VCCS Distance and Distributed Learning Committee Minutes - March 18, 2005

Submitted by rvawter on Tue, 04/05/2005 - 22:18.

Distance and Distributed Learning Committee Meeting

March 18, 2005

Via Distance Learning Technology: Macromedia Breeze

In attendance: 

Dr. John Downey (Chairperson; BRCC), Susan Beasley (CVCC), Kristen Kelly (JTCC), Sara Brown (LFCC), Susan Kennedy (MECC), Linda Claussen (NRCC), Monica Sasser sitting in for Steve Sachs (NVCC), Carolyn Byrd (PHCC), Mary Clare DiGiacomo (PVCC), Leslie Smith (RCC), Bill Hightower (SSVCC), Stacy Harris (SWCC), Scott Langhorst (TCC), Charles Boiling (VHCC), Inez Farrell (VWCC), and Jaime Shetrone (WCC).  From the System Office:  Dr. Neil Matkin, Dr. Carole Schultz, Tim Tirrell, Bob Vawter, Ralph Lucia, and Sue Ann Curran.  Guest: Blair Potts (SSVCC). 

I.  Welcome and Introductions

Dr. Downey, Committee Chairperson, welcomed the group to the meeting.  He thanked Blair Potts for arranging to host the meeting via Macromedia Breeze.

II. Update from Dr. Neil Matkin, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services

Dr. Matkin updated the committee on the status of the enterprise system upgrades.  He reported that the Peoplesoft 8.0 SIS upgrade was generally progressing as expected and that the go-live process arrived with relatively minor issues.  A few issues emerged with the simultaneous upgrade of Directory Services 2.0, and the IT staff at the VCCS was busily working on addressing those.  Finally, the upgrade of the Blackboard 6.0 LMS was delayed one semester due to a delay in the delivery of equipment.  The LMS upgrade is now scheduled for Summer, 2005.

III. Position Paper

The bulk of the meeting time was used to discuss and revise an initial draft (appended to this document) of a DDLC position paper authored by John Downey.  The purpose of the position paper is to identify the state-wide obstacles to the coordinated implementation of distance and distributed learning objectives listed in the Chancellor’s current goals, Dateline 2009 and the 2001 Strategic Plan for Distance Learning. 

The draft was discussed in stages as outlined below.

SECTION ONE:  BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW:

DDLC Member comments;

1.  Several members made the suggestion that specific goals from the three documents listed (Chancellor’s goals, Dateline 2009 and the Strategic Plan) that are related to distance and distributed education be incorporated directly into the document itself at the end of line 36 in the attached document). 

2.  One member suggested making sure the document captures both the positives as well as the obstacles to implementing distance learning programs and courses in the VCCS.

SECTION TWO:  Distance Learning VCCS Values:

1.  A suggestion was made to re-order the values listed, with the statement on mission listed first and the statement on quality listed second.  (See lines 54-59).

2.  Several individuals believed the focus on quality issues was critically important.  Some indicated that issues of student success were integrated with the degree of student support provided system-wide. 

3.  Some members discussed the quality issue in relation to perceptions of quality assurance in traditional classroom courses, suggesting a need to focus on quality across all methods of delivery, not just in relation to distance learning delivery.

SECTION THREE:  Primary Benefits of Distance Learning:

1.  Members suggested a re-wording of this section to provide greater clarity.  From the perspective of colleges, there are two benefits to providing access to distance learning in a service area: First, so that constituents in that service area can access programs and services otherwise unavailable at the local college and second, to increase access or provide greater convenience for constituents to access programs and services that are already provided locally.

2.  Some members suggested also listing benefits to students.  In particular, distance learning provides access to a variety of learning styles that may or may not be available in traditional classrooms.

SECTION FOUR:  Current Distance Learning Methodologies:

1.  Members suggested re-ordering the methodologies from the most frequently used method (web-delivery) to the least frequently used method (compressed video).  See lines 78-85.

2.  Some members advocated adding usage data to this section to reflect the preferences of students and faculty for each methodology listed.  Other members advocated adding some reference to hybrid methodology (where distance learning is mixed with some on-campus classroom-based methods) OR other forms of mixed technology delivery methods. 

