Learner Support @UMUC

1. Learner Support @UMUC Christine Walti, MDE Beijing, China May 12 -14, 2008

2. Learner Support @UMUC Workshop Content • Institution and Context • Philosophy of Education Values/Culture/Methods • Some Research Data • Learner Support Services

3. Learner Support @UMUC Description • Devoted to adult and part-time learners • Dual mode, open university • One of 11 degree granting institutions in Maryland • Worldwide Enrollment: 2nd among 4-year degree granting public universities in the US • 32‘000 student enrollments stateside • Nearly 100‘000 students worldwide in 2007

4. Learner Support @UMUC Goals and Challenges • Continuous Transition • Dependent on own resources: only between 3% - 7% of the $285‘000‘000 budget is publically funded • Intense competition from for for profit institutions • Increasing competition from public and private institutions for the same student population

5. Learner Support @UMUC Location • Online students in all 50 states and various countries throughout the world • Campuses in Adelphi, Maryland, Europe and Asia with 160 locations worldwide • Partnerships with Irkutsk State University, Siberia; Far Eastern National University, Vladivostok; University of Oldenburg, Germany • Contracts with U.S. government to support education programs

6. Learner Support @UMUC Revenue and Funding • Most current figures: - 6.4% public funding from the state of Maryland - 8% from the University‘s Inn and Conference Center - 85.5% Tuition and fees - Tuition freezes over the past three years for Maryland instate student > difficult choices in terms of funding strategies

7. Learner Support @UMUC Business Model • Streamlining Processes • Pipeline of Functions • Specialized Pipelines • Few Full-time faculty • Majority of faculty adjuncts: - No Tenure - High demand on faculty - Needs deliberate and cohesive communication - Increased training • Business is as important as academics

8. Learner Support @UMUC Programs and Courses • Associate (2 yr.) • Baccalaureate (4 yr.) • Masters • Doctorate of Management • Very few continuing education courses • National Leadership Institute • Over 100 bachelors and masters degree programs and certificates fully online. • In FY 2007, UMUC offered close to 700 distinct courses online. • In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 UMUC had over 177,000 online course enrolments

9. Learner Support @UMUC Target Audience • US citizens abroad • International students • Residents of the State of Maryland as well as other States • Primary Age group: 25 -44 • Carefully watching 45+ • Somewhat more females than males • Ethnic diversity reflects societal make-up • Median age for BA degrees: 31 yrs. • 4 out 5 students enrolled (stateside) work full-time • Great variance in terms of preparation and leraning skills • Over 40% are fist time degree earners in their family

10. Learner Support @UMUC Issues and Challenges • Level of academic quality: must be the same for online delivery as for face to face: same curriculum ---> same learning outcomes • Technology information resources and institutional services help to accomplish this goal • Ownership of the curriculum (graduate and undergraduate school have used two different approaches in the past to develop curriculum) • Measuring learning outcomes • Funding • Provide front door mentoring and support courses to assist at risk students in acquiring the skills and confidence they need to succeed

11. Learner Support @UMUC Issues and Challenges (2) • Adding new faculty and training them not only for the technology and pedagogy but to the values of UMUC • Dealing with growth, diverse academic backgrounds and preparedness, scalability and standards • Ensuring current and innovative curriculum • Academic support resources for students must be developed and maintained to ensure persistence and retention • Accessibility in terms of costs

12. Learner Support @UMUC Opportunities • Space and capacity issues at public universities are – while a problem in general – an opportunity for UMUC to step up and provide learning environments that do not depend on space and capacity • UMUC is achieving an increasing level of standardization and with technology mediated processes and mass customization can meet its own challenges associated with growth • Metrics/measurement is an important piece in knowing whether the goals set out are being achieved and if the institution is moving in the desired direction

13. Learner Support @UMUC Educational Philosophy • Pillars: Access, Quality, Accountability and Affordability • Interaction is critical • Students must be engaged in the learning • Assessment and feedback

14. Learner Support @UMUC Role of the Teacher/Instructor • The model used by UMUC is the ‘interactive’ model: conferencing is an important vehicle and discussion is the predominant method (as opposed to the broadcasting model) • The instructors facilitate cohorts based on a certain degree of standardization and they add value by including their individual knowledge, professional backgrounds and teaching style • Level of multimedia use is generally quite modest • At the graduate level faculty tend to be more technology fluent and they develop their own courses • At the undergraduate level a team approach is used where course designers, multi-media specialist, editors and graphic specialist are employed along with subject matter experts.

