How eLearning Policies Can Reduce Faculty Workloads and Keep eLearning Courses Running Smoothly

Dr. Shirley WaterhouseDirector, Educational TechnologyEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEDUCAUSE, Orlando, FL - October 20, 2005

First…..About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

• Multi-campus, Worldwide

• Aviation and Aerospace

• Ranked #1 Nation (U.S. News)

• Two Residential Campuses: • Florida & Arizona

• Extended Campus - 130+ Centers

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

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In-Person• One-on-one faculty consultations• Faculty TechZone

Online• Faculty Online Organization• Ed Tech Website (http://edtech.erau.edu)• Online Bb Tutorials

Ed Tech DepartmentHelps Faculty Transform Education

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Showing Faculty the Way

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• Course Redesigns

• Digital Media Services

• eMentoring

• eGallery

• Faculty Technology Grants

• eLearning Pedagogy (Plans for Change)

• Bb Learning Management System• All ERAU Courses Have Companion Coursesites• Novice Users

• Distributing Information• Intermediate Users

• Online Testing• Online Discussions

• Current Emphasis – Pedagogical Improvements• eLearning Pedagogy• eLearning Strategic Planning

Faculty’s Adoption of eLearning at ERAU

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To Access Article Online:EDUCAUSE Quarterly: http://www.educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm04/eqm043.asp

For Further Info on Book:

Table of Contents: http://shirleywaterhouse.com

Professional Copies: http://www.abprofessionaled.com

Desk Copies for Course Evaluation:http://www.ablongman.com

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Dr. Shirley WaterhouseDirector, Educational TechnologyEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Email: shirley@erau.edu

For further info:http://edtech.erau.edu

http://shirleywaterhouse.com

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Why have policies for eLearning courses?

• Establish standards where appropriate to help students know what to do and when to do it.

• Take care of the small stuff so there is more time for the big stuff.

Policies help us…..

Policies help remove frustration…..

Policies help us get students into a comfort zone…

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Knowing what to do and when to do it.

Aviation is a good example.

More whys…

• Changes in teaching and learning mean we need new rules.

• Technology can become a hindrance.

Student centered learning – it’s a new game and needs new rules….

Hybrid and distance learning courses often rely on technology….

Anytime, anyplace teaching and learning cannot happen without technology AND policies ………

Faculty Challenges

Instructor workloads often increase in eLearning due to increased email, electronic discussion and other course management activities.

eLearning often creates new challenges such as “ownership” and copyright issues.

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Workloads – Productivity Issues

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Email

One instructor teaching 30 students

When 30 students email the instructor to ask a question about an assignment due date and the instructor answers all 30 emails – at 30 seconds per response:

1 Class – 15 minutes of lost productivity4 Classes – 1 hour of lost productivity

Students need timely answers to important questions in self-directed, technology-based learning.

Electronic information creates increased opportunities to violate copyright.

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Student Challenges

Where are we in the transformationprocess? Where do policies fit into the

overall picture?

Everett Rogers Change Adoption

Faculty AdoptionOf LMSs to Distribute InformationElectronically (Bb and WebCT)

GOOD (80%)

Using LMS to Distribute Information

In the Adoption of eLearning Pedagogy Category

About 16% Adoption

Our Score is “Needs Improvement”

Steps to Get Over the MountainAnd Transform Education

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Leadership Commitment

eLearning Strategic Plans

Technology Infrastructure

Faculty Commitment

Faculty Tools & Resources

eLearning Strategies

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1. New vision for your course

2. Match course objectives with eLearning strategies

3. Getting the course off to a good start

4. Managing the course – Policies play a major role

eLearning Strategies

Eight Recommended Policy Categories

1. Daily Routine: Software Standards Frequent Checking of eMail and Announcements

2. Student Privacy Policies

3. Email Policies

4. Discussion Policies

More…….

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Eight Categories (Cont)

5. Assignment Policies

6. Getting Technical Help Policies

7. Student Code of Conduct Policies (Including Netiquette)

8. Intellectual Property Rights Policies

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A Couple of Scenarios….

The Struggling Adult Learner

Dr. Martin is teaching 90 students (3 classes) in a distance learning environment.

Marsha is one of her students and she’s taking one other course. She works full-time and is raising a 3-year old son alone.

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The Struggling Adult Learner

It is Sunday night at 10 p.m.…..after 12 hours of nonstop work to finish the end-of-semester project on time, Marsha is ready to send it in viathe coursesite.

It is due at midnight, and the instructor has stated throughout the semester that this is the only way she will accept assignments.

But…….

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The LMS system is down.

Marsha emails her instructor for guidance and waits in agony for a reply.

At 1:00 a.m. Marsha accepts the fact that she isn’t going to hear from herinstructor and goes to bed – she has to get up at 5:00 a.m. to get her son ready for day care and to get to her job.

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Dr. Martin returns to the office on Monday morning.

She has 135 emails from her students …. All 90 students sent one message and 45 sent a second message asking if she had received the first message.

A busy Monday morning For Dr. Martin, and 90 frustrated students…

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Example Assignment Policies

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Example eMail Policies

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Two Instructors

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Jim: I’m going to have to cut this lunch short because I have over 200 discussion posts to read and respond to.

Tiffany: Why are you responding to every one of the posts?

Jim: I require the students to participate in the online discussions. If I don’t comment on each of their responses won’t it appear that I’m not interested?

Jim: Also, if I don’t monitor the discussion closely,

the students don’t seem to take the discussion

seriously.

Tiffany: If you don’t mind, I have some advice for

you….

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Example Discussion Policies

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Policies on Policies

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• Policies must be in a prominent place in the course syllabus.

• Students must become familiar with policies and commit to follow them.

• Students must be required to check email and announcements regularly.

Copyright Management Center at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis:http://www.copyright.iupui.edu

Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center:http://fairuse.stanford.edu

University of Texas System’s Crash Course in Copyright:http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/cprtindx.htm#top

Intellectual Property

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Copyright Management CenterChecklist for Fair Use – Part 1

Source: The Copyright Management Center at Indiana Management Center at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis website – http://www.copyright.iupui.edu

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Copyright Management Center Checklist for Fair Use – Part 2

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Student Code of Conduct Contract

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Student Code of Conduct Contract (Con’t.)

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In closing…

eLearning Policies Can Reduce Faculty Workloads and Keep eLearning Courses Running Smoothly

In any learning environment, students should have a clear understanding of what the instructor expects from them, as well as what they can expect from the instructor.

This need is more urgent for eLearning students than for traditional students.

eLearning policies provide one small step toward the important goal of using technology to enhance teaching and learning…

Establishing policies is worth the effort!

Dr. Shirley WaterhouseDirector, Educational TechnologyEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Email: shirley@erau.edu

For further info:http://edtech.erau.edu

http://shirleywaterhouse.com

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