
Activities where students may be present but exhibit no evidence of academic engagement are excluded
from determining Last Day of Attendance, for example, “(3) Logging into an online class without active
participation; or (4) Participating in academic counseling or advisement.” (DOE, 2010, 66952)
Last Day of Attendance Documentation
Faculty members must document student academic engagement via the CMS and record student
withdrawals in WebAdvisor. This documentation must be stored with grades and other official course
records following Southwestern College record keeping policy.
Documenting engagement and recording withdrawals ensures that Southwestern College is in compliance
with Title 5, Section 58004:
“Districts shall, according to procedures adopted by the governing board, clear the rolls of inactive
enrollment.” (Inactive enrollment is defined as a “no show” or a “student no longer participating in the
course.”)
Last Date of Attendance in the Course Syllabus
ABSENCES
Absences are handled as follows:
• According to the Faculty Course Syllabus and Materials Review Form A, “Students are expected to attend
every class meeting, to arrive on time and stay throughout the class period. Students may be dropped from
class for excessive tardiness, for failure to attend class the first day or during the entire first week of the
class, or if the total number of absences exceeds twice the number of hours the class meets per week.”
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• In the case of hybrid and online classes, an absence may be identified as absence of active participation,
such as not submitting course assignments in a timely manner. It is the instructor’s responsibility to specify
in the course syllabus what constitutes active participation.
Syllabus Requirement for Attendance: A Distance Education attendance statement, in accordance with
the College’s attendance policy and Department of Education regulations, should appear in each course
syllabus specifying how absences are managed.
Recommended Language for fully Online Courses
“You will be considered ‘absent’ if is there is no evidence of your participation in an academically-related
activity. If you are absent for 12% or more of the course, you may be dropped.”
“Absences are accounted for by monitoring academic attendance or attendance at an academically-related
activity. You will be considered “present” if there is evidence of your weekly participation in course activities
including, but not limited to, submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, substantively participating
in an online discussion, group, or other synchronous or asynchronous activity, or by initiating contact with
me in matters related to this course.
Recommended Language for Hybrid Courses
“You will be considered ‘absent’ if is there is no evidence of your participation in an academically-related
activity. If you are absent for 12% or more of the course, you may be dropped.”
“Absences in the online portion of this course are accounted for by monitoring academic attendance or
attendance at an academically-related activity. You will be considered ‘present’ in the online portion of this
course if there is evidence of your weekly participation in online course activities including, but not limited to,
submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, substantively participating in an online discussion,
group, or other synchronous or asynchronous activity, or by initiating substantive contact with me in matters
related to this course.”
Course Orientation
Students are required to take the college Distance Education Readiness Appraisal during the matriculation
process and/or prior to enrolling in an online course. Students may enroll in CIS 90, Introduction to Online
Learning, should they fail the appraisal before attempting an online course. The Distance Education
Program also provides a Blackboard student orientation that students can take before beginning the
Readiness Appraisal or taking an online course. The Blackboard orientation serves as an introduction to
basic CMS functionality, which is only one important component of a comprehensive course orientation.
Instructors are also responsible for providing students a course-specific overview to prepare students to
access their specific course materials and successfully complete course assignments and assessments.
Evaluation of Faculty
Part-time, Probationary, and Tenured Faculty
The same evaluation standards that apply to part-time, probationary, and tenured faculty teaching traditional
courses also apply to faculty teaching distance education courses as part of their load, as negotiated in the
SCEA contract (16.8).
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Distance Education instructors give the evaluator access to all course content for a specific time period
during which the evaluation takes place. Instructions for Distance Education course evaluation procedures
are located in the Tenure Review Manual.
Electronic Mail
Email is an official method of communication for Southwestern College Distance Education. DE faculty and
staff can expect to receive important program communication via the campus email system. Therefore, it is
strongly recommended that faculty and staff use Southwestern College email account as the primary
account for distance education course communication.
Student Authentication & Fraud Prevention
The district will continue to provide a federally compliant authentication system, in accordance with the
Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. Student authentication in Distance Education courses helps to
assure academic integrity and also to prevent financial aid fraud targeted at online education.
