Managing Growth of an Online Program though Policy and Mainstreaming

2010 ◽  
pp. 190-207
Author(s):  
Deb Gearhart
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Program Delivery ◽  
Online Degree

At a time when higher education is struggling to provide educational services to students on traditional campuses, many institutions are experiencing growth in the online degree programs that they provide. This case study looks at one institution’s effort to deal with rapid growth in online education while maintaining academic integrity and quality in program delivery; managing program growth through the development and use of policy and procedures.

scholarly journals Global Perspectives: The University of South Australia (UniSA) Case Study

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Nunan ◽  
Ian Reid ◽  
Holly McCausland
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Dual Mode ◽  
Program Delivery ◽  
Flexible Delivery ◽  
The University

This case study describes current developments in the change processes that are underway at the University of South Australia (UniSA) as it develops from a dual mode institution to one that embraces flexibility in delivery of all of its courses and programs. Forces operating in the context of higher education are causing traditional institutions to become dual mode. Institutions that were already operating as dual mode are developing a proliferation of program delivery arrangements that move beyond hybridisation. A number of Australian institutions claim to provide flexibly delivered courses where student centred learning processes are facilitated through the use of information and communication technologies. Hybridisation and the move to flexible delivery in Australia has partly been driven by changes in the socio-economic context of higher education that have forced universities to compete for income to sustain their operating costs. Offshore teaching and the provision of onshore fee paying courses for international students have required changes to delivery processes for resource-based teaching and online technologies and these changes have washed through institutions. However, for some institutions the development of flexible delivery has been to achieve a wider range of educational purposes for all students. Such purposes are often described in terms of the shift in focus: for example, from teaching to learning; from elite to inclusive; from "producer" to "consumer;" from local perspective to international; from credentialing (four year degree) to life-long learning (40 year degree). This case study looks at the ways in which UniSA course, student, regulatory, logistical and technological systems or subsystems are changing, both in response to extra-institutional influences and in relation to institution-wide development of greater flexibility in teaching, learning and program delivery. This analysis highlights the ways in which these subsystems interact with each other and the critical importance of shared vision to coordinate changes on multiple fronts within the institution and to facilitate internalisation and ownership of such change by its staff. The case study highlights how the logistical assumptions and arrangements of online education are significantly different in kind from those of traditional face-to-face or distance education and argues that moves to online education therefore require pervasive change. At the same time, online education can provide an integrating framework for different forms of delivery, thereby achieving synergies and economies of scale.

MOOCs Business Models

2020 ◽  
pp. 1189-1214
Author(s):  
Amir Manzoor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Viral Nature

MOOCs have grabbed the headlines and rightfully become the focal point of the disruption under way in higher education. The environment in which MOOCs and other forms of online education operate is changing virtually every day. The viral nature of MOOCs has been apparent through the rapid growth of providers, participating (significant) institutions, faculty members involved in providing courses, students enrolled, and other measures. And MOOCs are starting to exhibit the second trend desired by their startup investors: MOOCs don't seem to be going away. More courses are being added, more faculty members and students are becoming involved. While MOOCs have captured the interest of many, the business models and return on investment are still evolving. The aim of this chapter is to present an analysis of various business models being used by various MOOCs providers along with some future monetization strategies for MOOC providers.

When Distance Technologies Meet the Student Code

2010 ◽  
pp. 1626-1643
Author(s):  
Peg Wherry ◽  
Deborah Lundberg Windes
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Academic Dishonesty ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Student Conduct ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Student Misconduct ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Development Processes

This case study outlines problems with student conduct in an online undergraduate program and explains how astudent code was applied to resolve the issues and institute procedures to reduce future incidents of academic dishonesty and incivility. The study describes several instances of student misconduct and explains how online program administrators responded by improving communication with both students and faculty and by modifying course design and development processes as well as instructional practices. It also reports on how other administrators assisted in handling resolution and discipline. While technology itself may both complicate themaintenance of conduct standards and provide new ways to protect academic integrity, this study demonstrates thatthe introduction of technology should not change the rules.

When Distance Technologies Meet the Student Code

2010 ◽  
pp. 79-96
Author(s):  
Peg Wherry ◽  
Deborah Lundberg Windes
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Academic Dishonesty ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Student Conduct ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Student Misconduct ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Development Processes

This case study outlines problems with student conduct in an online undergraduate program and explains how a student code was applied to resolve the issues and institute procedures to reduce future incidents of academic dishonesty and incivility. The study describes several instances of student misconduct and explains how online program administrators responded by improving communication with both students and faculty and by modifying course design and development processes as well as instructional practices. It also reports on how other administrators assisted in handling resolution and discipline. While technology itself may both complicate the maintenance of conduct standards and provide new ways to protect academic integrity, this study demonstrates that the introduction of technology should not change the rules.

scholarly journals Online Education Program in Operational Meteorology and a Case Study about a Product for Decision Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Marcial Garbanzo-Salas ◽  
Diana Jimenez-Robles
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Online Program ◽  
The University

An online program developed at the University of Costa Rica provides the professionals working in meteorology a new way to pursue graduate level degrees. The focus of this graduate program is Operational Meteorology and the students need to complete the research and development process of an operational product to graduate. The products created during the program are a solution to operational institutions in need of innovation and can later be incorporated into institutional activities including advisories, warnings and emergency management. A case study included here shows an example of the need that led to the product, the methodologies used for the development and the final operational product created.

