Distance Education has become part of the institution of education in many countries of the world. In the United States it is now commonplace to find classes being taught at a distance at all levels of education and employing a variety of means to accomplish the learning outcomes of the curricula of which they are part. (See Appendix 1 on �The Evolution of Distance Learning in Higher Education�.) Studies attest to the efficacy of a variety of distance education modalities. Colleges and Universities have adopted a variety of distance education programs and modalities. Community colleges across the country have made distance education efforts part of their institutional mission.

Over the past 3 years, Queensborough Community College has started offering online classes in various online modes. Faculty have developed their courses by participating in the CUNY Online Program, by participating in the various workshops offered by the Academic Computing Center, or by utilizing services provided by publishing companies. For the most part, faculty work on an individual basis without any formal guidelines from the College. The College is at a juncture where it needs to decide whether or not to:

� continue the growth of online instruction without an overall plan or

� organize a Distance Education Program that is well-defined, tied to the mission of the College, and provides adequate support to insure its success.

2. Vision

As the College continues to develop its information technology infrastructure, increases its educational technologies and facilities, and extends its faculty development program, we move toward the time when it is possible to realize that:

� Distance Education modalities have become a part of the culture of the College.

� Distance Education is an effective method for increasing access to the College�s academic programs.

� Distance Education is a method of outreach to segments of the community served by the College who would not otherwise be able to receive instruction.

� Distance Education modalities and methodologies are used to supplement, enhance and further develop the instructional program.

� Distance Education in all of its modalities is readily available to faculty within all academic programs.

� Distance Education is supported by a full range of faculty development support including: mechanics, pedagogy, instructional design, course management, assessment.

� Distance Education is supported by a full range of student services including orientation to the modalities of instruction and training in the use of the technology and troubleshooting.

� Students entering the College receive adequate information making them aware of not only the offerings of the College but the modalities of instruction and what they entail.

� Faculty receive adequate support with all phases of preparing for, delivering, assessing and revising education at a distance from the learner.

� Assessment of the modalities and technologies are a regular feature of the College that leads to revisions and appropriate adjustments in the provisions of services for faculty and students.

3. General Recommendations

1. A formal Distance Education Plan should be developed at Queensborough Community College.

2. The Strategic Plan of the College should include support for distance education efforts particularly for faculty members to develop distance education classes.

3. The College should offer workshops focusing on online pedagogy.

4. The College should offer workshops focusing on online course design.

5. Faculty offering workshops for colleagues should receive recognition for their efforts as part of the review process for promotion and tenure.

6. A Distance Education Plan should address the many administrative issues regarding distance education courses.

7. For a Distance Education Program to be successful, a useful marketing plan should be established.

8. The QCC Online Web site should be made a more prominent part of the College Web site.

9. Additions should be made to the site that include areas and content as decided upon by those involved in Distance Education at the College.

10. The QCC Online offerings should be improved by providing for a central location online that presents one-stop-shopping for students interested in online courses.

11. An effort should be made to evaluate the utilization-level and the usefulness of online resources with an eye towards expanding their type and number if it is determined that they are effective.

12. A study should be made as to the overall effectiveness of distance learning at the College.

13. A study should be made as to the effectiveness of distance learning on retention at the College.

14. The College should evaluate the low usage of the wireless network and determine strategies that will increase utilization.

4. Recommendation for Senate Action for a Full Distance Education Plan at Queensborough Community College

The Subcommittee on Distance Education has considered the mission of QCC and the status of distance education in:

QCC

CUNY

Community Colleges in New York

Community Colleges in the USA

Whereas: the Middle States Self-Study (1999) contained the following:

The College should create an administration and elected faculty committee to explore the potential for impact of offering courses through distance learning;

Whereas; there are reasons for a community college to have a Distance Education Program

� To increase access: students unable to access the traditional programs

� To increase retention: opportunities for students who could not otherwise "attend" classes

� To improve the quality of existing programs

� To provide opportunities for faculty to rethink what they do and explore a new means to accomplish their objectives that might even have a "spillover" effect in their regular classroom teaching.

� To expand the size of the community the College services and the range of services as well.

� To expand markets: business, general community and specific groups

� To respond to the needs of the market space and competition.

� To increase enrollment.

Whereas; the development and offering of a distance education program and distance learning classes should involve the cooperation and participation of faculty, academic departments and the administration of the college,

Whereas: faculty are the primary developers of such classes and instructors and managers of the classes, decisions cannot be made without their involvement and approval.

Be it resolved that the Subcommittee recommends that the College develop:

� a full Distance Education Plan that creates a program of distance education

� a clear and detailed statement of purpose and aims for such a program

� policies that govern the distance education program including:

� online classes that are fully integrated with the current classes and programs

� a full system of support for faculty and students

� a process for assessment , review, and revisions, as needed

� a plan to bring the full program into existence that is to be incorporated into the Strategic Plan of the College

� resources to provide technical and pedagogic support to faculty and learners alike.

The decision as to offering entire certificates or degree programs of study online is to be left to those who develop the Distance Education Plan.

To accomplish these recommendations the Subcommittee further recommends that the Academic Senate create a standing committee of the Academic Senate to assist the College to accomplish the recommendations. (See appendix ten for a sample charge and description of membership)

5. Membership of the Computer Resources Committee - Subcommittee on Distance Education

Paul Azrak, Economics

Jean Darcy, English

Lorena Ellis, Foreign Languages

Dwight Meyer, Biology

Philip Pecorino, Philosophy, Chairperson, Computer Resources Committee

Jeanette Treue, Student Affairs

Kathleen Villani, Business

Bruce Naples, Director, Academic Computing Center

6. Appendices

Appendix 1: The Evolution of Distance Learning in Higher Education

Chapter 1, The Evolution of Distance Learning in Higher Education, in Distance Education: The Complete Guide to Design, Delivery, and Improvement by Judith L. Johnson. Published by Teachers College Press,

[http://www.teacherscollegepress.com/] 234 Amsterdam Avenue, New

York, NY 10027. Copyright � 2003 by Teachers College, Columbia

University. Reprinted with permission.

The Evolution of Distance Learning in Higher Education

Distance learning's past has emerged into a new entity. In the past decade, higher education has taken on tools for learning faster than at any other time in its history. Here we look at the beginning of distance education, its present, and our predictions for the future.

The Past

Distance education, in some form, has been around for decades. Before 1900, the communication system of the Roman Empire set the stage for distance learning, long before the idea of such a phenomenon was conceived. Inventions during this time of the printing press and the postal service made possible the printing of many copies of learning materials to be distributed to many individuals. Correspondence education began toward the end of the 19th century, and in the 20th century, radio, telephone, cinema, television, programmed learning, computers, and the Internet all became tools of the new method of distributing education (Daniel, 2000).

Australia and New Zealand

In the 1930s, radio was first used to broadcast educational programming to schools. Television became a medium of choice for distance education in the 1960s, and today with the power, speed, and versatility of the Internet, courses are offered anytime, anywhere.

During the 1930s radio as a medium was used to deliver educational programming in Australia and New Zealand by the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). In addition to program broadcasts, the ABC provided financial assistance to the schools for the purchase of radio receivers. "In 1935,21 percent of all Australian schools were making regular use of radio. . . [programs]. By the mid 1950s usage had risen to 90 percent" (Teather, 1989, p. 504).

