scholarly journals Empire State College: The Development of Online Learning

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Lefor ◽  
Meg Benke ◽  
Evelyn Ting
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Nontraditional Student ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Quality Cost ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
State College ◽  
Empire State College

Empire State College was founded in 1971 to meet the needs of adult and other nontraditional student populations in the state of New York. Its initial delivery model was individualized instruction with a student working with a full-time faculty member to develop a unique plan of study and learning contracts to support that plan. By 1979, the College established the Center for Distance Learning, which developed and still offers structured, print-based courses to students with no requirement for on-site meetings. It began to experiment with computer-supported learning activities in the late 1980s, employing professional staff to support the exploration of technology and to provide assistance to faculty in instructional design. However, it was not until 1994, with the formal creation of the Center for Learning and Technology, that the development of online courses and programs was systematically pursued. This article outlines the development of online programs since that time, emphasizing the issues and challenges faced by the institution in seeking to provide quality, cost-effective distance education.

scholarly journals FROM POSTS TO PATTERNS: A METRIC TO CHARACTERIZE DISCUSSION BOARD ACTIVITY IN ONLINE COURSES

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Bliss ◽  
Betty Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Online Courses ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mathematics Courses ◽  
State College ◽  
Empire State College

Asynchronous text based discussion boards are included in many online courses, however strategies to compare their use within and between courses, from a disciplinary standpoint, have not been well documented in the literature. The goal of this project was to develop a multi-factor metric which could be used to characterize discussion board use in a large data set (n=11,596 message posts) and to apply this metric to all Mathematics courses offered in the January 2008 term by the Center for Distance Learning at Empire State College. The results of this work reveal that student participation rates, quantity of student posts, quality of student posts and the extent of threading are well correlated with instructor activity.

scholarly journals Ensuring Online Learning Quality: Perspectives from the State University of New York

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristyn Muller ◽  
Kim A Scalzo ◽  
Alexandra M Pickett ◽  
Lisa Dubuc ◽  
Lawrence Dugan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The State ◽  
State University ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Quality Scorecard

As online learning continues to grow within higher education, it is important for colleges and universities to ensure that they are delivering quality online courses and programs. This paper will discuss the evaluation and assessment of online learning from an institutional perspective. Open SUNY, the system-wide office of online education that supports and services the State University of New York (SUNY), has developed a process using the Online Learning Consortium’s (OLC) Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Programs to help SUNY campuses examine and improve the quality of online learning. The first half of this paper will describe the development of that tool and the implementation of the Open SUNY Institutional Readiness Process. The second half of this paper will explain the OLC Quality Scorecard standards for the Evaluation & Assessment section and provide examples of best practices from four different SUNY community colleges.

The Adjunct’s Role in Delivering Quality Online Instruction

2012 ◽  
pp. 359-387
Author(s):  
Laurie Bedford
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Instructional Quality ◽  
Competitive Market ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Quality Instruction ◽  
Part Time

Efforts to promote the distinctiveness of online programs in an increasingly competitive market have led to a focus on instructor expertise and instructional quality. The part-time instructor, who is most often charged with facilitating online courses, is commonly viewed as a liability to the integrity of the instructional process. However, little is known about the true nature of the motivations or competencies of this group of instructors. Most often, they are perceived as a homogeneous group with similar motivations and levels of expertise. This case challenges this notion by focusing on a single instructor categorized as a full-time, professional adjunct and is characterized by her colleagues as highly skilled. The case participant describes challenges and best practices that support her in providing quality instruction. These best practices subsequently are discussed as strategies to inform decisions upon which marketing efforts are dependent.

Instructing Faculty to Develop and Deliver Distance Courses with Computer Network Technology

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel V. Eastmond ◽  
Betty H. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Computer Network ◽  
New York State ◽  
Network Technology ◽  
Design Development ◽  
State College ◽  
Evaluation Procedures ◽  
Empire State College ◽  
Distance Courses ◽  
E Mail

The Center for Distance Learning (CDL) at SUNY Empire State College offers over 100 undergraduate courses each term to approximately 2200 students located in New York State and throughout the country. These courses are delivered across a range of delivery formats—from tutor telephone and e-mail interaction with students to computer conferencing on the Web. To meet the increasing need for faculty to effectively incorporate computer network technology into its courses, CDL has developed useful instructional activities and materials. These resources outline various instructional design, development, delivery, and evaluation procedures for faculty to follow in using Internet technologies appropriately for student learning. This article presents a typology of delivery techniques and discusses how CDL has trained and supported its faculty with each type of technology.

Online Course Delivery: Issues of Faculty Development

1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Hurley Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Development ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Computer Conferencing ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
State College ◽  
Empire State College ◽  
New Material

An exciting option for distance education programs is to incorporate the use of computer conferencing. Yet, the adoption of this format has implications for course delivery. Two essential factors need to be taken into consideration: the increased flexibility provided by the format and the opportunity for student-student interaction. Increased flexibility comes from the ability to introduce new material through the conference that complements the contents of the accompanying text and course guide. Opportunity for increased interaction brings the challenge to make this interaction effective and beneficial. As more faculty move to use online delivery, they need assistance so they can make the most of the advantages of this environment. The Center for Distance Learning of SUNY Empire State College has been offering online courses for a number of years and has recently been developing workshops and materials to facilitate faculty development in this area.

