palomar collegedistance education plan · web viewour mission is to provide an engaging teaching...

PALOMAR COLLEGEDISTANCE EDUCATION PLAN

Draft 27 April, 2017

Table of Contents

Executive Summary (Include when document is complete)

Introduction

Definition of Distance Education (ACCJC)

Distance Education Mission/Values/Standards

Distance Education Plan

Appendix:

Statistics/Data

OEI Overview

POET

Services and Support for Distance Education

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Introduction

Across the country, about 5.5 million students took at least one

online course – roughly one-quarter of the total enrollment. Among

those 5.5 million students, about 2.6 million were enrolled in fully

online programs—the rest took some traditional courses, some

online, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

These statistics come from 2012, but the numbers continue to climb

every year.

At Palomar, online classes have consistently generated around

18,500 FTES. While some of these students live geographically

distant from the college, most live within district boundaries. Even

using zip codes to determine residence does not provide an accurate

picture of the number of online students who are living outside the

district because many online students are on military deployment,

attend school elsewhere in the country simultaneously, or are

traveling for work or personal reasons. Other students choose online

courses due to work or family time constraints or mobility

constraints.

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With the possibility of a state-wide distance education

component, it is imperative that Palomar have a cohesive

Distance Education (DE) plan.

The purpose of this plan is to increase access and success for online

students by providing the foundation for a unified vision and the

foundation for future efforts in the realm of distance education.

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Definition of Distance Education

From the ACCJC (2013):

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.

Distance education often incorporates technologies such as the

internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open

broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines,

fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; audio

conferencing; or video cassettes, DVDs, and CDROMs, in

conjunction with any of the other technologies.

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Distance Education Mission/Values/Standards

Palomar College Mission:

Our mission is to provide an engaging teaching and learning

environment for students of diverse origins, experiences, needs,

abilities, and goals…As a comprehensive community college, we

support and encourage students who are pursuing transfer-

readiness, general education, basic skills, career and technical

training, aesthetic and cultural enrichment, and lifelong

education…We are committed to helping our students achieve

the learning outcomes necessary to contribute as individuals and

global citizens living responsibly, effectively, and creatively in an

interdependent and ever-changing world.

https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/strategicplanning/

Institutional Mission and Effectiveness Analysis of how Palomar’s

Mission Statement considers Distance Education when developing,

approving and communicating to all stakeholders.

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https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/strategicplanning/


Distance Education classes are offered across a broad spectrum of

departments and divisions at Palomar, including classes that

prepare students who are pursuing transfer- readiness, general

education, basic skills, career and technical training, aesthetic and

cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning.

Distance education courses are developed, approved, and marketed

in the same manner as face-to-face (F2F) classes. They are created

and reviewed by faculty, processed, and approved through the same

curriculum process at Palomar, and by the Chancellor’s Office. They

are approved by advisories when appropriate, and vetted across

discipline experts in groups such as C-ID, and FRDG. To summarize,

Distance Education and F2F classes are equally developed,

reviewed, vetted, approved, and marketed. DE class content is

equivalent to F2F classes; there is no significant difference what is

learned in a DE or F2F class. In the same manner, minimum

qualifications determine who will teach a Distance Education class

in the same manner as a F2F class.

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Our Values:

Palomar College is dedicated to empowering students to succeed

and cultivating an appreciation of learning. Through ongoing

planning and self-evaluation, we strive for continual improvement

in our endeavors.

In creating the learning and cultural experiences that fulfill our

mission and ensure the public’s trust, we are guided by our core

values of:

• Excellence in teaching, learning, and service

• Integrity as the foundation for all we do

• Access to our programs and services

• Equity and the fair treatment of all in our policies and procedures

• Diversity in learning environments, philosophies, cultures, beliefs,

and people

• Inclusiveness of individual and collective viewpoints in collegial

decision-making processes

• Mutual respect and trust through transparency, civility, and open

communications

• Creativity and innovation in engaging students, faculty, staff, and

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administrators

• Physical presence and participation in the community

https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/studentaffairs/home/palomar-

college-missionstatement/

• “Access to our programs and services” embodies the key purpose

of offering our courses in a Distance Education delivery method.

Working, military, out-of-state, and international students can now

take classes toward completion of programs through Palomar

College.

Distance Education Delivery Method courses are designed to

respond to the needs of students to provide courses, support

services and training opportunities that are flexible, responsive, and

innovative.