Student authentication specifically requires that, “…institutions of higher education offering distance
education programs have a process by which the institution of higher education establishes that a student
registered for a distance education course is the same student that participates in, completes, and receives
credit for the course.” (110th Congress, 2008, Part H Program Integrity, Section 496) Thus, concerns
regarding authentication impact student identification at various times during the semester, including
"...verifying the identity of students throughout the cycle of an online course: registration, participation,
assessment, academic credit." (California State Chancellor's Office, 2011)
There are currently three accepted approaches to authentication:
• Secure credentialing/login and password
• Proctoring
• Technology authentication systems
Southwestern College Distance Education requires the current standard for authentication: all distance
education course work must be accomplished through a secure course management system with unique
usernames and passwords used each time a student engages in online coursework.
Syllabus Requirement for Authentication: A distance education student authentication statement should
appear in each course syllabus, which states for example: “By enrolling in a distance education course you
agree that you are the person accessing and completing the work for this course and will not share your
CMS username and password with others.”
Syllabus Requirements for Distance Education
A comprehensive syllabus communicates the purpose of the course, course expectations, and opportunities
for academic support. An effective syllabus also helps prepare students for a successful semester. Distance
Education syllabus requirements (see SCEA contract) include specific information necessary for a student to
be successful in a distance education course as well as information necessary to comply with state and
federal guidelines and regulations.
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Distance Education Faculty Training
Teaching online and in the traditional classroom are not the same. In fact, there are many that consider
online and traditional classrooms to be separate and distinct class preparations. For this reason, instructors
need to re-think their teaching strategies and methodologies as they move a class to the online modality.
Online instructors need to understand the differences in pedagogy created by online delivery, including
physical distance between instructor and students. That distance does not alleviate the requirement for
“regular and effective contact between the instructor and the student” required by Title 5. The instructor must
have the skills and tools available to meet these requirements.
The Southwestern College Academic Senate will approve recommendations for certifying online instructors
to ensure those instructors have the skills and tools required to create an optimal online class environment.
According to the SCEA contract, “The training offered by the Online Learning Center shall be in accordance
with the guidelines set forth by the Academic Senate, the Academic Technology Committee, the Curriculum
Committee, and will occur prior to the initial teaching of online courses” (16.8).
Because of new federal standards, all instructors who plan to teach an online or hybrid course are required
to complete training in effective online pedagogy, course management system use, accessibility and
universal design, and accreditation requirements for online education. This training is equivalent to four units
of hurdle credit, the equivalent flex credit or educational incentive credit, or a stipend for class time paid at
current lab rates. (See Appendix B of SCEA contract.)
Documentation of prior training will be accepted if it meets Southwestern College online training learning
outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Learn Distance Education regulations and accreditation guidelines for all online/hybrid courses at
SWCCD.
Demonstrate understanding of online instructional techniques that promote student learning.
Apply techniques for interacting with students in the online environment.
Identify and use support resources to online faculty and students.
Use current course management system adopted by college to develop and teach an online class
using effective andragogical theories.
Understand and implement Federal accessibility regulations and universal design principles.
Ongoing Professional Development
Faculty members are expected to periodically update distance education technical skills and mastery of
learning strategies. Ongoing professional development for experienced Distance Education instructors
includes opportunities to expand on basic technical skills, gain information about new developments in
distance education, attend workshops on accessible instructional materials creation, collaborate with
colleagues through groups such as the California Blackboard User Group (CaliBUG), and engage with peers
by participating in Southwestern College faculty led webinars. The aim of this ongoing professional
development is to build on the Southwestern College culture of collegiality by fostering a DE faculty support
system while providing opportunities for skill building, communication, and collaboration.
Course Management System Training for Web-Enhanced Instruction
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Southwestern College currently loads online course shells for every course offered at the college. Instructors
who wish to use these shells to enhance their traditional courses are must first take basic Blackboard
training.
The Southwestern College Web-Enhanced Workshop is designed to help a faculty member become familiar
with the basic accessibility, copyright, and course management skills necessary to abide by state and
federal laws when delivering instructional materials electronically. It is required for instructors who would like
to offer web enhanced courses using Blackboard™ and who have not been certified to teach online or
hybrid courses at Southwestern College.
Technology and Digital Infrastructure
Course Management System
From the onset of the online education program, Southwestern College has provided Blackboard™, hosted
by Blackboard, Inc., as the official distance education course management system:
http://swccd.blackboard.com
Faculty Technical & Program Support
The college provides technical support through the Online Learning Center. The links below describe the
types of support currently provided.
