Fall 2009 Symposium Statement of PurposeThe accelerated interest in online learning has challenged post-secondary education institutions to work together to establish standards of excellence and to discover creative and practical methods to improve and enhance the quality and experience of online learning for both the student and the faculty. The improvement will come in the form of appropriate technology infrastructure, instructional design techniques, pedagogy, faculty development and effective student-friendly modes of learning. This symposium offers participants a forum to learn and share with colleagues the latest and best practices in online education.
Why Online?
Online Learning Trends: - By 2004, 87 percent of the 4,000 American colleges and universities will offer online learning.
(IDC and National Center for Education)
- Economic and political drivers will force post-secondary institutions to deliver more than 75% of their content electronically by 2005.
(Source: Gartner Group)
- By 2012, 17.7 million students will be enrolled in distance learning programs.
(National Center for Education Statistics)
More Evidence that the "Traditional" Student is Changing…
"Undergraduates who attend our nation's colleges and universities are not a homogeneous group. Many student demographic, enrollment, and employment characteristics are related to the risk of dropping out (NCES 97-578). Consequently, understanding the variation in the undergraduate population has implications for how postsecondary institutions might better meet the needs of students and promote their success. More than half of undergraduates were women in 1999-2000 (56 percent), and close to a third were other than White. Traditional college-aged students (23 years or younger) accounted for 57 percent of all undergraduates, and 43 percent were age 24 or older. More than a quarter (27 percent) of undergraduates had dependents, 13 percent were single parents, and 80 percent were employed, including 39 percent who were employed full time. Many of these characteristics are related to the type of institutions students attend. In 1999- 2000, students at public 2-year institutions were more likely than those at 4-year institutions to have dependents, work full time, and delay enrollment."
(Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 2003067) June 2003 The Condition of Education 2003, Characteristics of Postsecondary Students Undergraduate Diversity)
 | | | | Student Participation in Distance Education |
| | Percentage of undergraduates who participated in distance education classes at postsecondary institutions, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 1999-2000 |
| | Selected Student Characteristics | Total | 2-year
Public | Total | Public | Private
not-for-profit | | | Total | 7.6 | 9.0 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.1 | | Sex
Male | 6.6 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | | | Female | 8.7 | 10.4 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 6.0 | | Age
24 or less | 6.3 | 7.8 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 4.4 | | | More than 24 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 10.2 | | Attendance status
Full-time | 6.9 | 9.8 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 5.0 | | | Part-time | 8.8 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 9.4 | | Student role
Students who do not work | 6.1 | 8.3 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.8 | | | Students who work | 7.5 | 9.4 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 5.3 | | | Employees who study | 9.5 | 9.2 | 10.3 | 10.2 | 10.4 | | Hours per week worked
Less than 20 | 5.9 | 8.2 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.1 | | | 20 or more | 8.8 | 9.3 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | | Distance from home*
30 miles or less | 7.7 | 8.7 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 5.2 | | | More than 20 miles | 8.2 | 11.6 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 6.8 | | *The distance between the student's home and the institution at which the student was primarily enrolled, not necessarily the distance between the student's home and the location of the distance education class.
NOTE: Includes students who participated in distance education at either the institution at which they were enrolled or both the institution at which they were enrolled. The survey conductors use the term "distance education" as education that uses the Internet, live audio or television, or prerecorded audio or television to deliver course content.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, NCES. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000) | |
Commentary from the Front Lines
"Enrollment trends point to the need for accelerated integration of online education; yet some colleges and many faculty have yet to engage in this important opportunity. To move forward, institutions must chart a strategy that will best suit their campus mission. One of the strengths of American higher education is its relentless pursuit of opportunities that will enhance the educational experiences of our students and faculty. To continue that pursuit requires that we take hold of this new frontier and drive the technology so that we maximize opportunities to improve teaching and learning."
(Source: Principles for Building Success in Online Education, By Jacqueline Moloney & Steven Tello, Excerpted from Syllabus e-magazine 02/2003)
"Behind the scenes, there is a revolution going on in the way eLearning specifications and standards are being developed. This is not a newly discovered way to provide features for online education. Instead, it is the result of the increasing collaboration and cooperation between key organizations to share the workload and build on the accomplishments of others."
(Source: The Standard Bearers Close Ranks by Frank Tansey is Project Administrator for CaliforniaColleges.edu. Excerpted from Syllabus e-magazine 03/2003)
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