Standards:

The instructional content of courses offered through the Distance Education Program should meet the standards of on-campus classroom courses and include coverage of the common Student Learning Outcomes for that course.

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https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/studentaffairs/home/palomar-college-missionstatement/

https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/studentaffairs/home/palomar-college-missionstatement/


To meet the need for flexible learning opportunities for our contemporary learners, Palomar College offers a range of options from fully face-to-face to fully online delivery. Within these bounds is a variety of requirements for on- and off-campus orientations, testing, field trips, etc. The Instructional Categories at Palomar College are:

Face-to-face: Completely face-to-face, meaning all instruction, coursework, office hours, and exams are/can be face-to-face; may have web-enhanced instruction.

Hybrid: Lectures and coursework are delivered in a combination of face-to-face and virtual contact between students and instructors.

Online Plus: Partially online with all instruction, coursework, office hours, and orientations are online. Exams may be face--to-face or be proctored. There may be other optional class meetings.

Online: Completely online: All instruction, coursework, office hours, orientations, and exams are delivered online. There are no face-to-face sessions.

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Classes offered (in full or in part) online offer the same skills and academic instruction that are taught in traditional face-to-face classes. It is important to remember that the online course experience requires the same amount of time and effort as on--campus classes.

Palomar College supports the online student with the same and equivalent services that are available to face-to-face students to make it easier for all students to obtain support, enhance their engagement with Palomar College, and successfully complete their educational goals. Examples of these services include, but are not limited to the following:

These services include:

Preparation for online learning skills

Assistance to find open online courses

Administrative procedures

Registration

Tuition payment

Course credit

o Academic load

Academic skills

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o Online tutoring

o Online library resources - including databases, eBooks, tutorials, online workshops, and a 24x7 live librarian chat

o Financial aid

o Counseling services

o Bookstore

o Academic Technology Services and Assistance

Learning Management System (Blackboard and Canvas)

o Student Tutorials

o Help Desk

Faculty Requirements

Instructors are required to conduct class for the entire scheduled time.

It is recommended that first-time instructors must be trained by distance learning faculty/DE mentors/staff before the first class meeting and that they complete Palomar’s POET training.

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https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/library/

http://www2.palomar.edu/pages/onlinetutoring/


Instructors are expected to have an active presence in the virtual classroom and to be fully engaged with the students throughout the course.

Instructors should have online contact information and be responsive and accessible to students outside of face-to-face meetings. All policies concerning student-to-faculty and student-to--student contact must be specifically described in the syllabus.

Instructors will not rely on publishers’ materials to distribute course content, as a course management role. Instructors will provide a robust learning environment, but is not required to generate all content.

It is recommended that online instructors endeavor to respond to student inquiries within approximately 48 hours (weekends and holidays excepted.)

Instructors may deliver classes from an off-campus location; however, the instructor is responsible for his or her own hardware, software, and internet connection.

The college provides the necessary support services for academic integrity such as proctoring options.

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Synchronous Distance Learning Courses

Courses that are delivered at a distance, but meet online at a specific time are considered Synchronous Distance Learning Courses.

Synchronous Distance Learning courses are delivered through Blackboard Collaborate or equivalent technology.

Students can receive online face-to-face meetings from anywhere with a broadband internet connection. Students can also attend online face-to-face meetings in the distance learning computer lab on the main campus or at the off-campus sites.

Class sessions are also recorded and may be viewed at a later time.

Technology

Palomar College’s Academic Information Services (AIS) provides a core suite of technologies and technical resources required to support high-quality online education, including the following:

Infrastructure

1. Server capacity

2. Wired and wireless networks

3. Campus website.

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Core productivity technologies

1. Email

2. Office suite

3. Virtualization of specialized applications: VMWare

4. Student information system: PeopleSoft.

Key instructional technologies

1. Course management systems: Canvas and Blackboard

2. Voice tools within Canvas and Blackboard

3. Synchronous web-conferencing: CCC Confer

4. Screencasting:

5. Assessment: Turnitin and Respondus

6. Accessibility: Read & Write Gold

7. Technology-enhanced classrooms that enable use of all of the above

8. Computer labs with a variety of hardware and software, including discipline-specific technologies as needed.

Technology support

1. System development and maintenance staff

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2. Employee help desk

3. Student help desk

Student Computer Requirements

Access to a fairly new computer with a current operating system, broadband Internet and a sound card.