3.  Some discussion centered on whether the increased reliance of distance learning methodology was attracting new students not previously served by the VCCS or whether existing students already served by VCCS colleges were opting for the convenience of distance methodologies.  Questions concerning class size and productivity relative to distance learning versus classroom methodologies were also discussed.

SECTION FIVE:  Challenges:

1.  The slight modification to the title of this section: “Challenges t the Proliferation of Distance Learning in the VCCS”, was suggested.  Specifically a member suggested changing the word proliferation to “Coordination.”  See line number  87

2.  Given the purpose of the position paper, most members concurred with the four preliminary issues listed.  Again, members advocating re-ordering the list:  First, the issues that are perceived to impact the greatest number of students should be listed, followed by the to the issues that are perceived to impact the least number of students.

3.  Several additional issues were suggested to be added to the list.  These include:

·        A discussion of obstacles related to registration issues for students desiring to take courses from multiple colleges.

·        Clarification of which issues the VCCS should be viewed as having the authority to implement state-wide standards versus issues that VCCS provides guidance for but local colleges have ultimate authority.

·        A statement advocating the joint appointment of faculty members across two or more colleges.

·        A statement regarding the advocacy of a common calendar across colleges for distance learning delivery OR at least a statement addressing the issues that arise for students due to the lack of a common academic calendar.

·        A general statement regarding funding challenges to implementation of an increase in the number of distance learning courses in a system where college-based FTEs regulate funding.

·        A statement advocating minimal staffing for distance learning support, with clear guidelines/job descriptions for those positions.

·        Others?

Process for DRAFT TWO of the Position Paper

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Downey agreed to convene a subcommittee of the membership to work on a second draft of the position paper for presentation to the entire DDLC at the in-person meeting on June 3, 2005.  That group will be convened in mid to late May.

IV.  Next meeting: 

The next meeting of the DDLC was scheduled for Friday June 3, 2005. 

The June 3 2005 meeting will be an in-person meeting to be held at Blue Ridge Community College,  Robert Plecker Workforce Center, in Weyers Cave. 

Details will be sent out in early May. 

There being no other business, the meeting adjourned a little after 11:00AM.

APPENDIX

INITIAL DRAFT OF A DDLC POSITION PAPER ON THE CHALLENGES PREVENTING FULLER SYSTEM-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC DISTANCE LEARNING GOALS

FIRST DRAFT

Virginia Community College System

Distance and Distributed Learning Committee

Position Paper on the Status and Future of Distance Learning

in the Virginia Community College System

Latest revision: March 7, 2005

      The Virginia Community College System mission statement specifies that the state’s 23 community colleges will provide superior quality programs and services that meet the workforce development and educational needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth.  Strategic deployment of the many distance learning delivery methodologies now available to educators is an integral way in which the Virginia Community College System has, and can continue to implement that mission in a manner that provides both access and expediency to the community served by the colleges within the Virginia Community College System.  

The Chancellor has outlined several ambitious goals designed to address the workforce and educational needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth in a document called Dateline 2009.  This Dateline 2009 Strategic Plan, when read in concert with the Chancellor’s current goals and the 2001 Strategic Plan for Distance Learning in the VCCS,  clearly indicates that VCCS colleges will collaborate to achieve remarkable growth in distance and distributed course offerings.

The DDLC strongly supports the distance learning related goals of these documents and its membership is committed to working with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and the Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services to achieve those goals.  While strongly supporting the use of distance learning technologies to achieve the goals of Dateline 2009, members of the DDLC also recognize and acknowledge that there are several specific organizational and technical obstacles that hinder those goals from being achieved.  The purpose of this document is to clearly identify those obstacles in order to focus the efforts of the DDLC on addressing them.  We believe that through the clear identification of organizational and technical obstacles to growth in distance learning, the DDLC membership hopes that VCCS personnel, the VCCS Technology Council membership, and personnel at the 23 colleges that comprise the Virginia Community College System will improve in their ability to function in an uniform manner toward the goals.

Virginia Community College System Distance Learning Values

The DDLC hereby affirms two organizational values that must pervade distance learning course delivery at each of the 23 VCCS colleges:

1)     Academic quality is of paramount importance.  Colleges will ensure that the delivery of distance learning programs, courses and services are of equal quality to campus based delivery methodologies.

