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Where do faculty and students receive technical support for their online course?

Technical support is available for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s online and hybrid students and faculty via the IT Help Desk as well as the Help link in Canvas.

 

Does my department have to work with GO to deliver online or hybrid courses and programs?

Yes, for a course to be designated as online or hybrid in the Schedule of Classes it must meet all quality assurance guidelines established by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO is responsible for ensuring all such guidelines are administered across the university.

For online and hybrid programs, GO consults with the academic unit to select an OPM, navigate the contracting and launch process, and assists with OPM relationship management. GO also provides advising and support to the Lead Faculty and Academic Coordinator for the program.Is an online degree any different from its on-campus counterpart?

Unless designed and approved as a separate program with a different CIP code, the online degree is the same as the on-campus degree. The student has the same degree requirements and takes the same courses, just via an online section that meets °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â quality standards for the online modality. Please note that to offer an on-campus program in the online format, school-level, EPC, Board of Trustees, and SACSCOC approval are required prior to online launch.

 

Does an online student’s diploma say “Online” on it?

No, diplomas do not state the modality of the program of study.

 

Do students pay any additional fees for an online or hybrid program?

Online students pay a $100 per credit hour distance learning fee.

 

Can there be an online degree that doesn’t have an on campus offering?

Yes, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â offers online-only graduate programs, including the Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS), Master of Arts in Creative Technology (MACT), and Master of Public Policy (MPP).

 

What academic calendar will the online degree follow?

For online programs with an on-campus equivalent, the online program must follow the same calendar. For online-only programs, the academic unit proposes a calendar to follow during the governance approval process. Many °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â online-only programs follow the RSGS calendar. The RSGS calendar has three annual starts that allow for a full 15 weeks in each semester. 

 

What is OIT OPS?

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â OIT’s Online Production Services (OPS) team is responsible for the end-to-end design and development of online programs and courses. The team also collaborates with stakeholders across °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â to advance online teaching quality and other digital learning initiatives. OPS partners with faculty to design engaging, innovative, and high-quality online courses.

 

What is an Online Program Manager or OPM?

An Online Program Manager (OPM) partners with universities to build and manage credit-bearing and noncredit online and hybrid programs. OPM services include market research, integrated marketing, recruitment and enrollment services, corporate partnerships support, student success coaching, retention support, and instructional design and multimedia production.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO regularly evaluates the OPM market to ensure the university partners with only OPMs that demonstrate the highest quality output and follow financial models that maximize the university’s ROI.

 

Can the university pick and choose from the range of service options an OPM offers?

Some OPMs require the university use their full suite of services, while others allow flexibility.

 

Do OPMs have faculty?

No, OPMs facilitate the development and delivery of online for-credit programs; they provide backend operations support. OPMs do not own, create, or teach course content whatsoever. The intellectual property for a program belongs to the university and is taught by university faculty.

 

What authority remains with the school or department?

The department and its college or school have complete academic oversight of the program. The department decides what courses comprise the degree plan, as well as who develops and teaches those courses. The department also reviews applications, makes all admissions decisions, and is responsible for academic advising, registration (including planning and posting courses in PeopleSoft), and graduation requirements for all students. The college or school financial officer is also responsible for reconciling tuition against the OPM invoice and paying the OPM, and the college or school is responsible for signing off (in collaboration with °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â DEA) on all marketing materials related to the program.

 

What is the Lead Faculty and Academic Coordinator role?

Each online degree program has a designated faculty leader within its college or school. This may be a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who also teaches in the program. Or it may be a full-time non-tenure track position dedicated to the program. This role plans the program schedule, meets regularly with the OPM to answer questions, addresses escalated student concerns, review and approves marketing assets proposed by the OPM, oversees the assignment of faculty to teach the online courses, monitors program success, and other responsibilities.

 

How long is the onramp for marketing of a new online program once approved?

Campaign assets should be in market at least 4-6 months before the first application deadline.

 

How are the Online and Hybrid modalities defined at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â?