Access to the latest Microsoft Office Pack and current browser compatible with our Learning Management Systems at Palomar College (Blackboard and Canvas).

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Marketing and Research

Palomar’s current and potential students interested in online education would benefit from greater clarity about the existence and scope of Palomar’s online course offerings, student services, and other resources. And as Palomar College develops online programs that may be completed entirely at a distance, it becomes increasingly important to consider the unique identity and marketing efforts required for such programs.

Palomar College has in recent years provided more thorough program review data to academic departments disaggregated by course modality, which has enabled departments to consider the performance and efficiency of their distance education offerings. As Palomar continues to refine its practice of evidence-based planning and data-informed decision making, the development of new data management tools must consider the reporting requirements and opportunities specific to distance education, including details about distance education enrollments, success, and retention, for various student subgroups.

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The 4 main objectives of our online education plan are as follows:

1.Establish online education programs and resources within an

integrated and comprehensive web-based environment.

2.Enhance support and clarify procedures for faculty involved in

online education.

3.Engage students in effective supports for success in online

education.

4.Ensure online education at Palomar is in compliance with external

regulations.

Details for implementing these objectives are as follow:

Objective 1: Establish online education programs and resources

within an integrated and comprehensive web-based environment.

! Action Plan 1.A: Document and facilitate comprehensive Palomar

online education programs.

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" Outcome 1.A.1: Programs offered fully online, promoted via

College link to such programs. Classes scheduled based on analysis

by Department Chairs and Discipline Coordinators, using curriculum

approved for Distance Education, and documentation of student

interest.

" Outcome 1.A.2: Address opportunities to engage off-campus

students with college activities and campus life.

! Action Plan 1.B: Establish, evaluate, and improve communication

about online courses, programs, and support services.

" Outcome 1.B.1 Improve outreach and communication about online

education programs and classes, using new Palomar Online

Education webpage, revised schedule designations, /identity

developed specifically for Palomar online education.

! Action Plan 1.C: Implement technologies likely to support student

success in online education.

" Outcome 1.C.1: Work to maintain online education technologies

that are fully accessible and, to the greatest extent possible, mobile-

friendly.

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" Outcome 1.C.2: Use the newly adopted course management system

to support faculty in the use of Open Educational Resources.

Objective 2: Enhance support and clarify procedures for faculty

involved in online education.

! Action Plan 2.A: Enhance faculty preparation and support for

successful online teaching through POET and other resources.

" Outcome 2.A.1: New and enhanced resources for faculty teaching

online: Explore additional programs for developing, certifying, and

maintaining faculty preparation for online teaching and

technologies and personnel support resources through the

Academic Technology Committee (ATC), Academic Technology

Resources Center (ATRC), and Professional Development (PD).

! Action Plan 2.B: Develop organizational practices in support of

consistent online class quality.

" Outcome 2.B.1: Guidelines for online class quality; specific

procedures for online class evaluation by students, administrators,

and peers; guidelines for online teaching assignment.

Objective 3: Engage students in effective supports for success in

online education.

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! Action Plan 3.A: Expand support services and intervention

strategies.

" Outcome 3.A.1: Expansion of ATRC evening support and

Information Services 24/7 student help desk, Formalize and fully

support online counseling, online education planning, peer mentors

for online students.. Build capacity and budget support for online

proctoring. Develop an online learning orientation. Expand and

integrate resources for online library instruction and course

reserves.

" Outcome 3.A.2: Engagement with CCC Online Education Initiative

(OEI) in planning, developing, and implementing tools and

procedures, enabling Palomar to provide OEI classes and Palomar

students to take classes through OEI.

! Action Plan 3.B: Evaluate impact of supports on success, retention,

and equity, and refine accordingly.

" Outcome 3.B.1: Online programs, resources, and support services

regularly evaluated and refined to improve student satisfaction,

equity, retention, and success.

Objective 4: Ensure online education at Palomar is in compliance

with external regulations.

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* Action Plan 4.A: Monitor and follow accreditor expectations and

effective practices for accreditation of distance education.

" Outcome 4.A.1: Fully accredited status for Palomar distance

education without sanctions.

Appendix A aligns these objectives with the institutional goals and

objectives stated in the current

***These objectives are [should be] aligned with the institutional

goals and objectives stated in the current Palomar College strategic

plan.

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