In 1956, television was introduced in Sydney and Melbourne to deliver educational programming to schools. The programs were used by teachers to supplement their curricula and to provide access to experiences that were beyond the resources of the schools (Gilmour, 1979). More comprehensive pro- grams ill math and science were developed and broadcast to schools to address a teacher shortage in these subjects. In the 1960s and 1970s, television broadcasting in Australia increased significantly, and by 1972 more than 90% of all schools in Australia were receiving and using both enrichment and subject-specific television programs.

In the 1960s, when the Open University (OU) was being developed inthe United Kingdom, Australia had four universities that were providing opportunities for part-time higher education study using distance learning. At Massey University in New Zealand, approximately 12,000 students were en-rolled in several hundred courses. In the 1980s, more than 35,000 students were taking distance education courses in Australia from approximately five universities and 30 colleges. In 1961, due to a short supply of evening classes at the University of New South Wales, lectures were broadcast over radio to part--time adult students in their homes. Problems arose with this arrangement, however. The University's radio station obtained a license to broadcast, but the "transmission frequency allotted . . . was beyond the tuning range of an ordinary radio receiver, so students had to have their receivers modified" (Teather, 1989, p. 506). But this did not solve the problem completely. The power provided to the University radio station (which was about half the power of a nearby non-University station) did not allow for clear transmission of the audio. Thus, students ended up hearing only half of the transmission. To remedy these problems, the University established centers where students could gather to listen to broadcasts and have discussion groups afterward. Those who could not attend the sessions were mailed broadcast tapes. By 1966, the University added television programming to its radio programming to offer courses to extension centers. The courses were delivered using a combination of the two media and supplemented by notes and diagrams that were mailed to students before the broadcasts. Student-led discussions and live seminars supported the learning activities. This arrangement became known as the Division of Postgraduate Extension Studies, and by 1982 more than 2,300 students were enrolled in the broad-cast courses. An additional 2,700 participated in courses in which audio- and videocassettes of the same courses were offered. Eventually distribution of higher education courses in Australia and New Zealand became satellite-based. In 1985 and 1986, domestic Australian communication satellites were launched and educational networks were established.

The United States

Educational broadcasting in the United States evolved in a similar fashion. In the 1920s, unsuccessful attempts were made to develop broadcasting for educational and cultural purposes and to reserve some radio channels for educational uses. It wasn't until the 1950s, when states were faced with shortages of teachers and school facilities, that instructional television was seen as a way to ease these problems. "Local and state educational authorities established stations using the reserved channels" (Lyle, 1989, p. 516). The broadcasts were used to support classroom instruction, and most programs were developed and produced by local teachers. With the passage of Title VII of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, educational broadcasting increased and appropriations by the legislature provided support for projects in education. However, when school enrollments began to decline in the 1970s and teachers were in surplus, the broadcast medium for instruction declined as did local production of programs for schools.

With respect to higher education, universities were among the first to have radio stations back in the 1920s. University extension programs were broadcast using these radio stations and have continued ever since. Television became the medium of choice for the broadcast programs in the 1960s. Many college and university systems developed televised curricula to provide access for more individuals and to reduce pressure on the physical plants. Systems and consortia alike cooperated to deliver courses to the public. A 1979 survey by the Corporation for Public Broad-casting (CPB) and the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) "found that 25 percent of the nation's colleges and universities offered courses for credit over television and 36 percent of them used broadcast television to supplement instruction" (Lyle, 1989, p. 516). A major turning point in the distance education enterprise came in 1981 when Walter H. Annenberg announced his $150 million gift over 15 years for the development of university-level television programming. The CPB was chosen as the agency to oversee the planning of the programming that would be funded under this gift.

The United Kingdom

While these developments were occurring in the United States and Australia, the United Kingdom officially opened the Open University in 1971 (Cathcart, 1989). Primarily a correspondence institution, OU used correspondence materials and text-books as its major resources along with television broadcasts. The institution was open to any and all who wished to partake of its educational opportunities. Working closely with the British Broadcast Corporation, au paid for its own production costs using revenue from the government's department of education and science.

When the United Kingdom's Open University achieved higher ratings for its teaching of Engineering than Oxford, Cambridge, and the Imperial College, London, it was a sign that what had begun 30 years earlier as a radical and suspect initiative for second�chance students had now become a well-respected university. (Daniel, 2000)

Other Countries

The success of OU prompted other countries to adopt its model and establish their own open universities. For example, in 1972 Spain created the Universidad de Educaci�n a Distancia using radio broadcasts. Holland offered multimedia courses to its citizens via television, and in 1977 Norway established an Institute for Distance Education that coordinated and produced integrated multimedia courses on topics of concern to its citizenry. Eventually Norway's live broadcasts were recorded and distributed to interested constituencies on cassettes. Their purpose came to focus more on- the materials than on the broadcast. Likewise, Sweden's Utbildningsradion, established in 1978, became responsible for preparing learning systems and producing audiovisual educational media. Its main priority was to produce programming for underserved, disadvantaged groups (e.g., the mentally and physically challenged and individuals with limited education). In addition to its broadcasts (both television and radio), all programs were available on cassette, along with educational materials to make up learning packages. These were distributed to learning resource centers across Sweden.

These efforts and others were part of the foundation for today's distance education, an evolution in the making. While some of the programs and projects in broadcast education may not have been deemed overly successful at the time, "research and experience leaves no doubt that educational broadcasting can, particularly within multimedia systems, be an effective educational instrument" (Lyle, 1989, p. 516).

As Sir John Daniel (2000), Vice Chancellor of Britain's Open University, asserts:

. . . whereas in 1990 only a small proportion of traditional universities offered any distance learning courses, by the year 2000 very few did not have such offerings. Today no self respecting university president can admit to not offering courses online.

(For a comprehensive account of early educational broadcasting, see chapters by Inquai, Hurst, Teather, Lyle, Hill, Cathcart, and O'Brien in Eraut, 1989.)

Today

Distance learning is the most significant phenomenon occurring in higher education today. Everywhere one looks, whether in community colleges, 4-year institutions, Ivy League colleges, research institutions, or technical colleges, distance education is on the rise, and the rise is occurring at a rapid pace. Distance education and technology are major factors in the contribution to current and expected changes in the postsecondary education enterprise.

Distance education is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 33 percent, according to Inter-national Data Corporation. Analysis predicts that distance education demand will increase from five percent of all higher education students in 1998 to 15 percent by 2002. [Indeed] . . . the reported growth rates (from 1999-2000 to 2000-2001) range from 200 percent (Pennsylvania State University's World Campus) to over 1,000 percent (University of Maryland's University College) today. (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 11)

Never before in the history of higher education has there been a change that has had such an impact on those involved in this enterprise. According to Peter Drucker, "Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast" (Gibson & Herrera, 1999, p. 57).

The idea and advent of distance education have been instrumental in producing a range of emotions in those involved in higher education. Many faculty are resistant; some are confused; others are excited about the new realm of possibilities for their teaching. Some worry about the future of their livelihood; others see this change as an opportunity to expand their pedagogy and teaching opportunities. Critics of distance education say that this mode is inferior to the more traditional face-to-face, campus-based learning, where discourse is spontaneous and inter-active, and where the faculty can see the students and pick up nonverbal body language such as facial expressions. Skeptical faculty argue that part of the learning experience is the connection made between student and student, and student and professor, or the experience of community. However, "in all fairness, there are few studies that measure the effectiveness of textbooks and lectures as an educational delivery system" (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 19). But because of the newness of technology and the uncertainty of its use in educating students, institutions are held captive by questions related to its use.