University approved course modality definitions support stakeholders in several ways. Shared definitions allow the College or School to select the best modality or modalities for a course. They assist students in choosing the modality that best suits their needs, and allow marketing, admissions, advising, and other support services to discuss courses across Academic Units in a simplified way. Additionally, university approved course modality definitions must adhere to regional and federal guidance.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â defines Online as 22.5 or more contact hours achieved through online delivery; some in-person meetings, such as a one-day orientation, may be scheduled to reach 45 contact hours. Similarly, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â defines Hybrid as 13.5 to 22 contact hours achieved through online delivery with the remaining needed to reach 45 contact hours achieved through in-person meetings.

To be scheduled as an Online or Hybrid course, the course should be approved by the appropriate governing body at the college or school and follow the Online course development process established by the Provost’s Office. If it is the first course in an academic program to use the Online or Hybrid modality, it also needs to be approved by the EPC. Before a faculty member can develop or deliver an Online or Hybrid course at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â, they must first be certified to teach online by the Office of Global, Online and Continuing Education. To do so they are expected to complete a two-part training series delivered by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Shared Services and the Quality Matters Consortium.

Please use the document when planning and offering courses. On-Campus, Off-Campus, Online, and Hybrid are the only modalities in use at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. They were developed and approved by a group of stakeholders representing faculty, academic leadership, registrar, online education, academic technology, libraries, and others, and were approved by the Data Governance Committee and the Provost’s Office. Please refer to the document for contact hours, location, development process, governance, compliance, and quality assurance details for each modality.

If you have questions about the definitions, please contact Michael Robertson or Bobby Lothringer.

 

My department is considering a new online program or course, how do I initiate discussion with GO?

Please refer to the document in discussions about launching a fully online or hybrid program or course. These processes, administered by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO, were established with input from online learning stakeholders across the university. They ensure that every online program or course launches only after a rigorous evaluation of its business case occurs and university-wide quality standards are met. They also ensure that every development project be allocated the appropriate level of instructional design and multimedia resources.

If you have questions about the Online Program and Course Development Processes, please contact Kimberly Rutigliano or Michael Robertson.

 

Answers to the following questions can be found by clicking the button below. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â login required.

• Does my department or school pay °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO for its consulting services?
• When partnering with an OPM, what does my department pay for? 
• Does the school cover the costs incurred by the program? 
• What is the revenue share to the school? 
• Does any of the revenue go directly to the department?
• What if we need to hire more faculty to support the program?
• What if we need to hire more staff to support the program?
• How will I be compensated for developing a course to deliver in the online format?  

 

What kind of training is available to faculty for developing and teaching online courses? Is it required?

Only faculty certified to teach online by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO may develop or teach a course in the Online or Hybrid modality. To become certified, faculty are expected to complete a two-part training series delivered by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO, OIT OPS, and the Quality Matters (QM) Consortium. The first training is titled Introduction to Canvas. The second training is a 2-week online course delivered by QM titled Teaching Online: An Introduction to Online Delivery.

There are currently over 450 faculty certified to teach online at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. Faculty can check if they are certified to teach online by looking at their training record in my.°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. To register for online certification training, please submit your form to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO.

If you have questions about the training requirement for online faculty, please contact Kimberly Rutigliano or Jennifer Culver (OPS).

 

What online course components will be synchronous vs asynchronous?

The decision to allocate portions of a course to asynchronous or synchronous methods hinges on several key variables. The architecture of the course is shaped first and foremost by its learning objectives. Clear goals help delineate which elements are best suited for real-time interaction and which can be conducted offline. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO strongly encourages all online courses to have at least one synchronous session per week. Faculty (i.e., course developers or SMEs) and instructional designers should also keep the following in mind when developing online courses:

