FEMA EMI Higher Education Conference 2010

1. FEMA EMIHigher Education Conference 2010 Collaborative Learning and Utilizing Disaster Simulations for and Online Bachelor’s Degree Program in Emergency Management

2. Dr. Michael J. O’Connor Jr.Associate Professor of Emergency ManagementState University of New YorkCanton College of TechnologyandPart-time FacultyPublic Service DepartmentCapella University

3. Introduction: Undergraduate (L/D & U/D) and Graduate

4. Undergraduate:State University of New Yorkat Canton College of Technology

5. State University of New YorkCanton College of Technology • Located in Canton, New York (North of the Adirondacks and South of the St. Lawrence River) • SUNY Canton has recently established bachelor’s degrees in engineering, business, info technology, etc. • Canton has regional and global partners, with agreements at institutions in Massachusetts, Ontario, Wyoming, Russia, Bosnia … just to name a few

6. Emergency Management • Bachelor’s of Technology Program in EADM founded Fall 2006 • First (and still only) faculty member hired August 2006 • First courses offered October 2006 to four EADM majors, CJ majors and the general college population • 50+ majors (current students and those already having paid deposits) already enrolled for Fall 2009

7. Program Organization 201 Fundaments 205 Risk and Hazard Impacts Studies 220 Disaster Management 222 Community Preparedness 307 Legal Issues 400 Incident Command 430 Virtual Exercises 435 Disaster Simulation 480 Internships 485 Senior Projects

8. Course Organization • Orientation • Syllabus • Instructor Biography • Course Documents (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoints, Websites, Projects and Exercises) • Examinations, Surveys (Assessments) • Writing Assignments • Announcements • Discussion Boards

9. Unique Aspects • Program is offered online in a 7-week format • Classroom-based coursework may be implemented Fall 2011 (or never) • Courses originally offered via Blackboard now offered via Angel (Fall 2008) • All online courses must receive approval from a faculty committee prior to being offered (online course review process) • All courses are also offered via the SUNY Learning Network (SLN)

10. Online Course Review • All online courses are reviewed prior to their initial offering and are reexamined on a three-year cycle • Course reviewers utilize a rubric developed by Maryland Online which was sponsored by FIPSE (U.S. Department of Education - Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) • Based on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s standards of best practices in distance learning programs

11. Course Review Rubric Criteria • Materials are accessible and appropriate • Objectives and learning outcomes are consistent with one another • Course navigation is logical and unambiguous • Assessment is built into the course • Interaction with learners is provided and support is available

12. Four Questions Typically Asked about Online Learning Can we teach everyone via online learning? Can we teach all subjects via online learning? What methods and technologies are available to teach emergency management in the online classroom? Can we improve teaching in the online classroom?

13. Can we teach everyone via online learning?

14. Predictors of Success in an Online Course • For online courses: • Learners should be directed to be self-regulated learners . . . • Orientation about the nature of online learning . . . should be provided to students • Learners should be encouraged to keep their motivation at a high level through the help of instructional activities

15. Predictor’s, continued • Learners’ performance should be monitored, and individual and timely feedback should be provided • Interaction through both synchronous and asynchronous communication tools should be encouraged • Course contents should be of immediate real-life value for the students • Yukselturk, E. & Bulut, S. (2007). Predictors for student success in an online course. Educational Technology & Society, 10(2), 71-83.

16. Can we teach everyone via online learning? Answer: Yes! (caveat: learners have a much better chance of success if they are (or can become) self-regulating

17. Can we teach all subjects via online learning?

18. Can we teach all subjects via online learning? For example, to teach: Academic subjects which require (“lecture” type of courses): - learning concepts and principles, - engaging in discussions, - writing papers, or - solving problems – these usually work well in an online format Kearsley, G. (1999) Online Education: Learning and Teaching in Cyberspace. Wadsworth.

19. Subjects, continued Those which require the teaching of: - Motor skills – may require that simulations be developed - Science, Math and Engineering – may require additional software tools (Mathmatica, CAD, etc.) - Numerous Visual Images – may require the use of CD’s Kearsley, G. (1999) Online Education: Learning and Teaching in Cyberspace. Wadsworth.

20. Teaching (Online) • Undergraduate - Lower Division: Most courses are “lecture-type” courses • Use of “measured” course readings, discussion readings, lecture readings, references, and websites) • Exams and Quizzes (midterms, final, quizzes) • Writing Assignments (style, length, evaluation) • Number and Timing of Assignments

21. Teaching, continued - Upper Division: Courses are a mix of “lecture” and science or apprenticeship- style of courses • Video Clips, Podcasts, etc. • Simulations and Exercises providing “real life” experiences, where results are monitored and feedback provided through both synchronous and asynchronous methods (phone, email, online classroom boards, Skype, etc.)