Job description of Online Instructional Support Specialist:
http://swccd.edu/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=685
Job description of 70% Instructional Assistant II:
http://swccd.edu/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=599
Online Learning Center
Accessed at www.swccd.edu/~olc and from the Blackboard homepage with a faculty login.
The site includes
• Blackboard™ Instructions and Tutorials
• Blackboard Student Orientation Instructions
• Links to Resources and Articles
Student Support
Instructor Support
Distance education instructors are expected to be the initial contact for all student questions and to respond
to student requests for help on a timely basis. The Online Learning Center staff provides problem solving
assistance to instructors when needed.
DE Program Support
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During working hours, the Southwestern College Online Learning Center provides email and phone help to
students using the Blackboard course management system. Technical support is not available for courses
taught using other course management systems. Additional CMS support in the form of tutorials, FAQs, and
orientations is available via the Online Learning Center Student Support site, linked in every course shell.
After-hours phone support is available from Blackboard.
Computer Labs
Southwestern College Distance Education students may use a personal computer or computers provided
on-campus to complete distance education coursework. Computers at the Academic Success Center,
Library, and other sites are available for distance education coursework.
Student & Academic Services
Access to Southwestern College student services is available to distance education students both on
campus and on the Southwestern College website. To enable easy access to these services from within all
Southwestern College Distance Education course sites, a menu item titled Services is created in each
Blackboard course shell. This course menu item links directly to Counseling/Career Guidance, the
Southwestern College Bookstore, and Student Information. Additional course menu items link to
WebAdvisor and the Southwestern College Library. Together, these links provides access to information on
college support services, including:
• Academic Success Center
• Admission & Records
• Assessments
• Bookstore
• Career Center
• Counseling /Career Guidance
• Disability Support Services
• Evaluations
• Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS)
• Financial Aid
• Health Services
• Library/Learning Resource Center
• Transfer Center
Accessibility/Universal Design
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Accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to all content
delivery. Attention to course access also increases the usability for all users. For example, captioning
benefits students in noisy or no-sound environments and provides multimodal learning.
Per Southwestern Community College District Policy No. 3415, in order to provide an accessible
education that develops the human potential of all its students, Southwestern College shall comply with
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and conform to the principles of Universal
Design in Education (UDE) as defined by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State
University: “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” Promoting the values of diversity and
inclusion, UDE recognizes the full spectrum of user abilities and thus benefits all members of the
Southwestern College community.
Courses created in accordance with Universal Design principles will
● Provide an uncluttered interface with consistent layout and navigation
● Avoid moving or flashing images and self-starting video or audio
● Prove useful to people with diverse abilities
● Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
● Communicate necessary information to the user regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s
sensory abilities.
To meet accessibility/usability requirements, all web-based material used in a course, including outside
links and publisher-provided content, must conform to the following:
● Any images will have “alt” text and alternative descriptions to provide access for students with visual
impairments;
● Sound enhancements (videos, podcasts, etc) will have closed captioning. In addition, a transcript can
be provided.
● Pages will use adequate color contrast, font size, and font style to ensure readability (for example,
minimum 12 point black Arial text on a white background).
● When necessary, plain text versions of Web pages will also be made available.
● PDF files will be text-based, not scanned.
● Course syllabi Web pages will include the statement: “{need statement}.”
Distance Education works to make accessibility an integral part of the program by:
●
●
●
Complying with federal, state, and district accessibility guidelines;
Offering faculty training to ensure the creation of accessible course materials;
Working with Disability Support Services (DSS) to provide information and student access to
assistive technology.
Organization and Human Resources
Distance Education Program Organizational Structure
Put Southwestern College’s Organizational Structure here.
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Figure 4: Distance Education Program Organizational Chart
Instructional Support Services Dean
The Instructional Support Services Dean provides administrative leadership for distance education. The
dean serves as the immediate supervisor for Online Support Services staff.
Online Instructional Support Specialist
The Online Instructional Support Specialist is responsible for the development and day-to-day operation of
the Distance Education Program under direct supervision of the Instructional Support Services Dean. The
specialist works to promote distance education by informing the campus community of new developments in
emerging technology related to distance learning.