Proponents of distance learning, on the other hand, argue that distance education technologies allow for increased access to a variety of courses. Distance education offers the student more convenience in scheduling classes, decreases travel time to and from a campus, and allows for student control over when participation in classes will occur (Johnson, 1999a). Furthermore, distance learning technology, such as the Web, is the first medium that honors the notion of multiple intelligences-abstract, textual, visual, musical, social, and kinesthetic. Educators can now construct learning environments that enable [a student] to become engaged in learning any way the student chooses. The anytime, anyplace nature of the Web allows students to spend as much time as they need searching for in-formation, running simulations, or collaborating with peers. (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 5)

Some have found that this new way of delivering higher education is just as good as traditional ways, and maybe even better (Daniel, 2000; Johnson, 1999b). In fact, as Sir John Daniel (2000) stated in a speech to attendees at the Taiwan Conference on Distance Learning:

Open universities have learned how to carry out distance education successfully at scale and I emphasize that this is not merely a technological success. Through the principle ofcourse team we have become better at teaching than conventional universities, on both academic and pedagogical grounds.

Some say that students in distance education courses are more engaged with the learning process and that interaction happens more than in traditional face-to-face courses (Carnevale, 2000b; Marchese, 2000).

Researchers also have found that distance education is "more effective than the classroom lecture and the traditional relationship between student and faculty member" (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 6).

A large body of research touts that there are no significant differences between the learning out- comes of distance education and those of classroom-based education (Epper, 1996; Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001; Weigel, 2000).

[But] why [argue some] hold up lecture-based class-room education as the benchmark for evaluating new educational delivery systems? . . . If there is no significant difference between distance education and class-room-based education, advocates of distance education should hardly trumpet this claim; they should be deeply troubled by it. How could they think of making the status quo the standard for evaluating learning technologies that have so much more to offer? (Weigel, 2000, p. 12)

With distance learning technologies, teachers can develop new teaching methodologies rather than adapting old pedagogy to their distance courses. The Web is a "fundamentally new medium for education with the potential to birth new pedagogical methods" (Weigel, 2000, p. 12).

Charles M. Cook, director of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges' Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, comments on distance learning. He asserts that this mode of delivery "can provide a more active learning environment for students than traditional education by engaging the student with interactive technology, instead of relying on a professor's lecture" (Carnevale, 2000d). He feels that this type of educational delivery is more learner-centered than traditional delivery. In fact, in a survey of faculty, findings revealed that they "believed web-based courses do a better job of giving students access to information, helping them master the subject, and addressing a variety of learning styles" (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 19). '

The Web . . . can also be a great new medium for deeper forms of learning. . . . The beautiful thing is that today's technologies, with their incredible abilities to connect, search, engage, and individualize, to prompt performance and assess understanding, are�in the hands of a teacher with the right ambitions--terrific enablers for [deep learning]. (Marchese, 2000, p.4) ,

Distance education serves the needs of not only the traditional-age college student, but also the most rapidly growing segment of the population, adult learners over the age of 35 years who have full-time jobs, families, and limited discretionary time. A report by the American Council on Education Center for Policy Analysis and Educause (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001) cites seven distinct audiences for distance learning: corporate learners, professional enhancement learners, degree-completion adult learners, college experience learners (or the traditional student), precollege (K-12) learners, remediation and test-preparation learners, and recreational learners (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001).

Distance education has touched a majority of institutions of higher education in the United States over the past 5 years. USA Today (Snapshots, 2000) reports that 75% of U.S. institutions of higher education now offer distance education courses and pro-grams, and 35% have accredited distance education programs. It appears, however, that public institutions are using the distance mode of delivery much more than are private institutions.

In 1997, 79% of public 4-year institutions and 72 % of public 2-year institutions offered distance education courses, compared with 22 % of private 4-year institutions and 6% of private 2-year ones (Carnevale, 2000a, p. A57). Currently, institutions with more than 10,000 students (87%) are more likely to offer distance education courses than those with between 3,000 and 10,000 students (75%), or those with fewer than 3,000 students (19%) (Carnevale, 2000a, p. A57). These numbers are likely to increase substantially over the next decade with all the advances in technology and the growing demand by the public for convenient and flexible educational opportunities.

In this age of technology, future college students (e.g., today's children) have and are using computers in their schools. "Today's students, increasingly comfortable with technology, expect online resources (a digital library, Web resources, simulations, video) as part of the learning tools and learning experience" (Green, 1997, p. 4). In fact, colleges and universities of today are "dealing with the first generation of students who have never known life without PCs (created in the '70s) or the Internet (largely a '90s phenomenon)" (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001, p. 26). Students entering higher education today have the knowledge and skills to use technology that exceed those of faculty and staff working in higher education (Bleed, 2000). Students are not only computer literate, they are "technophilic" (Cini & Vilic, 1999, p. 38).

Over the past 2 decades, communication using information technologies has gone from using over-head projectors, audiovisual media, slides, and the viewing of prerecorded public television programs, to the delivery of instruction using interactive technologies and asynchronous modes, with degree pro-grams offered to students worldwide. Changes in technology today are constant, and faculty, staff, and administrators must keep pace with new technologies to ensure that their students receive the best that education has to offer.

REFERENCES available on request.

Appendix 2: Success of Distance Education Programs

While there has been much publicity concerning the failure of online instruction to realize the highly inflated estimates of revenue for those institutions that entered into offering stand alone programs, the basic, yet less dramatic, story is the rather modest success of distance education programs throughout the United States and the world. Where an educational institution has created stand alone units offering programs online, there has not been much success and many failures. Columbia University and New York University are two examples in the New York City area of grand designs now left as unrealized. Where online classes have been offered fully integrated within the offerings of a college they have gained a secure locus as part of a comprehensive set of offerings. Some university systems and universities that have created distance education programs:

A. Phoenix University

Phoenix University http://www.phoenix.edu is one example of remarkable success. It is perhaps the nation's leading Online University. It was founded in 1976. It was one of the first accredited universities to offer online college education with complete degree programs via the internet. Phoenix University is also the nation's largest accredited university, with over 17,200 highly qualified instructors, 128 campuses and Internet delivery worldwide. Since 1976, more than 171,600 working professionals have earned their degree from University of Phoenix.

B. State University of New York (SUNY)

The State University of New York also has a distance learning program. It offers completely online classes through its SUNY Learning Network (SLN) http://sln.suny.edu . The SUNY Learning Network is the State University of New York's multiple award-winning online education program. SLN is one of the world's leading providers of online learning with more than:

� 60 complete online degree and certificate programs

� 3,000 online college courses offered annually

� 53,000 student enrollments from around the globe

� 55 participating SUNY colleges

� 1,500 SUNY faculty

C. CUNY Online Web site

General information about what the College is doing is presented on the college website at: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/QCCOnline/Default.htm

Online courses are offered by every college in CUNY. Courses and programs offered through CUNY Online span undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. Virtually all disciplines are represented.

In its first two years, CUNY Online facilitated online course development with more than 300 faculty resulting in more than 400 online courses and 9000 student enrollments (2002).

As CUNY Online enters its third year, it has developed the Distributed Learning Network, a one-stop access point for all online instruction in CUNY. It lists online courses, gives details and points of contact, and is readily updated, allowing instructors to post special requirements and students to get in touch with those instructors; the courses can be sorted by discipline, campus, professor, and format. To go to the CUNY Online DLN http://www.dln.cuny.edu/

Surveys of students who have taken partly and totally online classes in CUNY Online indicate a very high degree of satisfaction with their learning experiences. In a recent survey, 90% of the students indicated that their CUNY Online classes were as good or better than classroom instruction. 60% claimed it was better!