22. Can we teach all subjects via online learning?Answer: Yes! (caveat: good instructional design must be utilized by faculty trained in course development techniques)

23. What methods and technologies are available to teach emergency management in the online classroom?

24. What methods and technologies are available to teach emergency management in the online classroom? Internships or Senior Projects Live Exercises and Fieldtrips Online Disaster Simulations Other: American Red Cross, Conferences, Workshops, Emergency Management Club

25. Internships or Senior Projects Students are doing senior projects or internship with the New York State Emergency Management Office, Rhode Island State Emergency Management Agency, DHS/U.S. Coast Guard, Fort Drum Emergency Management Officer and other local and state agencies (including Public Health Student and mentor complete daily journals and weekly reports

26. Other! American Red Cross (Disaster Services, Response Teams, etc.) Conferences (Community Emergency Response, SEMO, Emergency Managers Conference) Workshops and Meetings (LEPC, AMSC, etc.) Emergency Management Club

27. “Live” Exercises Selected students are invited to observe and participate in developing, coordinating and evaluating exercises with local, state and Federal agencies. Students have assisted with the development of DHS/U.S. Coast Guard full-scale exercises and Customs and Border Patrol Tabletop Exercises as well as other fieldtrips!

28. Online Disaster Simulations Program offers 9 semester hours of virtual exercise or disaster simulations One 3 semester hour course focuses on developing, conducting and evaluating exercises (typically TTX’s) Another 6 semester hour course is “hands-on” and allows the students to actually develop an exercise – working in a “sim-cell”, as mock journalists, as part of the incident command staff or as an evaluator

29. Types of Simulations • Incident Commander • WecEOC “Central City” Simulations • Hurrevac • Hazus-MH (ESRI ArcView GIS) • Virtual Terrorism Response Academy • ICS 100/200 First Person Simulation • AEAS, CAMEO, ALOHA, etc.,

30. Can we improve teaching in the online classroom?

31. Seven Principles

32. Seven Principles for Good Practice The "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education," originally published in the AAHE Bulletin (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1993), are a popular framework for evaluating teaching. Such a framework helps faculty members and higher-education institutions examine and improve their teaching practices.

33. Principles 1-3 • Principle 1: Good Practice Encourages Student-Faculty Contact • Lesson for online instruction: Instructors should provide clear guidelines for interaction with students. • Principle 2: Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students • Lesson for online instruction: Well-designed discussion assignments facilitate meaningful cooperation among students. • Principle 3: Good Practice Encourages Active Learning • Lesson for online instruction: Students should present course projects.

34. Principles 4-5 • Principle 4: Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback • Lesson for online instruction: Instructors need to provide two types of feedback: information feedback and acknowledgment feedback. • Principle 5: Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task • Lesson for online instruction: Online courses need deadlines.

35. Principles 6-7 • Principle 6: Good Practice Communicates High Expectations • Lesson for online instruction: Challenging tasks, sample cases, and praise for quality work communicate high expectations. • Principle 7: Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning • Lesson for online instruction: Allowing students to choose project topics incorporates diverse views into online courses.

36. Principles - Applications Student-Faculty Contact Cooperation among students Active learning Feedback Time on Task High Expectations Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

37. Five Pillars

38. Five Pillars for Quality Online Education for Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN) Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) developed the Five Pillars in the mid-1990’s (focused on measuring and improving the learning effectiveness of Asynchronous Learning Networks. Sloan-C has websites that contain research on effective practices in each pillar.

39. Five Pillars, continued Learning Effectiveness: Learners interact (with faculty and each other) and engage in reflective discussions and collaborative learning. Student Satisfaction: Learners are most satisfied when they are engaged in courses where there is a high level of interaction with others and collaborative experiences, and where they receive significant feedback from faculty in a timely manner. Source: (Lorenzo & Moore, 2002).

40. Five Pillars, continued Faculty Satisfaction: Faculty are most satisfied the flexibility of the online environment and the enhanced interactions that an online environment provides. Cost Effectiveness: Use of online courses has become almost mandatory due to competitive pressures. Access: Learners are able to easily access programs and services. Source: (Lorenzo & Moore, 2002).

41. Five Pillars - Applications Learning effectiveness Student satisfaction Faculty satisfaction Cost effectiveness Access

42. Can we improve teaching in the online classroom? Answer: Yes!