Instructional Assistant II
Link to | Clerical Assistant II
Facilities
The Distance Education Program has no dedicated office space. The Distance Education Coordinator has a
temporary office located in the Career Technical Education Division office. The Administrative Assistant
utilizes temporary office space located in the Extended Day Office. This arrangement is currently inadequate
and finding a space where the Distance Education coordinator, administrative assistant, and support staff
can work in close proximity is a future goal (See Goals and Objectives).
Appendix
Appendix A: DE Syllabus Requirements
The following DE course syllabus items are required in addition to the Curriculum Committee Syllabus
Guidelines. A checklist that includes all requirements is included in the DE handbook.
Course Information
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·
DE Course Definition: A student friendly explanation of the official course outline designation as an
online or hybrid course, including a brief explanation of what it means for this specific course to be online or
hybrid.
·
Student Friendly Course Description: A student friendly introduction to the course.
Instructor Information
·
Southwestern College Email: The instructor must use the appropriate Southwestern College email
address
·
Faculty Home Page Address: The instructor may use a Southwestern College home page with the
URL clearly stated.
·
Contact Hours: A student friendly statement defining student expectations for instructor
responsiveness and availability. Statement must specify the dates, times, or specific hours the instructor will
be available for student contact. Faculty must also clarify the actual face-to-face times for on-campus office
hours if applicable. An example would be: “I will be available from Monday through Friday. You can expect
a response from me within a few minutes up to 24 hours. Any email or post received after 4:00 p.m. on
Friday, will receive a response on Monday.”
·
Instructor Role and Responsibility: A student friendly description of the instructor’s role and
responsibilities and/or teaching philosophy statement.
·
Instructor Initiated Contact: A distance education instructor initiated contact statement describing
the frequency and timeliness of instructor initiated contact and instructor feedback. An example of
expectations: “During the course of each week, I will contact you regularly to keep in touch and verify your
progress, graded assignments, participation, and performance. Our most frequent form of contact will be
through email and individual messages. This class may have other meetings such as: review sessions,
study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, voice mail, CCC Confer meetings, SKYPE
or video conferences.”
·
Class Meeting Times: In-person and/or synchronous class meeting dates and times for hybrid
courses, and if applicable, for online courses.
·
Physical Class Location: Hybrid class times and locations are in the online catalogue. The class
web page will also contain the class times and locations, and the location of the site – either the main
campus or SWC centers.
·
Required Texts and Materials: A list of the required texts and materials with a statement that
student may make purchases online and a link to the Southwestern College online bookstore.
Computer Requirements and on-Campus Labs
·
Computer Skills: Computers skills are necessary to be successful in the online and hybrid courses.
Student should exhibit comfort with web browsing, word processing, sending and receiving email, and
saving coursework on a computer.
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·
Computer Equipment and Requirements: List all hardware, software, and Blackboard™
requirements needed to be successful in the course. At the Southwestern College Blackboard™ main log in
page, there are instructions to log into the course.
·
Availability of On-Campus Computers: A statement regarding availability of campus lab times and
computers should be on the Blackboard™ log in page.
·
Student Responsibility for Computer Access: Students are responsible for their computer
resources. If a student signs up for an online course, they are responsible for obtaining usage and
accessibility to a computer. If a student does not own a computer, then they are responsible for finding and
managing personal time to gain access to campus, library, Internet café, or a local office supply or
convenient copier store for computer services.
Tips for Online Success
·
Student Role and Responsibilities: A description of student roles and responsibilities pertinent to
the class and any other materials needed for success.
·
Success Skills: List of the specific skills necessary to be successful in the course. Links to online
resources with study skill tips, English composition, and other data specific to online learning is helpful.
·
Rubric: A rubric describing what skills a successful student possesses, and the ratings for earning an
A, B, C, or passing grade in the course.
Class Schedules for Topics, Assignments, and Due Dates:
·
Assignment Location and Submission in Blackboard™: Clearly stated direction to submitting
assignments and the locations in the course management system. Southwestern College Blackboard™
system has a drop-box for assignment submission. The students will need step-by-step directions for
successfully submitting the required assignments through the drop-box.
·
Announcement Expectations: Course announcements are very important to inform students of
weekly assignments and course management. Once or twice weekly announcements help to keep students
aware of class expectations and any impending changes. A sample announcement: “Dear Students: This
course will provide you with weekly updates on the schedule, assignments, any changes and other
important information necessary for you to be successful in this course. New announcements will be posted
on Monday and any subsequent announcements or changes will be submitted during the remainder of the
week. Reading the announcements will help to keep you abreast of the course pace and keep you on-target
for a successful completion of this class.”