Faculty participating in CUNY Online when surveyed indicated a very high percentage who were eager to continue offering instruction through distance education.

There is ample evidence that college level instruction can be offered online and offered at a high level with a high level of learner achievement as well. There is also ample evidence of a wide range of classes being offered online and entire degree programs as well. This is true at private and public colleges and universities and in four year and community colleges as well. The question or issue is whether distance and online education is appropriate and possible for Queensborough Community College. If it is appropriate then the issue would be in what form it might best serve the mission of the college.

Appendix 3: What is Distance Education?

Distance education includes any form of instruction in which there is a distance between the learner and the instructor so that they are not in the same location at the same time. Where once this would include courses of instruction by written correspondence or by telephone devices, recently the term has become more commonly associated with courses that are conducted by videotape (telecourses), or given over the internet using computers (on-line courses), or conducted via the CUNY private network (MDS) using specially equipped classrooms (distance learning classroom courses). In the case of video and internet courses, students are required to attend few or, perhaps, no classes in person. Distance learning classroom courses require students to attend scheduled classes on the campus nearest to them.

Distance education courses are fully credited college classes that are attractive options for individuals who are self-motivated and can work independently in a less structured learning environment. There is no difference in what learners are expected to accomplish. It is the mode of instruction and of learning that is different. With distance education courses, most learners work independently from the instructor although not independent from other learners.

Distance education can be in any of the following forms:

On-line Courses:
asynchronous (fully �online)	Online courses are instructor-designed courses that are only accessible over the Internet. Students must have access to a computer with a modem and have an internet provider. Online courses are neither time nor place bound. Students may work at any time of the day or night. The mechanism for receiving assignments, for turning in assignments, for discussion with the instructor and other students is built into the software and is integral with the course content itself. These courses are sometimes termed "asynchronous".

Hybrid / Blended Courses (partly-online)	These courses combine features of the typical on ground traditional classroom experience with elements of the "online" course. The instructor may be providing students with information, lessons and exercises that are contacted through a computer accessing an internet site.

Web Enhanced	In a web enhanced course, classes meet as regularly scheduled, but the instructor will utilize the internet in addition to the traditional methods of teaching.

Distance Learning Classroom Classes- Videoconferencing	Synchronous courses are those that are offered in real time, simultaneously at different sites in specially equipped distance learning classrooms. The instructor will be teaching over live video from one of the CUNY campuses while students take the course at any one or at a number of the CUNY campuses by means of the videoconferencing links. These links can be established through the use of the CUNY Media Distribution System (MDS) or through internet links using dedicated IP addresses. This provision makes instruction available to a single class from one or several CUNY units at the same time. Students� access to courses or sections of courses that might ordinarily be canceled due to low enrollment at any one college in the CUNY system will be increased. This will assist in addressing the need to offer students classes needed to meet degree requirements but not offered at their home campus.

Telecourses	Telecourses combine the viewing of videotapes borrowed from your campus library with independent assignments and five (or more for lab courses) required on-campus sessions. A professor coordinates videotaped instruction with teaching the on-campus sessions and creating and grading assignments. The video portion of a telecourse is distributed on a videocassette on loan from the campus library, but these are library reserve copies and cannot be checked out.

Appendix 4: Why do Students Take Distance Education Classes?

As educational institutions extend their campuses, as the population ages, and as the advance of technology requires a greater need for worker retraining, colleges and particularly community colleges increasingly have to cater to a different type of student in order to serve their communities and fulfill their mission. While some may register in these classes with the mistaken idea that they are not only more convenient but also easier, most register because they cannot make the commitment to be present at a particular location at a specified time due to family or occupational or health considerations. A few register because they are geographically distant from the college offering the classes. Finally, there are those who are physically unable to be present on a campus.

Asynchronous classes:

Most studies indicate that those taking asynchronous classes are within 30 minutes of the campus offering the class online. The reason for their choice of this mode of instruction has more to do with the inability to make a commitment to a fixed time and place. These classes are accessible from anywhere and at anytime but for most enrolled it is the convenience of the temporal availability that has them select the fully online classes. Nationwide these students are older (over 26 years) and most will work during traditional classroom hours. They require flexible learning schedules. They demand professional development opportunities and classes to help them keep up with today's ever-changing work environment.

Students come to college for various reasons. They could be interested in changing careers or they might simply want to expand their knowledge base for work or personal reasons. They might want to expand their cultural background, learn a new language, or start a degree program that was postponed due to family or career needs. Their main reason for choosing distance education as a delivery method is that they want to learn at their own pace or at a time and location that is convenient to them.

A majority of distance learning students are female and many are single parents who want to stay close to home for various reasons. They might not be able to afford child care or must care for a confined relative at home. Other students are physically disabled and cannot easily travel to campus.

Some do not have the time, money, or educational background to come to campus. Distance education can capture an audience that has been uninvolved with formal higher education.

In many ways Distance Education makes education accessible and available for many people. In this manner it is particularly well suited to the mission of community colleges.

Hybrid/Blended Classes:

Students have a variety of learning styles and previous academic backgrounds. The use of an online component for instruction along with the traditional classroom setting or lab experiences can provide many learners with opportunities to learn at their own pace and to overcome problems with language and psychological impediments to performing or simply communicating in public.

Instructors who use the hybrid modality for instruction find that it provides for learning experiences that the traditional classroom cannot offer.

Appendix 5: The Mission of QCC and its Relationship to Distance Education

A. Mission of QCC

The mission of Queensborough Community College is to provide post-secondary educational programs pursuant to the policies of The City University of New York. The College offers associate degree and certificate programs that prepare its students for transfer to four-year institutions and for entry into the job market. All degree programs are based on a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. The College provides a network of developmental education student support services designed to enable students to succeed in their college studies. Students are provided opportunities for challenge, stimulation, and growth through advanced courses, special projects, appropriate academic advisement, and personal and career counseling. The College strives to provide its students with the best preparation for their future lives and careers. The College functions as a community resource by serving the educational, professional, and cultural needs of the general community. It offers a broad base of community-oriented activities including continuing education, on- and off-campus learning centers, and cultural and recreational events. The College engages in an active outreach policy that invites members of the business, labor, and industrial communities to participate in special programs and activities. The College promotes program evaluation and modification and innovation of services on an ongoing basis. It seeks to also provide an environment conducive to excellence in teaching and in student achievement by encouraging the scholarly and professional advancement of all members of the institution.

B. Relation of Distance Education to the Mission of QCC

Distance education offers the College an alternative method of instruction to help it provide � � students with the best preparation for their future lives and careers.� Further, distance education enhances the college�s ability to serve as a community resource to meet the �� educational, professional, and cultural needs of the general community.�

The historical mission of community colleges has been to offer higher education and access to higher education to the non-traditional student, to the life long learner, and the student who is changing careers. Distance education fits well with the mission of the community college and thus it is no surprise to find (College Computing Survey) that there are a higher percentage of community colleges (@51%) with plans for distance education and full programs than at four year private colleges (@22%). Distance Education enables community colleges to reach out and serve various subsets of their communities for whom the traditional modes of instructional delivery are inaccessible. Distance education is a means of increasing access for those who otherwise would not be taking instruction in any form at the college offering the online classes at that time.

In urban community colleges there is often a great deal of diversity in the community and in the student body. Given the variety of learning styles and differences in educational background and cultures distance education can offer a more effective manner of instruction for meeting the distinct needs of such diversity and overcoming some of the problems posed by that diversity.

