How can a course management system (CMS) enhance my online

(or face-to-face) course?

Thursday, February 20, 2003Larry MacPhee, CTEL DirectorErin Shelley, WebCT Trainer

Gary Karcz, WebCT AdministratorCenter for Technology Enhanced Learning

Why ?

Face-to-face Web Enhanced Web Based

Traditional Hybrid Online

No Web Some Web All Web

Classroom Local Distance

Many at NAUCurrently Few

at NAU

Growing Rapidly at

NAU

How is a web course different from a face-to-face course?

Mountain Campus Enrollment

10,000

11,000

12,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Under-graduates

TotalHeadcount

FTE

Source: John Campbell, ITS

Web Course Growth

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

En

roll

men

t

Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Fall 2003

Growth in Online Enrollment

Yuma Enrollment

Statewide Enrollment

Mountain Campus Enrollment

Source: Terri Hayes, DLS

Characteristic Disadvantages Advantages

Anytime Guilt Inducing Convenient Inclusive

Anywhere Isolating Convenient Inclusive

Technical Intimidating Requires Support

Builds skills Innovative

Self-paced Requires Discipline Comfortable

Digital Bandwidth Copyright

Dynamic Paperless

Teaching Building is Harder Teaching is Easier

Properties of a Web Course

Details

Why use a WCMS?

Why not just use DreamWeaver or FrontPage or some other “WYSIWYG” HTML editor to build my web course?

Definition

What is a Web Course Management System?

A Web Course Management System is server-based software that helps faculty construct, administer, and deliver an online course using a web interface and a familiar classroom metaphor.

Trade-off between WCMS & HTML

Adapted from Eck Doerry

WCMS HTML

Advantages

Disadvantages

Better for

Trade-off between WCMS & HTML

Adapted from Eck Doerry

WCMS HTML

Advantages Easy Powerful

Disadvantages

Better for

Trade-off between WCMS & HTML

Adapted from Eck Doerry

WCMS HTML

Advantages Easy Powerful

Disadvantages Clunky Hard

Better for

Trade-off between WCMS & HTML

WCMS HTML

Advantages Easy Powerful

Disadvantages Clunky Hard

Better for Most People Experts

Adapted from Eck Doerry

Security & PrivacyThe instructor holds the key!

Student access controlled Guest access controlled Instructor’s Intellectual Property protected Copyrighted materials secured Student privacy protected Course content selectively released* Assignment submissions logged Tests and assignments more secure*

With a CMS, you get…

Reminders & Reassurances Help keep your students on track…

Reminders General Announcements Calendar with Deadlines New Assignments Unread Discussion Postings You’ve got mail!

Reassurances Successfully completed a quiz/test Successfully uploaded an assignment

Feedback Scores posted automatically*

With a CMS, you get…

Monitoring Capabilities The instructor can monitor student progress on tasks…

Time spent on page Number of visits Path to page Assignments completed Date and time submitted Detailed reports

With a CMS, you get…

… and students can check their own progress

Rich Interaction and Feedback

More than just e-mail…

Synchronous (real-time or “live”) Chat rooms Sketch pad Video-conferencing*

Asynchronous (delayed response) Course Announcements Discussion boards Internal e-mail Off-line work*

With a CMS, you get…

Testing Tools

Powerful test creation and administration tools…

With a CMS, you get…

Students can be evaluated with: Multiple choice Fill in the blank Matching Essays Participation

Administration of testing: Testing Time Windows IP Access Restrictions Password Authentication

Grades & Record Keeping Automation and integration with campus systems…

Automatic Roster Import Answers automatically graded* Scores automatically recorded Grades automatically posted* WebCT GradeBook Microsoft Excel Automatic Roster Export*

With a CMS, you get…

A Document Delivery SystemEven face-to-face classes can benefit…

Cost Saving on Photocopies Course Handouts Online Lecture Notes Online Assigned Readings Online Benefits Students Who Miss Class Students Can Focus on Lecture Serves as a Review of Material Covered

With a CMS, you get…

A Campus Standard CMS brings:

Integration with Other Campus Systems ITS Server-Side Support (Backup, Troubleshooting) CMS Product Support (in the contract) Help Desk Support for Students CTEL Course Development Support for Faculty Student Comfort from Familiarity An Online Faculty Community

Why work with CTEL? Value added…

Custom WebCT Training Sessions Instructional Design Support Graphics Support Web Design Support Project Manager Support $tipends for Web Course Development

CTEL Assisted WebCT CoursesPercentage of Courses by College

Social & Behavioral Sciences

Hotel & Restaurant Management

Ecosystem Science & Management

Communication

Education

Health Professions

Engineering

Business Administration

Arts & Sciences

Why work with CTEL?Experience: More than 200 courses developed since Fall, 2001Talent: Faculty like our work and appreciate our help.

Why not some other CMS?

Why ?

How was WebCT selected?

Late April, 2001 A technology panel made recommendations WebCT and Blackboard gave product demos Provost Haeger solicited all faculty vote by e-mail 48 faculty members cast a vote

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Comparing CMSes

http://www.edutools.info/course/compare/all.jsp

In a feature-for-feature comparison,

WebCT rates among the best!

EduTools, is a non-profit that partners with the Western Cooperative for Educational

Telecommunications (WCET), the Center for Curriculum Transfer and Technology

(C2T2) and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Gartner Group's 2002 “Distributed Learning in Higher Education” Survey

“By 2005, 90% of institutions that do not have a single campus-standard CMS will not have the capacity to handle their e-learning demands”

38% WebCT26% Blackboard 25% no campus standard 9% other 2% unknown

Casey Green’s Campus Computing Study of American Public Institutions

44.6% WebCT27.7% Blackboard23.1% No Standard4.6% Other

“An object in motion…”

NAU needs a single standard supported CMS WebCT in use since Summer, 2001 Over 700 “course projects” currently in WebCT WebCT is very well established at NAU Access my webclass (List of Online Courses) Change is hard on students, faculty, staff, budgets What’s the alternative? How would we get there? WebCT isn’t perfect, but it serves us well.

Why stay with WebCT?

And now for the WebCT Demonstration…

with

Gary Karcz & Erin Shelley