2)     The provision of distance learning programs, courses and services are an integral method of implementing the mission of the Virginia Community College System. 

Primary Benefits of Distance Learning for the Community

The DDLC membership asserts that there are two primary benefits of Distance Learning delivery methods for citizens of the Commonwealth. 

1)     Distance learning delivery methods allow citizens to access programs, courses and services that otherwise would not be available in their service region. 

2)     Distance learning delivery methods provide greater access to programs, courses and services by providing a means for citizens to overcome constraints of time and place.

Current Distance Learning Methodologies Used by VCCS Colleges.

Although VCCS Colleges employ a wide range of distance learning technologies, the DDLC recognizes that there are currently three prevalent methods employed to deliver distance learning programs, courses and services.  Those methods are:

1)     Delivery of synchronous programs, courses and services to specific remote locations via H323 technologies. 

2)     Delivery of synchronous programs, courses and services to remote locations anywhere in the state using web conferencing software.

3)     Delivery of asynchronous programs, courses and services to remote locations anywhere in the state using Learning Management Systems or the Internet. 

Challenges to the Proliferation of Distance Learning in the VCCS.

The DDLC membership suggests that the following challenges mitigate against the growth of VCCS programs, courses and services. 

1)     VCCS Colleges are responsive to two often competing pressures.  First, colleges are motivated to serve the citizens of their service region by providing access to programs, courses and services that would otherwise be unavailable.  Second, colleges are constrained by funding pressures, largely driven by FTE related funding.  As a result:

a.      Some institutions have developed distance learning partnerships through which distance learning programs, courses and services are provided from one location to remote regions of the state.  (For example NVCC and BRCC provide access to Veterinary Technology programs to service regions across the state, one through web-based technology and the other through H323 technology).  The incentive for the receiving institutions to engage in such partnerships include the provision of programs in their service area that otherwise would be too expensive to provide, as well as the ability to gain some FTEs by providing the liberal arts courses associated with those programs.  The delivering institution gains increased FTEs by expanding the service region of key programs.  ISSUE ONE:  Greater incentives for such partnerships need to be provided at the System level for both sending and receiving institutions in order to encourage more partnerships.  Scheduling of H323 classroom space at most colleges is challenging due to space constraints throughout the system.

b.     Two competing factors impact FTE growth at VCCS colleges: Enrollment and Productivity.  Many colleges have discovered that the primary audience for web-based asynchronous courses is made up of their own students from their own service region who desire to access courses and services in a manner not constrained by time and place.  College administrators are motivated to offer such courses, so long as the enrollment numbers for distance courses equal or exceed the enrollment that can be generated in an on-campus course.  However, many disciplines are such that significantly greater enrollment productivity can be achieved in classroom settings than can be achieved by on-line delivery methods.  ISSUE TWO:  Unless asynchronous distance learning courses begin to attract significant numbers of new students to VCCS Colleges, there is little to no incentive for college administrators to offer asynchronous distance learning courses in those disciplines where significantly greater productivity can be achieved in classroom settings.

c.      The DDLC membership recognizes that there will consistently be a tension between the value of employing the purchasing power of the VCCS to obtain and deploy new technologies, and the ability of the faculty to recognize the usefulness of new technology that they have not yet been exposed to.  ISSUE THREE:  The system office personnel, along with faculty and staff from individual colleges, need a more organized procedure for pilot testing new technologies. The VCCS may also benefit from a flexible set of guiding principles to decide when enterprise deployment is preferable to individual college deployment of new technologies. 

The autonomy and independence enjoyed by the 23 individual community colleges that comprise the VCCS is a highly valued strength of the community college system in Virginia.  That value sometimes conflicts with the goal of providing citizens with state-wide access to programs, services and courses for which there is a pressing need.  Past attempts to create “Commonwealth Courses” are an example of where state desires have conflicted with local autonomy to prevent the creation and delivery of distance learning state-wide delivery programs.  ISSUE FOUR:  The VCCS needs to provide state-wide leadership, in partnership with VCCS college presidents, to determine whether, when, and how key state-wide programs, courses and services will be delivered.

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