Distance education employing online technologies is being demonstrated to be enhanced learning. Thus, if an educational institution has as part of its mission to be examining and improving its pedagogy for its constituents, commending itself for attention and adoption and adaptation is distance education in the form of blended or partly online instruction as well as the fully online instruction.

If Queensborough Community College chooses to make distance education part of its manner of proving instruction and to do so for some purpose then Distance Education can become an integral part of its fulfillment of its mission. If it were to be thought of as such and a program defined, developed and supported, then an assessment of such a program would be in order to insure that the college was indeed accomplishing what it set out to do with its Distance Education program.

Appendix 6: Where is Queensborough Community College Now (April 2004)?

The College offers online classes in web enhanced, partly online and fully online modes. Both the College and CUNY have been instrumental in providing the infrastructure, hardware, software, and basic training of faculty for online offerings. Presently, many faculty members are involved in teaching dozens of classes to thousands of enrolled students, yet Queensborough, and most other colleges, are considered to be in distance education infancy.

All CUNY colleges use the Blackboard course management environment to deliver online course materials. Clearly from the following Blackboard statistics over the past few semesters Queensborough has hit a distance education plateau with regard to faculty involvement and online course development.

Blackboard	Fall 2002	Spring 2003	Fall 2003	Spring 2004
Active Courses (under development)	124	164	150 (16)	150 (6)
Teachers	62	77	83	83
Students	2996	3629	3958	3588

A. What Queensborough Currently Offers

1. Online Courses

In the Spring 2004 semester Queensborough offered seven (7) fully online courses, 21 partly online courses and 122 Web enhanced courses. A list of online courses can be found at: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/QCCOnline/classes.htm

The following represents Queensborough�s distance learning offerings over the past few semesters (most, but not every course ran):

	SP 2002	FA 2002	SP 2003	FA 2003	SP 2004
Fully Online	3	5	6	6	7
Partly Online	11	16	20	21	21

2. Homebound

Queensborough Community College has for many years had an exemplary program in distance education in its Homebound Program for those learners with special needs who could not be present on campus. The External Education Program for the Homebound was initiated by Queensborough Community College to meet the higher education needs of individuals with disabilities who are unable to leave their homes to attend classes on a college campus. Now in its twenty-eighth year, this program has become a national model.

Today, computers, Web and video conferencing, touch boards and other types of telecommunication technology is used to communicate with students directly from the classroom. Cable TV is also used in selected courses.

Through this program, hundreds of homebound individuals residing throughout the greater metropolitan New York City area have earned certificates and degrees, some without ever coming to the campus. Students select from a wide choice of programs leading to the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Science, or the Associate in Applied Science degree or Certificate Programs.

Homebound students are admitted to the college on the same basis as all Queensborough students and must provide medical documentation indicating a need for a home study program.

Homebound students are subject to all college regulations and must meet the same course requirements as student attending on campus.

A wide range of support services are provided to students including: counseling, mentoring, specialized tutoring, home visiting and technical assistance.

The Homebound Program is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, TRIO, Special Services. http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/Homebound/Default.htm

B. Where is Queensborough Now with Regard to Access?

According to the Report of the University-Wide Task Force for Educational Technology (May 2001): �two key principles inform and pervade the recommendations of the Task Force: (1) that access�is paramount; (2) that educational technology�should be integrated and managed through existing modes of policy and curriculum development.�

There are two major access issues: access to educational technology and access to quality educational resources. Each of these impacts the delivery of education at a distance.

1. Access to Educational Technology

Queensborough is providing ever increasing access to educational technology across all disciplines. For both students and faculty members, campus connectivity includes an Internet connection in every classroom, and campus-wide coverage by a wireless (Wi-Fi) network.

a. faculty access

For the delivery of digitized instructional materials we have deployed fourteen (14) mobile and two (2) fixed podiums containing myriad instructor presentation technologies (Computer, Projector, VHS/DVD player, and speakers). There is a plan in place that will provide smart podium coverage on every teaching floor of every campus building by 2006. Numerous smart technology classrooms have been installed including five campus-based (M-127, H-347, H-349, L-117 & LB-14) and seven department-based (C-205, H-110, M-129, M-255, S-220, T-14, & T-22) facilities. Additional rooms are in various stages of planning and development including the updating two Art History classrooms to include instructional presentation technology. (C-101, C-102, H-208, L-112, M-136, S-111, & S-112). For faculty, the Academic Computing Center�s Faculty Development Center provides access to state-of-the-art multimedia hardware and software as well as individualized development assistance from the ACC staff. The ACC Multimedia Classroom serves workshops, scheduled classes from academic departments, and many ad hoc bookings from both administrative and academic departments.

The University�s Community College Investment Plan (CCIP) is providing expanded access to educational technology, especially noticeable in departments that previously had little or no technology. The History and Speech & Theatre Departments, for example, now have computers and projectors where none existed before. Through the CCIP, educational technology access has expanded in Art, Business, English, Foreign Languages, Library, Nursing, and Social Sciences.

b. students access

For students, there are both departmental and centralized computer laboratories containing more than 1,400 computers. Students can access, for expanded periods of time, the technology tools necessary to complete their assignments whether from distance or traditional face-to-face courses.

There is a laptop loaner program in the Library that allows students, many of whom have never used a laptop, to gain that real-world experience as well. These laptops use the campus wireless network to gain access to the Internet and printing services. Wireless laptops are also used in two smart rooms in the Humanities building, where students can sign out a laptop to do in-class assignments.

The Academic Computing Center (open 9am to 9pm and on Saturday) now includes PCs, Macs, and Laptops for student use. Those computers provide Internet access and both common (like MS-Office) and specialized (like AutoCAD) software so students can complete their assignments.

Recommendation:

1. The College should evaluate the low usage of the wireless network and determine strategies that will increase utilization.

c. access for students with disabilities

The CCIP has provided $84,000 to ensure ADA compliant access in every campus computer facility. Recently purchased are adjustable workstations, large flat panel screens, special keyboards and trackballs, along with specialized software to support those with learning, hearing, and sight disabilities. Having these items available throughout the campus will assure access across all disciplines.

2. Access to Quality Educational Resources

The Library has purchased access-rights to and made available more than 50 quality online resources including research databases, encyclopedias, abstracts, and indexes. The Art & Photography department has licensed digital images and the Academic Computing Center has created a database driven Web application that allows Art History teachers to use digital imagery. Students can directly access the image collection. Myriad up-to-date software used in the teaching process has been purchased. Generally, software being used by academic departments is available in the Academic Computing Center which has longer hours of operation to provide an increased opportunity for student access.

Recommendation:

2. An effort should be made as to evaluate the utilization-level and the usefulness of online resources with an eye towards expanding their type and number if it is determined that they are effective.

C. Where is Queensborough Now with Regard to Integration?

According to the CUNY Task Force Report: �technology is just a means�the goal is improved teaching, scholarship and learning.�

To what extent has Queensborough integrated faculty training and support, assessment, and retention efforts into our distance learning efforts, and strategic plan?

1. Training and Support

a. workshops

Each semester the Academic Computing Center offers numerous faculty development workshops. A list of these workshops is available at: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/ACC/activities.htm In addition, other workshops are offered by various departments and through the Office of Academic Affairs.

Overall we have a robust workshop history and schedule that is even attended by faculty from other CUNY institutions. However, although current workshops do address some the pedagogical issues related to distance education, a recent survey at the college indicates that additional workshops should be offered covering both online pedagogy and course design.