Course Policies:
·
Grade Location: All grades in Blackboard™ are in the Gradebook link on the main menu. Students
can access their grades anytime.
·
Standards and Procedures for Coursework Evaluation: An explanation of the standards for
course work evaluation with examples (rubrics or equivalent) of course criteria.
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.
Syllabus Requirement for Attendance: A Distance Education attendance statement, in accordance
with the College’s attendance policy and Department of Education regulations, should appear in each
course syllabus specifying how absences are managed.
Recommended Language for fully Online Courses
“You will be considered ‘absent’ if is there is no evidence of your participation in an academically-related
activity. If you are absent for 12% or more of the course, you may be dropped.”
“Absences are accounted for by monitoring academic attendance or attendance at an academically-related
activity. You will be considered “present” if there is evidence of your weekly participation in course activities
including, but not limited to, submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, substantively participating
in an online discussion, group, or other synchronous or asynchronous activity, or by initiating contact with
me in matters related to this course.
Recommended Language for Hybrid Courses
“You will be considered ‘absent’ if is there is no evidence of your participation in an academically-related
activity. If you are absent for 12% or more of the course, you may be dropped.”
“Absences in the online portion of this course are accounted for by monitoring academic attendance or
attendance at an academically-related activity. You will be considered ‘present’ in the online portion of this
course if there is evidence of your weekly participation in online course activities including, but not limited to,
submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, substantively participating in an online discussion,
group, or other synchronous or asynchronous activity, or by initiating substantive contact with me in matters
related to this course.”
Participation Policy: A participation policy specific to the course delivery method, including course
decorum, behavior, and netiquette will be expected. The participation policy should expand upon the
attendance policy by more concretely defining what it means to engage in academically-related activities
with specific examples from the course.
Student Grievances: Information on the grievance process directing students to the Student Grievance
section of the Southwestern College catalog.
Copyright Notice: A distance education copyright notice informing students how to comply with the
distance education fair use restriction on the use of copyrighted materials which states, “Any copyrighted
materials used in this class are used for distance education purposes only and in compliance with the United
States copyright law. Use of these materials is limited to students enrolled in the course, for the duration of
the course. Students must refrain from saving, changing, or distributing any such copyrighted materials.”
Plagiarizing: A statement containing the Southwestern College policy on plagiarizing should be in the
online class. Students will need to understand the policy of plagiarizing applies to the distance education
classrooms as well as hybrid and face-to-face.
Student Services: A statement notifying DE students that all services are available for both online and oncampus students.
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References
DISTANCE EDUCATION MODIFICATION FORM
Instructor Qualifications
Originators/Instructors for this course must meet the minimum training requirements as set forth in [x],
including, but not limited to the following areas:
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●
●
●
●
Effective online pedagogy
Course management system use
Accessibility and Universal Design
Accreditation requirements for online education.
1. What documentation of DE instructional training does the originator have in order to teach this
course? State here any training obtained prior to designing proposed DE Request.
2. What DE training will an instructor need to teach this course? State here any training that will be
required to teach this course.
3. What continued DE training will originators/instructors need to keep abreast of evolving technologies
and best practices? State here any training needed for the continued success of this DE Request.
Course Overview
1. Please clearly state why this course is particularly suited to be offered through distance education.
2. Explain how this course meets requirements for an existing degree, certificate, or GE pattern as
established in the most recent SWC catalog; or explain how the course meets a formal (documented)
continuing education offering within a discipline.
3. Identify how this course fits into the overall plan for distance education development within your
department. Include supporting documentation of program review data, annual program review data, or
other sources as necessary.
4. Describe how this course will be presented as a distance education (DE) course so that objectives,
as written in the course outline, may be met. How will you ensure both the rigor and quality of instruction
of the DE course as compared to the traditional course?
5. Describe how you will address the educational effectiveness of this course (including assessments of
student learning outcomes, student retention, and student satisfaction) to ensure comparability to
traditionally delivered courses. (Reference this course rather than provide a boiler-plated answer for
similar courses.)