• Student Demographics: The makeup of the student body is important. Are the students typically working professionals who might struggle with fixed schedules? If so, asynchronous methods would be more accommodating. Conversely, younger students might benefit from the structure of scheduled sessions.
• Course Content: The nature of the material itself plays a pivotal role. Topics requiring hands-on guidance or complex problem-solving are often better suited for synchronous learning, where real-time feedback is possible. Asynchronous learning is often effective for foundational or theoretical topics that students can explore independently.
• Engagement Metrics: If possible, faculty and instructional designers should look at data from similar courses to gauge what methods have previously resulted in better student engagement and comprehension. If interactive sessions show a significant lift in grades or participation, they should lean more heavily into synchronous methods.
• Pedagogical Preferences: Faculty may also have preferences based on their teaching styles. Some may feel more comfortable with the immediacy of a "live" classroom, while others prefer the carefully structured realm of asynchronous teaching. These preferences, while subjective, should not be overlooked.
• Technological Resources: The technological infrastructure must be able to support the chosen methods. While asynchronous learning may be more forgiving on this front, synchronous learning often demands robust bandwidth and low latency.

Ultimately, faculty provide the academic rigor and subject-matter expertise, while instructional designers offer educational theory, technological know-how, and more. These elements combine to inform the appropriate allocation of asynchronous and synchronous components, making each online course unique.

 

What do Instructional Designers do?

If you are working on a course in a fully online or hybrid program, you will be assigned an Instructional Designer (ID). The ID may be from the OPM or OIT’s OPS team. This is dependent upon the financial model agreed upon by the academic unit, university, and OPM, as well as the availability of OPS staff to take on new projects. In the rare event that both OPM and OPS ID resources are unavailable, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO will work with your department to contract a freelance ID, contract services from a dedicated ID provider, or identify other alternatives.

IDs offer a multifaceted skill set. Their expertise straddles various domains and contributes to the overall sophistication of online course design. To every course development project, IDs bring:

• Technical Acumen: IDs are well-versed in the tools and platforms that host online education, ranging from learning management systems (e.g., Canvas) to video-conferencing software (e.g., Zoom). They can tailor these technologies to suit the needs of a specific course, ensuring seamless delivery.
• Project Management: Crafting an online course is an elaborate task that demands meticulous planning and execution. IDs often take on the role of project managers, coordinating between faculty, administrators, and technical teams to keep the development process on schedule and within budget.
• Graphic Design and Multimedia Integration: Visual elements can be key to learner engagement. IDs often have the capability to design or suggest visual aids, interactive elements, and multimedia content that can enhance the learning experience.
• Assessment Design: IDs can also play a pivotal role in creating methods for evaluating student performance, tailored to the unique format of an online course. This ranges from traditional exams to interactive projects and peer-review systems.
• Accessibility and Inclusivity: With a strong grasp of best practices and regulations around accessibility, IDs can help make courses accessible to students with disabilities, thereby creating a more inclusive learning environment.
• User Experience (UX) Design: An intuitive, user-friendly interface can make or break an online course. IDs often have expertise in the principles of UX design, ensuring that the course is not just educational but also navigable and engaging.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Effective courses require an iterative approach. IDs often set up mechanisms to gather student feedback, providing valuable insights that can be used to refine the course over time.
• Content Curation: Beyond creating new materials, IDs are adept at sourcing and integrating existing resources, whether they be readings, video content, or datasets, into the curriculum to enrich the course without reinventing the wheel.
• Community Building: IDs can also offer strategies to foster online communities among students, replicating the sense of camaraderie and collective engagement that is often found in traditional classroom settings.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: With an understanding of intellectual property laws, data protection standards, and academic integrity guidelines, IDs help ensure that the course adheres to ethical and legal requirements. IDs also help to ensure that student-instructor contact hours are achieved.

In essence, the instructional designer operates at the intersection of pedagogy, technology, and administration, serving as a lynchpin in the creation of robust, engaging, and effective online courses.

 

Where do I film the pre-recorded components for my course?

For online and hybrid programs, video production varies based on the OPM. You may find yourself in a state-of-the-art OPM or °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â studio. Alternatively, a professional crew might accompany you to an on-location shoot. Some OPMs even furnish the necessary equipment for home recording.

 

What is Quality Matters or QM?