scholarly journals THE CHANGING ROLE OF FACULTY AND ONLINE EDUCATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Turoff
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Institutional Policies ◽  
Promotion And Tenure ◽  
Will Force ◽  
Changing Role ◽  
The U.S

Environmental forces influencing the future of higher education in the U.S. threaten to undermine the desirable role of faculty as arbiters of academic quality. For online learning to live up to its potential, institutional policies can return academic authority to faculty over degree programs in all modes and support the importance of education in promotion and tenure processes. Accreditation agencies traditionally have been a service to the institutions and the administration at higher education institutions; they will also have to become an equal service to the consumer of higher education. Consumerism will force all those concerned with the quality and utility of a higher education to focus on the quality and effectiveness of the instructors.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic: a catalyst for creativity and collaboration for online learning and work-based higher education systems and processes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tashmin Khamis ◽  
Azra Naseem ◽  
Anil Khamis ◽  
Pammla Petrucka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Faculty Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to focus on work-based problems catalysed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, based on a case study of a multi-continental, multi-campus university distributed across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Pakistan. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries lacked pre-existing infrastructure to support online education and/or policy and regulatory frameworks during the pandemic. The university's programmes in Pakistan and East Africa provide lessons to other developing countries' HEIs. The university's focus on teaching and learning and staff development has had a transformational organisational effect.Design/methodology/approachCase study with participatory approaches aimed at co-production of responsive systems and co-creation of effective curriculum and faculty training is used.FindingsSystems and processes developed across the university in the effort to ensure educational continuity. From the disruption to all educational programmes and the disarray of regulatory bodies' responses, collaboration emerged as a key driver of positive change. The findings reiterate the value of trust and provision of opportunities for those with the requisite competencies to lead in a participatory and distributive manner whilst addressing limited human and financial resources. The findings reflect on previous work respecting organisational change recast in the digital age.Originality/valueThis paper reflects the authors' work in real-time as they led and managed changes encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will be of value to management and leadership cadres, particularly in developing contexts, responsible for recovery and sustainability of the higher education sector.

Faculty Participation in Online Higher Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 2000-2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Participation ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Education Report

In the past decade, enrollments in distance education, and specifically online education, have grown dramatically in the United States. According to the 2009 Sloan Report (), enrollments in online courses increased from 9.6% of total postsecondary enrollments in 2002 to 25.3% in 2009. Unfortunately, a number of barriers exist that may result in an inability of higher education institutions to provide quality online education programming in sufficient scale to meet the expected student demand. The Managing Online Education report () identifies the resistance of faculty towards teaching in an online environment as foremost among ten factors that “impede institutional efforts to expand online education programs” (p. 1). An understanding of the factors that both motivate and discourage faculty member participation in online education programs is critical if institutions are to leverage their existing faculty to meet the current and future demand for online education. This case study first presents a number of motivating and inhibiting factors and then discusses how St. Bonaventure University leveraged these factors in an attempt to boost faculty participation in online education.

scholarly journals Powerful or Powerless? Chief Online Education Officers’ Legitimate Power over Online Program Quality in U.S. Higher Education Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgianna Laws
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
Legitimate Power ◽  
Quality Scorecard

As the online higher-education market continues along its trajectory of steady growth, it becomes increasingly competitive.  Since quality sets online programs apart in the current competitive market, it is a priority for higher-education institutions.  Consequently, presidents and provosts at many U.S. higher education institutions have been placing the quality of online program administration under the purview of a new role known under the umbrella term of chief online education officer (COEO).  However, when looking for empirical research to help calibrate the COEO role in a way that maximizes its influence on quality, senior leaders find a gap in the literature.  The purpose of this quantitative, correlative, non-experimental study was to ask COEOs from all over the nation to use the Online Learning Consortium Quality Scorecard (QSC) to share their perceptions of the quality of their institution’s online program.  Additionally, COEOs were asked to self-assess their ability to influence quality based on their legitimate power and to describe environmental factors that could potentially impact their legitimate power.  Key findings indicate a strong, positive correlation between overall legitimate power and overall quality, as well as between overall legitimate power and the hierarchy of COEO job titles (E1).  Additional environmental factors significantly correlated with legitimate power categories included the number of units making a full report to the COEO (E3) and the breadth of COEO’s current portfolio of responsibilities (E12), among others.  Finally, data indicate that the hardest quality category to influence is technical support.

scholarly journals Higher education and Sustainable Development Goals during COVID-19: coping strategies of a university in Wuhan, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suyu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The University

Background It is widely perceived that COVID-19 has significant influence on higher education and also contribution to development including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However there is insufficient evidence about investigations on such influences, especially at micro level. Design and method A university located in Wuhan, China, was selected for the case study to explore how COVID-19 affects higher education and how universities’ coping strategies of COVID-19 can contribute to SDGs. The method is an analysis of 32 institutional documents published by the university. Results The university in the case study has taken a number of coping strategies of COVID-19, largely in four aspects including medical services, online education, logistic support, and graduate employment promotion. These coping strategies contribute to achieving SDGs, especially SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10. Conclusions The case study provides micro-level empirical evidence, which supports that appropriate university coping strategies of COVID-19 can contribute to SDGs, even it is widely perceived that the pandemic has brought strong negative impact on higher education and sustainable development. The selection of a university in Wuhan, China can generate more practical implications, as Wuhan is the first city that experienced the unprecedented lockdown, and China is the first country which reopened university campuses after the lockdown.

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