Types of Assignments
Describe below the adjustments you will make to the type of assignments students will have to complete
in the DE course (as opposed to the face-to-face course).
1. Does the course have a lab component?
If yes, how will this component be handled in a DE format?
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2. Does the course have a writing component?
If yes, how will this component be handled in a DE format?
3. Does the course have a group interaction component?
If yes, how will this component be handled in a DE format?
4. Does the course have an oral presentation component?
If yes, how will this component be handled in a DE format?
5. Does this course require any special equipment or materials beyond a basic computer and web
browser?
If yes, how will you meet these needs in a DE format?
Accessibility/Usability/Universal Design
Accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to all content
delivery. Attention to course access also increases the usability for all users. For example, captioning
benefits students in noisy or no-sound environments and provides multimodal learning.
Per Southwestern Community College District Policy No. 3415, in order to provide an accessible
education that develops the human potential of all its students, Southwestern College shall comply with
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and conform to the principles of Universal
Design in Education (UDE) as defined by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State
University: “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” Promoting the values of diversity and
inclusion, UDE recognizes the full spectrum of user abilities and thus benefits all members of the
Southwestern College community.
Courses created in accordance with Universal Design principles will
● Provide an uncluttered interface with consistent layout and navigation
● Avoid moving or flashing images and self-starting video or audio
● Prove useful to people with diverse abilities
● Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
● Communicate necessary information to the user regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s
sensory abilities.
To meet accessibility/usability requirements, all web-based material used in a course (including outside
links and publisher-provided content) must conform to the following:
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● Any images will have “alt” text and alternative descriptions to provide access for students with visual
impairments;
● Sound enhancements (videos, podcasts, etc) will have closed captioning. In addition, a transcript can
be provided.
● Pages will use adequate color contrast, font size, and font style to ensure readability (for example,
minimum 12 point black Arial text on a white background).
● When necessary, plain text versions of Web pages will also be made available.
● PDF files will be text-based, not scanned.
● Course syllabi Web pages will include the statement: “{need statement}.”
Explain in narrative form how this course will meet accessibility and Universal Design standards:
Regular and Effective Contact
Regular and effective contact, per Title 5, Section 55376, takes place through office visits, telephone
conversation, e-mail exchanges, virtual office hours, traditional course lectures, group or individual
meetings, orientation and review sessions, video conferences, supplemental or student sessions, and/or
field trips.
The use of the term, “regular effective contact” suggests that students should have frequent opportunities
to ask questions and receive answers from the instructor of record.
Regular and effective weekly contact is the responsibility of the instructor, not the student.
Purpose: Instructors regularly initiate interaction with students to determine that they are accessing and
comprehending course material, participating regularly in all required activities of the course, and
progressing through the course in timely fashion in accordance with the published course syllabus.
Frequency: DE Courses are considered the “virtual equivalent” to face-to-face courses. Therefore, the
frequency of the instructor-initiated contact will be at least the same as would be established in a regular,
face-to-face course. For example, in a three-unit course, an instructor should initiate a minimum of three
hours of contact with students per week, using a variety of methods such as email, discussion boards,
announcements, and review sessions. Instructor-initiated contact does not include grading that would
ordinarily take place outside of class time.
Contact shall be distributed in a manner that will ensure that regular contact is maintained, given the
nature of asynchronous and synchronous instructional methodologies, over the course of a week, and
should occur as often as is appropriate for the course, but not less than once per week.
Methods of Instructor-Initiated Contact
Please check below the methods that may be used for this course:
Per Week
[ ] Threaded discussion forums with appropriate instructor participation
[ ] General email
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[ ] Weekly announcements in the Course Management System
[ ] Real-time audio/videoconferencing
[ ] Interactive mobile technologies
[ ] Chat room
[ ] Telephone
[ ] Social Networking pages [i.e. Ning, Facebook, VoiceThread]
[ ] Other (please specify): _______________________________________________
Per Semester (in person contact)
[ ] Orientation sessions
[ ] Group Meetings
[ ] Review Session
[ ] Labs
[ ] Testing
[ ] Other (please specify): _______________________________________________
Attendance and Security
1. How will attendance policies for this course, as applied to traditional classroom courses, be applied
and measured in this distance education course?
2. How will student identity be confirmed in this distance education course?
3. How will exam and assignment security be ensured in this distance education course?
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