Quality Matters (QM) is an international organization that sets rigorous benchmarks for online and hybrid education. Grounded in research and best practices, it offers a framework for course design and delivery to ensure an effective learning experience. Institutions that adhere to QM guidelines receive certification, a seal of quality assurance. Through its peer review process, it aims to foster continuous improvement and elevate the stature of online education. In essence, QM is a beacon for academic excellence in the market, allowing institutions like °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â to set the gold standard for online learning.

All °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â online and hybrid courses must pass an unofficial QM review prior to launch. Each review is conducted by OIT OPS and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO staff. These staff are certified by QM to conduct reviews.

 

Who builds my online or hybrid course?

You build your online or hybrid course with support from an Instructional Designer (ID) and depending upon design requirements and resource availability additional staff, such as multimedia specialists. See “What do Instructional Designers do?” for more details.

 

How long will it take for me to build my online course and are those dates flexible?

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO earmarks nine months for each course development project. This period includes predefined milestones, calculated to keep each project not just on track but also in sync with broader resource allocation. Faculty collaborate closely with their designated instructional designer to tailor this overarching timeline to suit their methodologies and constraints.

While some faculty find it productive to engage in concentrated bursts of activity—what we term as "dedicated sprints"—others favor a more incremental approach, distributing their efforts steadily throughout the nine-month span. Ultimately, the choice of pace and process resides with you and your instructional designer, provided, of course, that you meet the stipulated project timelines.

 

How often should I update my online course?

This is a nuanced question that encompass academic rigor, technological advancements, and shifting industry needs. What’s more, in the case of online or hybrid programs, it is not merely a pedagogic concern but also a strategic issue that impacts the competitive positioning of the program; however, update frequency generally depends on the following factors:

• Course Content: Fields like computer science and data science are rapidly evolving, and thus courses in these subjects may require frequent updates, possibly on an annual basis. In contrast, courses in disciplines like philosophy or history may not need annual revisions.
• Technological Changes: If a course relies on specific software or hardware, updates should coincide with significant changes in those technologies.
• Feedback Loops: Continual assessment and feedback from students and faculty can offer invaluable insights into areas for improvement. A course should ideally be flexible enough to allow for minor updates each semester, based on this feedback.
• Accreditation and Compliance: In regulated fields, updates may be necessary to stay compliant with accrediting bodies.
• Market Dynamics: In fields closely tied to specific job markets, such as an MBA program, course materials may need to be updated more regularly to keep pace with business trends.
• Global Relevance: The increasing globalization of education necessitates a curriculum that is pertinent across borders, thereby requiring periodic reviews and updates.
  
  

Ultimately, while there may not be a one-size-fits-all answer, a proactive approach to course updates is generally advisable. In short, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â GO recommends a tiered approach:

1. Minor updates, like fixing errors or updating readings, occur every semester.
2. Moderate updates, such as adding or removing modules based on feedback, are annual.
3. Major curriculum overhauls, synchronizing with industry changes or technological leaps, occur every 3-5 years.

For online and hybrid programs, major overhauls are baked into the program’s financial model. Faculty in such programs should work with their program coordinator to schedule their revisions. This allows for an ID to be assigned (if needed) and the schedule of classes to be adjusted as needed.

 

How do online students typically differ from students in a traditional, on-ground classroom?

Online students tend to be older on average and often fall into the non-traditional category, balancing work and family commitments. On-ground students generally skew younger, entering programs straight from high school or at early career stages.

Secondly, those opting for online courses are frequently employed full-time and are seeking to upskill or reskill. In contrast, on-ground students are less likely to be working full-time, allowing for greater involvement in campus activities.

Online programs also attract a more geographically diverse set of students, as they are less tethered to a specific campus location. On-ground students, meanwhile, are often from the local or regional area, though international students make up a growing segment.

What’s more, a higher proportion of online students enroll on a part-time basis, taking advantage of flexible scheduling options. On-ground students are more likely to enroll full-time to make the most of campus resources.

Lastly, online students are often self-financed or sponsored by employers and are particularly sensitive to return on investment. On-ground students are more likely to depend on scholarships and traditional forms of financial aid.