WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

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Pamela A. Gibson and Pamela Trump Dunning web-based technology through either a course management system (CMS) such as Blackboard (Bb) or web pages. The demand for and acceptance of online educational offerings has generated increased research in the areas of course design (Shiratuddin, Hassan, & Landoni, 2003), quality assurance (Wang, 2006), student satisfaction (Chaney et al., 2007), and integrity or plagiarism issues (Heberling, 2002), among others. This increase in online course delivery has extended into public administration and public policy educational programs. The first National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) conference panel dedicated entirely to Internet-mediated instruction in public affairs was held in 1994 and, in 1998, NASPAA accreditation standards were revised to include distance education. In 1999, under the direction of special editor Genie N. L. Stowers, the Journal of Public Affairs Education published a symposium on Internet-mediated learning cementing its acceptance as a valid component of a quality MPA program (Schuhmann, Cawley, Green, & Schenker, 2000; Stowers, 1999). As of February 2011, there were 27 NASPAA member schools offering an MPA degree program entirely online and 22 that offered some portion of their program online. This represents a 22% increase in just 2 years in the number of fully online MPA programs (NASPAA, 2011). Although online learning is not without its skeptics, numerous studies have shown no significant differences in effectiveness between online and traditional classroom-based courses (Bernard et. al., 2004; Cavanaugh, 2001; Ho, Lu & Thurmaier, 2006; Moore, 1994; Scheer, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2009). However, the online environment presents new challenges. It is not sufficient to simply transplant traditional course material with canned lectures to an online format. The ecology of online interactions demands explicit instruction and enhanced communication, and they begin with course design (Yang & Cornelious, 2005). The authors explore the incorporation of a Quality Assurance Initiative (QAI)—a peer-reviewed process for evaluating and improving course design in Troy University’s hybrid and online courses—and its specific use within the MPA program. Based on Quality Matters (QM) principles, this initiative was adopted to provide a self-directed training program for faculty to assess and enhance the learning experience for the students receiving online course instruction. The authors offer several key components to quality course design, specific components of the design that aid the student in understanding and following course instruction and, finally, suggestions for continuing to improve online course design to meet the challenges that come with new technology and a new generation of students with advanced technological skill sets and expectations from their educational experience. 210 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Creating Quality Online Course Design QUALITY ASSURANCE INITIATIVE (QAI) Troy University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs at four traditional land-based campuses as well as in-class and online in over 60 sites around the world. All programs are accredited through the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the MPA program is NASPAA accredited. Since online instruction began in 1998, the university has grown to offer seven graduate degree programs in an online platform. That growth has been supported by faculty and curriculum development programs to continuously improve course delivery. Opening virtual classrooms is not simply a matter of adding bandwidth to a university’s computer system. Instructors need to learn how to use new technology and be able to rely upon a staff of qualified information technology (IT) experts to help create and modify course content and design as technology, instructor, and student learning dictate (Brower & Klay, 2000; Dalsgaard & Godsk, 2007; Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2006; Parscal & Riemer, 2010; Shapiro, 2006). Troy University provides essential training and support to sustain quality course content. The university online courses are delivered via Bb. Before teaching in an online environment, instructors are required to complete the university’s Teaching Online Proficiency (TOP) course where they must complete hands-on assignments within Bb. A faculty area provided within Bb is a convenient, central location for faculty to access documents related to expectations of online instructors, including master syllabi templates and mentoring opportunities among the faculty. Support services include training on particular web-based tools for course enhancement, such as Wimba and Impatica, and instructional design support. Support resources designed to ensure quality in online teaching and learning are offered through two training modules. The “Exemplary eCourse” module introduces instructors to some of the Best Practices in online course design and delivery. The course contains the latest university requirements for course content, details about the university’s Quality Assurance Initiative, examples from real university courses and instructors, and videos and “How To” guides related to online technology. A separate self-directed Bb training module provides information on Quality Matters principles, the preeminent peer-review program for online course instruction and delivery (of which the university is a subscribing institutional member). The director of eTroy’s Quality Assurance Initiative, Dr. Deborah Fortune, notes that “the basic tenet of education is to help other people,” and her staff are dedicated to helping faculty help students (personal communication, August 11, 2011). The Educational Technology team is available to faculty and students from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (CDT) seven days a week, and a live chat feature is available weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In addition, designated Journal of Public Affairs Education 211
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JPAE VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 JOURNAL OF
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Journal of Public Affairs Education
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FROM THE EDITOR In the symposium in
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NASPAA Presidential Address Annual
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Leading by Example: Modeling Global
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FROM THE GUEST EDITOR FROM THE GUES
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FROM THE GUEST EDITOR A SYMPOSIUM I
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on other fronts, certainly it can h
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Picasso, P. (1937). Guernica. Pictu
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A View from the 50th Street Gate on
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Reflections of a Working-Class Acad
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Reflections of a Working Class Acad
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Reflections of a Working Class Acad
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Class Rooms Kenneth Oldfield Univer
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Class Rooms although I did, but not
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Class Rooms GRADUATE SCHOOL I was u
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Class Rooms the odds this appointee
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Class Rooms The Great Leveler, too
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Class Rooms of higher learning and
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ook (Oldfield & Johnson, 2009). The
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Didactic Changes Class Rooms Pedago
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Admittedly, it will be difficult to
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hooks, b. (2000). Where we stand: C
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Shaw, G. B. (1928). The intelligent
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What’s a Girl Like You Doing in a
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What’s a Girl Like You For exampl
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What’s a Girl Like You and operat
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What’s a Girl Like You captured t
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What’s a Girl Like You full-blown
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What’s a Girl Like You inside). I
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What’s a Girl Like You and collea
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What’s a Girl Like You toward ser
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Blue-Collar Teaching in a White-Col
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Blue-Collar Teaching Half of my fam
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Blue-Collar Teaching from physics.
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Blue-Collar Teaching lifelong dream
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Blue-Collar Teaching Before him, in
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Blue-Collar Teaching One may argue
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Blue-Collar Teaching graduation in
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Blue-Collar Teaching advantages oth
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Carrizales, T. (2010). Exploring cu
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Oldfield, K. (2010). Socioeconomic
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Moving Forward by Looking Back Gary
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Moving Forward My father married my
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Moving Forward became apparent that
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Moving Forward to Duane, because he
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Moving Forward by this contaminant.
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Moving Forward quite by chance to b
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Moving Forward Federalist 51 detail
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Moving Forward their profession, in
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Moving Forward as the study shows,
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REFERENCES Ashwander v. Tennessee V
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics:
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Many researchers have explored the
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LITERATURE REVIEW Techniques in Tea
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics b
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics T
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics l
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics i
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Table 1. Downloads of Papers at Sel
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Figure 2. Expanded Model of Researc
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics o
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Figure 3. Expanded Model of Researc
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics L
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Techniques in Teaching Statistics o
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Felbinger, C. L., Holzer, M., & Whi
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Snee, R. D. (1993). What’s missin
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Are They Connected? Exploring Acade
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Exploring Academic and Social Netwo
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Figure 2. Career Advice Network Fig
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Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of
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network density, and network recipr
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Figure 5. Academic, Career Advice,
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Open Access Digital Repository: Sha
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