Is Your College Online eLearning Program Typical?

I don't usually refer to a report more than once when it comes to blog posts but I'm just loving the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) 2009 study I wrote about a couple of days ago titled Trends in eLearning: Tracking the Impact of eLearning at Community Colleges.

Page 15 asks the question Is Your OnLine Program Typical?

Here's how the report says you can tell:

1. Is the primary source for enrollment growth for its institution.
2. Does not offer enough classes to meet student demand.
3. Increases access to higher education.
4. Is attracting an increasing number of non- traditional (younger) students.
5. Reports to the academic side of the institution (dean or above).
6. Is under-staffed, working in cramped conditions, and has an inadequate budget
7. Offers approximately 160 online classes/class sections each semester.
8. Has become a significant change-agent, prompting increased faculty training and professional development, rethinking how we teach, and providing a catalyst for integrating technology into instruction,
9. Often leads the institution in dealing with issues of assessment, design, rigor, course quality and learning.
10. Struggles to obtain understanding, acceptance and support from campus leaders, who often lack direct experience with this method of teaching and learning (sometimes a generational disconnect).

The report goes on saying individual programs that do not reflect these generalized characteristics can be highly successful – it often depends on the culture of the institution and how well they are able to “work their magic” to serve their students.

The excellent 18-page 2009 report is available as a free download here.