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

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Pamela A. Gibson and Pamela Trump Dunning CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT Today’s online course design cannot simply be moving the material from the lectern to the computer screen, given the expectations of students and the versatility of the electronic world. A determination must be made as to what material should be transmitted via PowerPoint presentations with accompanying audio; in a synchronous chat room discussion via Wimba, Pronto, Skype, or Second Life; or through self-check evaluations. Some researchers believe that the current generation of technology will not be able to support the development of competencies that students of public administration will need in the future (Austin, 2009). However, the advancements in online course management systems are growing exponentially and as technology continues to improve, it will be easier to integrate those virtual components that will provide a sense of community in the online course. Troy University has recently upgraded to the latest iteration of Bb, Blackboard Collaborate, which is a unified collaboration platform that replaces Wimba and Pronto. This platform contains web conferencing and enterprise instant messaging, which allows for spontaneous, informal interaction and voice authoring. With training from the instructional design staff, incorporating these new features will further advance the mechanisms in course design to allow more synchronous and asynchronous activities, leading to even greater comingling of high-tech and high-touch characteristics in our online coursework. The peer review of courses allows for other instructors to audit an online course and offer constructive feedback to improve design. As one reviewer mentioned, “I get to see what others are doing and incorporate some of their techniques in my classes.” A pooling of our QM recognized syllabi offers a tremendous resource from which faculty can keep up to date with new techniques, software, and general research findings on online educational delivery. The faculty continues to refine the standardized course learning objectives and associated course matrix, through the volunteer Course Expert Committee work during the year, in order to become more adept at linking specific course requirements with measurable assessments. CONCLUSION The QA initiative at Troy University has expanded its reach from its inception in 2008 to its current coverage of over 50% of all discipline areas within the five colleges. A number of lessons can be gleaned from the implementation of this initiative. First, a gradual, phased approach is necessary to gain acceptance of the process, both by faculty and staff. The structured approach also provides the opportunity for identification of needed changes, either to the process or the implementation plan, and inclusion of these changes into future iterations. Next is having staff available, in sufficient numbers, to 218 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Creating Quality Online Course Design assist faculty members with course design changes. The instructional technology team employed by the university was instrumental in providing the foundation and support for instructors and students. Their availability via phone, e-mail, and live chat feature, 7 days a week, ensured that questions and problems were solved in real time so as not to affect student learning. And last, training needs should be identified and addressed. Ensuring instructors are well versed in the course management system, in this case through a mandatory online course, results in instructors who are familiar with the online environment and better situated to implement many of the QAI course design requirements. The two specific QA training modules offered at the university (Exemplary eCourse and Quality Matters) were self-paced and always available for use or reference. Instructors are also encouraged to take advantage of the professional development opportunities offered by MarylandOnline that range from becoming a peer reviewer to attending individualized sessions on many of the standards contained in the rubric. Implementing a QAI is particularly pertinent to those institutions offering some or all of their classes in an online environment either through a pure online program, a hybrid approach, or a blended situation. Programs do not need to have an institutionalized quality assurance program to use the best practices embodied in the QM rubric. The components discussed can be used by individual instructors or entire departments. For programs that offer instruction at different physical locations, or a combination of online and inclass instruction, using these QA standards can provide stability across platforms without sacrificing academic freedom. While most of the standards relate to the online environment, some principles of good course design are also applicable to a traditional classroom. The development of a course design matrix that aligns course learning objectives with a module of instruction, the specific course content, the learning strategy, and the assessment mechanism will aid instructors in creating a course that ensures students meet desired learning outcomes. The QAI program at Troy University is continually scrutinized to improve delivery of degree programs. In the initial iteration, the feedback loop, from reviewer back to individual instructor, was not always closed. The Quality Assurance office is working toward developing a comprehensive database of reviews that will provide all essential parties access to review results. Another early challenge has been the constant evolution of technology. New technology creates the need for additional training. The university has added several new programs that can be incorporated into the online environment, including NBC Learn, SmartThinking, Soomo, and Starfish. While each of these software programs may enhance the course design, they demand additional training and time to incorporate into an existing course. This is also evident in upgrades to current technology. Upgrades to the course management system provide needed Journal of Public Affairs Education 219
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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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Sharing Student Research with the W
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Table 1. Downloads of Papers at Sel
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Table 2. Top 10 Most Downloaded App
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Sharing Student Research with the W
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