Update for Standard 2 - Accreditation - for Distance Education - 7-20-06

The Curriculum Committee has the responsibility for developing the educational program in accordance with the philosophy and objectives of the college for recommendation to the Board of Trustees for final approval. As delineated in the Curriculum Committee Handbook, one of the roles of Curriculum Committee members is to help maintain the integrity of the courses by reviewing and approving all courses before they are offered.

The Distance Education Committee, in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee, has developed an Accreditation Procedure for faculty who wish to teach online classes. (see http://lamc.pbwiki.com.de) This procredure requires the updating of the course outline of record, completion of the DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE APPROVAL FORM, training and certification to teach the class, and review of the course content by the Distance Education Committee including Student Learning Outcomes. Faculty must pass their training and course content review before the class is scheduled by the Department Chairs.

After courses receive first reading approval by the Curriculum Committee, courses are reviewed at the district level at the District Curriculum Committee. One of the DCC responsibilities is the requirement to receive, review, and forward to the chancellor’s cabinet for further review all course program proposals that it deems satisfactory for board approval.

SELF-EVALUATION

In the 2001-2002 school year (check), Mission College began a Unit Assessment process to assess on an ongoing basis the quality of programs at LAMC, as quality relates to the college’s mission and goals (Ref IIA.7) This process includes a review of all course outlines and programs. We are currently in the fourth year of a six-year cycle. Thus, by the end of the 2008 school year, the goal is that all programs and courses will have been reviewed.

Article 40 of the AFT Labor Contract 2005 - 2008 - see http://lamission.edu/ddl/article40.htm

provided for the creation of a Distributive and Distance Learning Committee which is to report its work, activities, plans to an Education Planning Committee (EPC) - which has not been created at Mission.

The DDL Committee was organized in the Fall Semester of 2005 - see charter at http://lamission.edu/ddl/charter.htm and the Committee constituted with its membership.

Its statement of purpose is as follows: A D/DL Committee or its equivalent will serve the function of communicating and advising the college in its decision-making regarding D/DL issues. It should report to the college’s Educational Planning Committee or its equivalent and should include D/DL faculty, information technology staff and administrators involved in D/DL course development and delivery.

The college Curriculum Committee and the D/DL Committee or equivalent should address D/DL efficacy as it relates to the total instructional program. The D/DL Committee is under the purview of the Academic Senate.

The Committee started to meet, and the agenda and minutes are located at: http://lamc-ddl.pbwiki.com/Minutes . The DDL has been meeting two times a months since 10-05, and the following progress has been made: DDL established a Distance Education Online Faculty Seniority List, Updated the online faculty email at lamission.edu, wrote a History of Online Education at Mission College - http://lamission.edu/ddl/online%2Dhistory/, developed the "Application to Teach Online" and the certification process for new online faculty - see http://lamc.pbwiki.com/de, Developed a form - "Are you reading to take an online class" for new prospective online students - see http://profj.us/ddl/forms/ready.htm, worked on an"Online Student Evaluation" form for students to fill in upon completion of their online class - http://profj.us/ddl/forms/studentsurvey.htm along with a Student Satisfaction Survey - http://profj.us/ddl/forms/satisfaction.htm, passed the following motions in the DDL Committee - http://lamc-ddl.pbwiki.com/Approved%20Motions, developed an "Initiative to Develop Online and Hybrid Classes" - http://idhop.pbwiki.com/ , 3 persons have been trained to deliver "Etudes NG" training at Mission, http://abogado.pbwiki.com/etudes-ng and training for etudes ng will be provided to faculty during July-August 2006, and the Fall 2006 semester. see http://missionetudes.pbwiki.com. Faculty will transition all of their online classes to the newer etudes ng course management system by Fall 207, assisted in handling the paperwork to get etudes clasic and etudes ng course management system paid for the 2006-2007 Academic year, deveoped the information to place under "Online Classes" for the Fall 2006 - for students, faculty and staff at Mission - http://missiononline.pbwiki.com/, collabroated with the District Distance Education Committee -DDE http://lamission.edu/ddl/dde/ and see DDE minutes at http://laccd-dde.pbwiki.com/ . The DDE and DDL have similar purpose to promote and support Distance Education, discussed developing an online orientation for online students similar to Foothill -

http://www.foothillglobalaccess.org/main/how_to_begin.htm

Planning Agenda - For 2007, the DDL Committee will work on the items called for in the District Annual DE Report - see http://lamc.pbwiki.com/goals which include addressing the following:

Purpose - • What was the intent in offering the course by DE? How was learning enhanced by the use of technology? - Student Access • What is the evidence, if any; that the new methodology increased the number of students served, or extended services to students with disabilities? • What student services were provided to support student success for DE? • In what ways were the goals of the district’s Student Equity Plan furthered? Faculty - • How were faculty selected to teach each DE section and what relevant

professional development activities and support services were provided to them? • What was their perception of the experience, as expressed by instructors and student services professionals? Which new approaches were judged effective? Which were judged non-effective? Quality - • How did student satisfaction compare with that in courses offered in a traditional mode? • How did student achievement compare with that in courses offered in a traditional mode? • Did students with prior independent study experience do better in DE than those without prior experience? • How did the type and quantity of student-faculty interaction in each course compare with that in courses offered in the traditional mode?

• What types of instructional support and student services were provided to students and students with disabilities? • How appropriate and effective was the courseware for each course? • Was equipment satisfactory for each course? • Which technological mix was used most effectively? • What differences, if any, were there in the level of student achievemen transferable verses nontransferable DE courses? How does this compare with differences between transferable and nontransferable traditional courses?

ther Costs • How did start-up costs for DE compare with other modes of instruction? • How did continuing costs for DE compare with other modes of instruction? • In what ways, if any, does faculty and staff load differ for DE sections? Recommendations- • What suggestions can be made for the improvement of DE?