Recommendations:

3. The College should offer workshops focusing on online pedagogy.

4. The College should offer workshops focusing on online course design.

b. Perkins III

For the past few years a Perkins III grant has supported faculty development related to the college�s vocational programs. Stipends and faculty development services have been made available to faculty members who develop online course materials. Interest and participation in these activities have waned in recent semesters.

c. Blackboard 6 Knowledge Base

In concert with a number of faculty members, the ACC has implemented a Blackboard 6 Knowledge Base as an on-going resource for faculty to learn from each other, and share their ideas and knowledge regarding the many facets of distance education. Faculty members are encouraged to participate at a level at which they are comfortable.

d. QCC Online Web site

The QCC Online portion of the College Web site (http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/QCCOnline) contains general information about the College technology resources and services, online courses, and specific information for both students and faculty members. For faculty there are online forms for registering for a workshop, or setting up a Blackboard course. For students there is a �suitability self-test� to determine if online study is right for them. For both students and faculty members there are many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available to answer many of their questions related to online learning issues. Special mailboxes (Webmaster@qcc.cuny.edu and BBSupport@qcc.cuny.edu) have been set up to handle questions as they arise.

Recommendations:

5. The QCC Online Web site should be made more a prominent part of the college Web site.

6. Additions should be made to the site that include areas and content as decided upon by those involved in Distance Education at the College.

Most faculty and all new faculty appear to be aware of these efforts of the ACC. Recent surveys conducted of all faculty indicate a high level of interest in online instruction supported by the belief that such forms of instruction have merit. (See Appendix 12 Faculty Surveys.)

A recent survey conducted by this sub committee of current faculty using the QCC online websites with their classes indicates a high level of satisfaction. Most faculty who elect to use the technology in one or more modalities of instruction continue to do so. (See Appendix 12 Faculty Surveys.)

Appendix 7: Decisions Need to be Made

A number of factors have combined to make it necessary for the College to make a number of decisions concerning the uses of educational technologies and education at a distance if the College is concerned about the effectiveness of the teaching and the amount of learning that is occurring and if it is at all concerned about the deployment of resources with some rationale.

� The information infrastructure

� The communications networks, are among the finest operating anywhere in CUNY. They are far greater in their capacity than in their current use.

� The faculty development program

� The ACC conducts a superb series of workshops preparing faculty and staff for the use of the new educational technologies. The trained faculty is led to make demands greater than are currently being met.

� Online Classes

� The number of online classes using a variety of approaches to instruction is steadily increasing. There is as yet no plan as to how these offerings are to be further developed or organized or supported.

To continue the current tradition of unplanned development will lead to a possible wasting of resources in some areas and a failure to meet needs in other areas. Decisions need to be made to avoid this.

Appendix 8: What is Needed at QCC

A. Program Design, Planning and Implementation

While Distance Education could be a part of goals of the college, at the present time there is no program/ committee in Distance Education with the support to participate in the initiatives. If there is to be such then there will need to be a careful and detailed program design with a plan to see the design accomplished. A planning meeting could be scheduled to determine the amount of support available before responsibility can be assumed and the structure of any coordinated effort on this initiative can be moved forward. Administration, chairs, and faculty need to agree on the appropriate structure for this important effort. While faculty have assumed the responsibility for participation in Distance Education, there can be no growth without support.

Planning for Distance Education should be an ongoing process with regular review, assessment and revisions, as needed to insure that the Distance Education program continues to fulfill its mission relative to the mission of the college.

Implementation should be planned as carefully as the program is designed.

Recommendation:

7. A formal Distance Education Plan should be developed at Queensborough Community College.

B. QCC Online � The Center for Distance Education

If the College is going to establish a Distance Education Program, then it should also have a centralized location for all components of the program. The Distance Education Center should expand upon and reorganize the existing QCC Online Center so it contains the following:

� Registration for partly and fully online classes separate from regular non-distance education classes.

� Rationale: A persistent problem has arisen for partly online (hybrid) classes � faculty report large numbers of students who are unaware that they have enrolled in a class that will be taught partially online. To reduce the incidence of this occurring, students would only see this list of classes if they have already chosen to visit the Online Center. Instead of simply trying to find a class whose meeting time fits into their schedule, students would be more aware of what they are registering for. From the faculty�s perspective, this special registration procedure should lead to a class of students who are aware of what they have signed up for and not a group of surprised and disgruntled students on the first day of class.

� These online registrants would still have these classes added to their bursar�s bill as in the past; however, the listing of these classes would only appear in the Online Center.

� The ability to email faculty directly from the center�s Web site to ask questions of faculty or to notify faculty that they have registered for a course.

� Rationale: Since students are requested to email instructors immediately after registering for an online class, this procedure should help facilitate this requirement. Currently, faculty teaching fully online classes report that many students wait until after classes begin to make this initial contact with the professor. Ideally, a procedure would be created so that as soon as a student registers for an online class, they are prompted to send an email to the faculty member.

� A current listing of all partially and fully online classes with course descriptions, including course-specific online components, requirements for software use and special skills students should have before enrolling.

� Tutorials for using Blackboard�s many components. Principal among these features would be the use of the Discussion Board and the Digital Drop Box.

� Live online help during primary registration periods with faculty and/or staff who can immediately answer student questions about online courses.

� A suitability self test for students that yields an answer to the question: �Are online classes a good idea for you?� Based on their responses students could be told that they are suitable/questionable/aren�t suitable. For those who are questionable perhaps they can be directed to speak to someone at the online center or with the professor who is teaching the course they wish to take.

� A link to the Center�s home page should be given a prominent place on the College�s home page. Currently the online component is part of an area simply called �Online� and is grouped together with online registration, online information, online courses, and online advisement.

Recommendation:

8. The QCC Online offerings should be improved by providing for a central location online that presents one-stop-shopping for students interested in online courses.

C. Faculty Support and Recognition

If faculties beyond the early adopters are to seriously consider utilizing the new instructional technologies and the move to learner centered education through distance education they will need both support and recognition. Support is needed in many different senses and so is recognition. Faculty should be recognized and rewarded through the promotion and tenure review and evaluation process for their effective involvement in developing more effective pedagogies and for their employment of instructional technologies, not the least of which would be, distance education formats.

1. Training

For proper preparation and support of the instructional staff there should be a full range of instructional workshops that would range from a basic introduction to distance education and the technical programs and hardware and software involved to in service training for experienced faculty. Such a program of workshops would consist of at least the following:

I. A Introduction to the BB program (ACC)

B. The BB program: all the basic (ACC)

II. Basic Instructional Design

III. Pedagogy for DE

IV. DE course management

V. Advanced BB features and CMP's (ACC)

VI In Service for experienced DE Instructors �with best practices

VII. Multi Media and DE

Recommendation:

9. Faculty offering workshops for colleagues should receive recognition for their efforts as part of the review process for promotion and tenure.

2. Institutional Support for Faculty Members Who Develop Distance Education Classes

There is no specific level of support, for faculty members who develop distance education classes, in either the college technology or strategic plans.

a. multimedia instructional designers

During the initial development stage of online class preparation faculty need the assistance of those skilled in multimedia programs and how they are employed in online instruction. There are specialists in this area. The QCC Distance Education Program should have such a person available to work with all faculty during their initial online class development and during their review and revision activities.

b. instructional design assistants

Faculty need to have the assistance of those who are experienced in online class design. There are specialists in this area. The QCC Distance Education Program should have such a person available to work with all faculty during their initial online class development and during their review and revision activities.

c. mentors

Faculty entering into the process of developing an online class, either partly or totally online, should be paired with a more experienced member of the faculty, preferably in the same discipline area. The mentors would offer assistance based on their experience with class development, instruction and management and with class assessment. Mentors should receive recognition for their efforts as part of the review process for promotion and tenure. This program of recruiting, assigning and maintaining mentors should be part of the QCC Distance Education Program.

d. peer collaboration

Faculty training, course development and even management and assessment can be facilitated and enhanced through a collaborative process involving colleagues at various levels of experience with online instruction. This could take place in workshops and in virtual spaces created for this purpose.