The Adjunct’s Role in Delivering Quality Online Instruction

2011 ◽  
pp. 66-86
Author(s):  
Laurie Bedford
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Instructional Quality ◽  
Competitive Market ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Quality Instruction ◽  
Part Time

Efforts to promote the distinctiveness of online programs in an increasingly competitive market have led to a focus on instructor expertise and instructional quality. The part-time instructor, who is most often charged with facilitating online courses, is commonly viewed as a liability to the integrity of the instructional process. However, little is known about the true nature of the motivations or competencies of this group of instructors. Most often, they are perceived as a homogeneous group with similar motivations and levels of expertise. This case challenges this notion by focusing on a single instructor categorized as a full-time, professional adjunct and is characterized by her colleagues as highly skilled. The case participant describes challenges and best practices that support her in providing quality instruction. These best practices subsequently are discussed as strategies to inform decisions upon which marketing efforts are dependent.

scholarly journals Equity, Inclusion, and Beyond: Today’s Urban Chief Diversity Officer

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merodie Hancock
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
The State ◽  
State University ◽  
State College ◽  
Ernest Boyer ◽  
Empire State College ◽  
Education Delivery

This paper, based primarily on the author’s perspective as president of SUNY Empire State College, will explore the need for and means of leveraging the chief diversity officer’s role in creating an equitable and inclusive environment within the distributed world that is Empire State College’s “campus” and, specifically, within SUNY Empire’s urban environments. Empire State College fills a unique role in today’s higher-education landscape. It was founded in 1971 by Ernest Boyer, then the chancellor of the State University of New York, to make education accessible outside the confines of traditional curricular and delivery structures, and to better meet the needs of New Yorkers with locations, academic programming, and student services responsive to diverse communities and learners. Today, Empire State College continues to embrace and fulfill that mission, with individualized education as its cornerstone and nearly 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students in 34 academic centers around the state of New York, in several countries overseas and online around the world. The vast majority of its undergraduate students have attended at least one previous institution, are employed, and are likely to have family and dependent-care obligations. The college is purposefully nonresidential, designed to be where our students live and work. Students can choose structured or individualized academic programs, depending on discipline, and have the options of classroom-based, online, or independent study, as well as weekend residencies, or a hybrid of education delivery via these modes.

The Challenge of Worker Education Programmes

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Heide
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
The State ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
State University ◽  
Telephone Company ◽  
State College ◽  
Worker Education ◽  
Empire State College ◽  
Rapid Transition

In this paper the author describes one example of a partnership between a corporation and a public institution of higher learning. NYNEX, formerly the New York Telephone Company, and Empire State College of the State University of New York came together to form a unique partnership – the Corporate/College Program. This partnership was created to respond to the needs of the corporation to upgrade their workforce during a period of rapid transition. The author summarizes the primary features of the Program, and outlines some of the benefits and difficulties which have arisen as a result of trying to build a working partnership between the academic and corporate worlds.

Online Strategies for Stimulating Learner Engagement

2020 ◽  
pp. 177-198
Author(s):  
Lynne Orr ◽  
Linda Weekley ◽  
Sharon C. Little ◽  
Robert P. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Learner Engagement ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Analytical Thinking ◽  
Training Professional

Active student engagement in online classes is an important component of retention, pass rates, and student satisfaction. Although online class enrollment has grown steadily over the past several years, student retention is 8% less compared to on-campus courses. Synchronous instructional strategies can encourage online student engagement. In this chapter, the reader will gain an understanding of the benefits of online student engagement as described by three professors using synchronous strategies in their online courses. The increasing global demand for job training, professional development, and affordable education can only be met with online programs. However, asynchronous delivery fails to develop social skills and analytical thinking. The chapter describes innovative, cost effective synchronous approaches, and concludes with suggestions for further research to improve online student success.

The Concept of Nontraditional Student

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-60
Author(s):  
Treinienė Daiva
Keyword(s):  
Nontraditional Students ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Nontraditional Student ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Learning Differences ◽  
Status Characteristics ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

Abstract Nontraditional student is understood as one of the older students enrolled in formal or informal studies. In the literature, there is no detailed generalisation of nontraditional student. This article aims to reveal the concept of this particular group of students. Analysing the definition of nontraditional students, researchers identify the main criteria that allow to provide a more comprehensive concept of the nontraditional student. The main one is the age of these atypical students coming to study at the university, their selected form of studies, adult social roles status characteristics, such as family, parenting and financial independence as well as the nature of work. The described features of the nontraditional student demonstrate how the unconventional nontraditional student is different from the traditional one, which features are characteristic for them and how they reflect the nontraditional student’s maturity and experience in comparison with younger, traditional students. Key features - independence, internal motivation, experience, responsibility, determination. They allow nontraditional students to pursue their life goals, learn and move towards their set goals. University student identity is determined on the basis of the three positions: on the age suitability by social norms, the learning outcomes incorporated with age, on the creation of student’s ideal image. There are four students’ biographical profiles distinguished: wandering type, seeking a degree, intergrative and emancipatory type. They allow to see the biographical origin of nontraditional students, their social status as well as educational features. Biographical profiles presented allow to comprise the nontraditional student’s portrait of different countries. Traditional and nontraditional students’ learning differences are revealed by analysing their need for knowledge, independence, experience, skill to learn, orientation and motivation aspects. To sum up, the analysis of the scientific literature can formulate the concept of the nontraditional student. Nontraditional student refers to the category of 20-65 years of age who enrolls into higher education studies in a nontraditional way, is financially independent, with several social roles of life, studying full-time or part-time, and working full-time or part-time, or not working at all.

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