15. Learner Support @UMUC Modes of Teaching/Tutoring • Face to face (traditional) • Online • Interactive video • Two-way video conferencing • Instructional TV • Executive and short residency programs • Blended approaches using one or more of the above

16. Learner Support @UMUC Premises • The institution has a commitment – administrative, financial, and technical – to continuation of the program for a period sufficient to enable all admitted students to complete a degree or certificate in a publicized timeframe. • Ascertains by a review of pertinent records and/or personal review that the student is qualified by prior education or equivalent experience to be admitted to that program, including in the case of international students, English language skills. • The institution recognizes that appropriate services must be available for students of electronically offered programs, using the working assumption that these students will not be physically present on campus.

17. Learner Support @UMUC Premises (2) • The institution recognizes that a sense of community is important to the success of many students, and that an ongoing, long-term relationship is beneficial to both student and institution. The design and administration of the program takes this factor into account as appropriate, through such actions as encouraging study groups, providing student directories (with the permission of those listed), including off-campus students in institutional publications and events, including these students in definitions of the academic community through such mechanisms as student government representation, invitations to campus events including graduation ceremonies, and similar strategies of inclusion.

18. Learner Support @UMUC Considerations - Faculty qualifications and support. - Course materials - Course management and delivery - Library-related services: - Remote access - Services providing information to students concerningthe institution and its programs and courses - Technical services

19. Learner Support @UMUC Academic Resources • Admission Assistance  • Advising • Information and Library Services • Bookstores  • Computer Labs • Career and Cooperative Education Center • Graduation Services

20. Learner Support @UMUC Administrative Resources • Registration, student records, etc. • Services related to orientation, advising, counseling, or tutoring • Online payment arrangements • Student privacy considerations • Drug Prevention Program • Student Advisory Council • UMUC Policies

21. Learner Support @UMUC Financial Resources • Determination of Residency for Tuition Purposes • Federal Return of Funds Policy • Financial Information • Refund Policy • Veterans Benefits • Golden ID Program

22. Learner Support @UMUC Other Resources • Dates and Events • General Information • Frequently Asked Questions • International Applicants • Orientation

23. Learner Support @UMUC Services • Automated Services (by telephone (IRIS) and online through the portal MyUMUC and IRIS allow students to register for classes, make changes, look up their grades and check on the status of their financial aid application and have access to many of their personal UMUC records to change personal information (such as home address, e-mail address, or phone numbers), view and print reports (such as their class schedule, grade report, statement of account, unofficial transcript, and academic audit), and register for final examinations for online courses • Disabled Student Services • Transcript Services

24. Learner Support @UMUC Research Data Collection • Goal: Assure implementation of the Institutional Plan for the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes • Longitudinal action plan that defines the critical tasks and timelines for reporting on student learning • Key activities of the Office of Outcomes Assessment: • - Support activities that create and sustain an institutional learning assessment culture • - Provide an annual update to the Institutional Plan for the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes • - Monitor institutional timelines for learning assessment initiatives • - Develop formalized guidance for reporting of student learning

25. Learner Support @UMUC Research Data Collection (2) - Assure reliable data collection - Facilitate effective use of student learning results in course design, curriculum review, and program development - Prepare annual reports that summarize learning assessment data and findings from the institutional-level, program-level, and course-level - Provide guidance to the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Graduate School of Management and Technology on the development of school-level student learning assessment plans and related learning assessment activities

26. Questions??? THANK YOU! Exploring New Approaches: Web 2.0 Many thanks to Nick Allen and Stella Porto from UMUC for their input for this presentation.