A single class website for peer communication amongst online instructors should be established and provide an online help system, driven by faculty experts. Assistance may be sought from peers and best practices shared through this community device. This process once established should remain ongoing. An online class site for this purpose should be created and maintained by the QCC Distance Education Program.

Faculty managing this website for colleagues should receive recognition for their efforts as part of the review process for promotion and tenure.

e. community websites

The College might maintain community sites for each discipline and a course shell in which faculty may exchange ideas and offer assistance, carry on dialogues and post materials helpful to others in their discipline. These discipline sites should be created and maintained as part of the QCC Distance Education Program.

f. ongoing support for faculty

For both first time and experienced instructors there needs to be adequate support to insure that the effort will be well done and succeed in the actual teaching and learning.

g. technical assistance

This support pertains to the hardware and software issues related to online instruction. Technical assistance is of paramount importance for novice and experienced instructors alike. This is true for all phases of instruction, class development, actual instruction, management, maintenance, revision, archiving. For this technical support staff must be available by phone and in person during campus hours and by email.

The Academic Computing Center provides technical support to faculty for online courses. As there is growth in the Distance Education program there may be a need for proportional growth in the Academic Computing Center.

h. pedagogic assistance

There are people who are quite experienced in online instruction in all forms and who have specialized in the principles of effective pedagogy and how they may be incorporated into online class design and instruction. This support pertains to the issues related the design of presentations and assessments and for interaction experiences for instructor and learner in online instruction. Pedagogic assistance is of essential importance for novice and experienced instructors alike during many phases of instruction: class development, actual instruction, management, and class revision. For this pedagogic support staff must be available in person during campus hours and by email.

i. released time/financial support

For instructors who are developing an online class or component for the first time there must be adequate support to insure that the effort will be well done and succeed in the actual teaching and learning. That support would be in released time in the semester of development prior to the semester of actual instruction.

Recommendation:

10. The Strategic Plan of the College should include support for distance education efforts particularly for faculty members to develop distance education classes.

D. Faculty Awareness and Interest

The Academic Computing Center provides on-going Faculty Development Workshops to support distance learning. Current workshops cover Blackboard, Dreamweaver, Camtasia, Contribute as well as Microsoft Office products used by faculty in the development of their online materials and the teaching of their courses.

The ACC has a Faculty Development Room that provides access to needed tools (software and hardware) in support DE development efforts. Available for faculty use are Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Acrobat, Photoshop, Flash, MS-Office Professional, Camtasia, Contribute, as well
as a scanner, digital still and video cameras, video editing software installed on Internet connected PCs and Macs.

Through a Perkins III grant the ACC is providing stipends and loaner laptops in support of DE development. The ACC also has two staff members (Raj Vaswani & David Moretti) who spend part of their time assisting faculty one-on-one with their Distance Education efforts. Support ranges from phone to direct face-to-face meeting with both students and faculty.

E. Ongoing Support Services for Students

Most students who take any form of online instruction without any prior experiences need assistance to succeed. They need assistance with the basics of the hardware and software involved and with the different form of pedagogy employed. Not to provide such will have an adverse impact on retention rates in online classes.

1. technical assistance

For students who are enrolled in an online class or component for the first time there must be adequate support to insure that the effort will be well done and succeed in the actual teaching and learning. This support pertains to the hardware and software issues related to online instruction. For this technical support staff must be available by phone and in person during campus hours and by email.

Provisions must be made for 24/7 performance of the Blackboard server (while at QCC) and for the student email server.

2. pedagogic assistance

For students who are enrolled in an online class or component for the first time there must be adequate support to insure that the effort will be well done and succeed in the actual teaching and learning. Support with the actual learning experiences should be provided in the form of online tutors. These are people who would be aware of how online classes are designed and assist the learners in securing the information they need about the class, its instructional content, the nature of the learning activities in that class, the class requirements and assistance with understanding how learners in online classes can best participate in the learning activities such as discussions and group activities. For this pedagogic support staff must be available in person during campus hours.

3. student orientation and training

Students who register for online courses should be required to use their QCC student email address. There must be a procedure established to confirm they know how to and will access their student email. An orientation session should be provided for all first time registrants in an online course. Students that have not previously registered in an online course will not be permitted to register late after the orientations session.

For fully-online courses, an orientation session is provided. There is a problem with students registering late (after the orientations session) in fully-online courses.

For a Distance Education Program to operate successfully, students must have some basic skills for using the internet, using student email, and using a computer. Currently, each faculty provides their online students with varying degrees of an orientation to the skills required in their course. It is recommended that students be required to take a at least a one hour online orientation class. It should also be part of the Introduction to College Life Classes offered by Student Affairs. This class would cover basic procedures including but not limited to accessing the internet, logging onto Blackboard, accessing student email accounts, etc. The orientation class would be presented several times throughout the year. A student should complete the orientation session before registering for an online course.

F. Student Awareness and Interest

A recent survey conducted by this sub committee of current QCC Online students using Blackboard websites indicates a very high level of satisfaction and willingness to take other classes in web assisted, hybrid, or asynchronous modes. (See Appendices 10 and 11.)

G. Assessment

Assessment of the effectiveness of distance learning has yet to be addressed at Queensborough.

Recommendation:

11. A study should be made as to the overall effectiveness of distance learning at Queensborough

H. Retention

A study of whether or not distance learning, in all of its forms, has any effect on the retention of students has not been address at Queensborough.

Recommendation:

12. A study should be made as to the effectiveness of distance learning on retention at Queensborough.

I. Administration

At the present time there are many issues and difficulties with various aspects of online instruction that need to be addressed and resolved as the college moves to adopt a comprehensive program for Distance Education.

1. scheduling

The offering of both fully online and partly online courses involve a commitment of college resources in terms of programs, server space and support services. Blackboard and faculty websites are the predominant means of offering courses both fully and partly online. Currently, with Blackboard 5.0, support is provided by the Academic Computing Center under the direction of Mr. Bruce Naples. Within the next year, all courses will use Blackboard 6 which will be placed on the CUNY server at 57th Street. Website support is provided by both the ACC and individual departments.

As with standard classes, the scheduling or offering of fully and partly online courses should be the result of the decisions made by the Academic Departments with consultation with the Office of Academic Affairs. As all online courses using Blackboard migrate to the CUNY server, course offering decisions may be affected by CUNY as well.

As QCC develops a formalized program of Distance Education and possibly offers degrees or certificates earned through online courses, there will be an increased number of courses that will need to be scheduled. There may be a need for a Committee on Distance Education to review and prioritize such requests for offering fully and partly online courses.

2. classrooms

Fully Online:

There is no need for classroom space for a fully online courses.

Partly Online:

Currently partly online courses need regular classroom assignments and are scheduled as standard classes. As more partly online courses are offered and as faculty become more experienced with expectations in a partly online course, the situation should be analyzed as to scheduling only the in-class meeting times with a classroom. For the online portion of the course, classroom space will not need to be allocated and the classrooms can be used for other regular classes.

