On Line Comparability Panel
Williamsburg, VA
May 16-19, 2011

Dr. Robert Abbey

Dr. Fred Meine

Dr. Sam Shelton

Dr. David Shetterly

NASPAA Concerns with Comparability Among
Delivery Modes
◦ Preconditions for Accreditation Review



The Norm – Traditional In class
The Emerging Norm – Distance Education
Comparability Among Delivery Modes
◦ Process Issues
◦ Outcome Issues


Comparability Between the Traditional
Classroom and the Classroom of the Future
Concluding Comments
“The normal expectation for students studying for professional
degrees in public affairs, administration, and policy is equivalent
to 36 to 48 semester credit hours of study. The intentions of this
precondition are to ensure significant interaction with other
students and with faculty, hands on collaborative work,
socialization into the norms and aspirations of the profession,
and observations by faculty of students’ interpersonal and
communication skills. Programs departing from campuscentered education by offering distance learning, international
exchanges, or innovative delivery systems must demonstrate
that the intentions of this precondition are being achieved and
that such programs are under the supervision of fully qualified
faculty. This determination may include, but is not limited to,
evidence of faculty of record, and communications between
faculty and students.”
http://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/NS/naspaaStandards.asp

Campus centered education with
◦
◦
◦
◦
Ample opportunity for student/faculty interaction
Hands on collaborative work
Socialization into the norms of the profession
Faculty observation of student interpersonal and
communication skills
http://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/NS/naspaaStan
dards.asp

Distance learning, international exchanges, or
innovative delivery systems
http://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/NS/naspaaStandards.asp

For Example:
◦ Total on line delivery – eTroy (eCampus)
◦ Hybrid delivery - combination of on line and in
class blended together in a purposeful manner

How to achieve comparability between
campus centered and “emerging norm”
delivery methods?
◦ Process related issues
◦ Outcome related issues

How to bring the personal touch to the
classroom of the future in terms of
interaction, socialization, collaboration, and
direct faculty observation of student work?
◦ Faculty
 Faculty teach using multiple modes – on
line, in class, hybrid,
 All faculty teaching on line must be
trained and certified through completion
of a Teaching Online Proficiency (TOP)
course
 Adjunct faculty members are assigned
mentors for there first on line teaching
assignment
 Faculty development is promoted through an
annual eCampus Colloquium – Topics for 2011
included
 Course Design
 Quality Assurance
 Wimba and Blackboard Mashup Tools
 Communicating in the Cyber Classroom
 Student evaluations are broken out by delivery
mode to isolate differences among modes and
needed corrective measures.
◦ MPA Curriculum
 Common course learning objective
 Common desired competencies
 Standard syllabi which includes textbook
options
◦ Technology and support structure
 Blackboard delivery platform used for on line
and hybrid courses
 Electronic library resources are available to
support on line and hybrid courses
 Faculty advising and administrative counseling
provided equally to all students
FACULTY
Fulltime:
Adjunct:
August, 2009 – July, 2010
140 COURSES
22
12
Taught by Fulltime:
99 (70.7%)
Taught by Adjunct:
41 (29.3%)
CORE COURSES (9 COURSES)
PA6601 RESEARCH METHODS
PA6610 FOUNDATIONS
PA6620/PA6646ORG. THEORY/ORG. BEHAVIOR
PA6622 PUBLIC POLICY
PA6624 HUMAN RESOURCES
PA6630 BUDGETING
PA6699 CAPSTONE
PA6602/PA6603/PA6631
QUANTITATIVE/ECONOMICS/PROG. EVAL.
PA6640/PA6644/PA6674
IGR/ADMIN.
LAW/ETHICS
CONCENTRATION (3 COURSES)
LENGTHS OF DELIVERY:
Terms:
Semesters:
9 weeks
16 weeks
STYLES OF DELIVERY
Online (TERM):
112 (80%)
Weekend (2)(TERM)
10 (7.1%)
Classroom (TERM)
7 (5%)
Hybrid (TERM CLASS W/ONLINE)
2 (1.4%)
Classroom (SEMESTER)
9 (6.4%)
BOOKS
None:
One Book:
Two Books:
7 (5%)
89 (63.6%)
44 (31.4%)
EXAMS
Midterm Only:
23 (18.1%)
Final Only:
65 (51.2%)
Midterm and Final: 39 (30.7%)
MAJOR NON-EXAM ASSIGNMENTS
Paper:
56
Article analyses:
1:
21
2:
4
4:
5
8:
4
9:
5
Case analyses:
2:
10
4:
13
7:
4
8:
1
10:
2
Major Case Analysis (>20% of grade):
33
PA 6610: Foundations of Public Administration
Online:
12
Weekend:
1
Classroom (semester):
1
Fulltime Faculty:
11
Adjunct Faculty:
3
PA6699: Capstone
Online:
Weekend:
1
Classroom (term): 1
Classroom (semester):
Fulltime Faculty:
8
1
11
◦ Oversight
 Quality Matters approach with emphasis on
delivering exemplary courses
 Course development support provided by
assigned members of the Quality Assurance
staff
 Term by term review of selected courses on
Blackboard by peers assigned through College
of Arts and Sciences

Outcome issues
◦ Short term
 Capstone Course: 90 percent complete
with a grade of A or B
 Other ??
◦ Long term
 Alumni surveys
 Employment status of graduates at some
future date
 Other??

Interaction is critical

Collaboration

Socialization

Faculty observation
◦ Student to student and student to faculty
◦ Discussion boards, Wiki’s, Wimba Pronto Chatroom
Group assignments
◦ Introduction exercises, voice email, voice
announcements, Wimba classroom
◦ Real time presentations using Wimba technology
Visit following eCampus Colloquium link for more detail
http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/colloquium/presentations/
2011/CourseDesign.pdf




On line delivery is with us to stay
A solid foundation in terms of good
processes lays the foundation for
comparability of delivery modes
Measuring process outcomes is a challenge
Interaction and socialization among students
and between students and faculty is different
– but quite possible in an on line environment