3. class size

There are different needs in technical courses compared to theoretical courses, and differences in fully online versus partly online modes for these courses. The class size for each online class must be reviewed independently. The size of the class in any mode of distance education, the number of distance education classes to be taught by a faculty member and the management of such classes by the faculty member are all issues to be determined by a process involving the faculty member. As online instruction typically involves more time on the part of the faculty member and as online instruction involves a great deal of writing for all involved the general guidelines for class size would most likely follow the national norm and set class size somewhere between 50 to 75% of the face to face classroom modality.

4. registration

Students register for fully online and partly online classes as they do for any other course.

There should be ample information available to students on the QCC website, in the Schedule of Classes, and in additional forms of literature such as pamphlets and flyers, concerning the availability of online courses and what they entail.

Information on online courses in the Schedule of Classes should be more prominently displayed.

Fully Online:

The Registrar must send or make available to the instructor the names, addresses and email address of the registrants on an ongoing basis and no later that one week prior to the first day of classes. This is needed so that letters and emails can be sent and phone calls can be made to students prior to the first day of the course so that they will learn what they need in order to succeed in the course. Students who register for online courses should be required to provide an email address when they register. If they intend to use the QCC student mail, there must be a procedure established to confirm they know how to and will access their email prior to beginning the class. For fully-online courses, an orientation session is provided. There is a problem with students registering late (after the orientations session) in fully-online courses.

Partly Online:

For partly online courses, in the Schedule of Classes booklet, there is an asterisk (*) next to the course section with the note �internet access required, see appendix for information�. In the online Schedule of Courses, the course section may or may not be highlighted in green. When you click on the green, a �note� appears, in this case indicating the course is partly online.

5. attendance records

The Registrar will send each instructor the standard attendance records.

Fully Online:

Fully online courses should be treated as if they were meeting once a week for roster purposes, unless the instructor informs Registrar otherwise in which case the frequency of class meetings will be specified and sent to Registrar. Instructors will fill out the records and send them to the Registrar office as with any other attendance forms. The instructions for taking and submitting attendance to the Registrar in an asynchronous class should be made clear to the instructors by the Registrar.

Registrar should work towards online submission of attendance rosters, both five-week and final.

Partly Online:

Rosters for partly online courses will be prepared the same as a regular class.

Registrar should work towards online submission of attendance rosters, both five-week and final.

6. grades

Instructors may make the students� grades known to students by any means available by the technology and programs being employed. Privacy concerns must be observed in any mode of publicizing grades. The instructor must take measures to insure that student grades will only be available to the individual student and not to others in the course.

Likewise any and all uses of the student�s social security number must be safeguarded and not used or made available in any way in the course program. Instructors should be aware that posting grades in Blackboard while using AOL, can create breach of confidentiality. It is recommended that faculty using AOL as their service provider, should minimize AOL after the connection, and then access Blackboard using Internet Explorer or Netscape.

7. final grades

Instructors will submit the final grades for these courses as with any other courses.

Grades are submitted in person at the Registrar�s Office by the date specified each semester.

Registrar should work towards establishing procedures to transfer final grades electronically to Registrar.

8. admissions

For totally asynchronous classes that are offered to those who are not able or willing to be on campus a method for completing the admissions process must be developed and clearly explained and made available.

9. registration

For totally asynchronous classes that are offered to those who are not able or willing to be on campus a method for registration must be developed and clearly explained and made available.

Registering for a fully online class should lead to the mailing of a postcard to students reminding them to email their instructor. In addition to having all online classes as part of the regular course listings they should be listed on a separate page in the registration booklet and on the website.

10. bursar

For totally asynchronous classes that are offered to those who are not able or willing to be on campus a method for satisfying payments with the bursur must be developed and clearly explained and made available.

Recommendation:

13. A Distance Education Plan should address the many administrative issues regarding distance education courses.

J. Marketing

Currently information on online courses is available on the QCC website and the Schedule of Classes booklet. Of the utmost importance at this time is to properly inform students of the availability of online courses and the requirements on their part for the successful completion of an online course.

The following recommendations are made to inform existing students of online courses:

� Mail information to the students along with their Academic Advisement information each semester.

� Information mailed to the students is also distributed to all faculty and staff informing them of the online program.

� Inform homebound students and special needs students of the Distance Education Program.

� Suggest to faculty and advisors that they inform students of the online program when doing academic advisement.

� Suggest faculty announce the online program in their classes.

� Create a poster and post throughout the campus (academic departments, academic advisement, instructional support services, all computer labs, ACC, student lounge/cafeteria areas).

� Include information on the online program as part of the freshman orientation program.

� Include information on the online program as part of the ST100 and ST101 courses.

� Include information on the online program as part of the new full-time and part-time faculty orientation (including tour of the ACC).

� Move the information on online courses in the Schedule of Classes booklet to a more prominent location.

� Refer students to the QCC website for more information.

� Online marketing separate for fully online and partly online courses

Of equal importance is to identify the market beyond the regular QCC population for which online courses/degrees would be the preferred method of successfully completing an education. This could be homebound and special needs students; stay-at-home parents; workers/people unable to attend classes during regularly scheduled classes.

Additional places the QCC Distance Education Program could be marketed:

� Senior citizen centers and groups

� Community Organizations

� Queens publications

� Local High Schools (Private and public)

� Women�s Groups

� Groups and Publications for representing the disabled

� Independent Living Centers

� United Cerebral Palsy Centers

� Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association

� the internet (especially when people do a search for �online courses/degrees�)

Recommendation:

14. For a Distance Education Program to be successful, a useful marketing plan should be established.

Appendix 9: Academic Freedom and Labor Issues

A. Academic Freedom

Within CUNY the principle of Academic Freedom is long established and respected. The choice of the method for instruction rests with the instructor. The scheduling of classes rests with the academic department. Faculty may choose to offer instruction using any or all instructional technologies available to them. Faculty may choose to use any instructional modality they believe to be effective given their class content, their teaching styles, the learning styles of their students and their willingness to effort at developing offering and managing their classes in the various modalities for instruction.

In addition faculty may choose any course management program or system through which to offer their online instruction in addition to or instead of that offered by the college or university. Such is the current case and this option should continue to be offered and it would be expected that some small portion of the faculty offering online instruction would exercise it.

The college is not to intrude into or disturb the learning environment created by a faculty member with a class website. The only insertion of materials into the class websites using the course management program supplied by the college and university are for safety or emergency purposes. Any other insertions should be conducted only with the permission of the instructor.

B. Labor Issues

The collective bargaining agency for the faculty of CUNY, the Professional Staff Congress, has an agreement in effect with the administration of CUNY relating to all forms of distance learning. The pertinent documents are available at: http://www.psc-cuny.org/distance.htm.

It is clear that at the present time faculty are free to choose their method of instruction and can not be required to participate in any form of distance technology nor can they be made to utilize and instructional technology.

If they do elect to do either the circumstances of their doing so are open to negotiation at the level of their department and college. The size of the class in any mode of distance education, the number of distance education classes to be taught by a faculty member and the management of such classes by the faculty member are all issues to be determined by a process involving the faculty member. If the decisions made are not acceptable to faculty, they are free to refuse to each assignment or possible online class in any form of distance education.

As teaching online does involve more effort on the part of the instructor (some estimates indicate an average of 30% more time) and as they are writing intensive they should have class sizes as set by the Academic Senate for Writing Intensive classes. In addition instructors should be cautioned against attempting to offer more than one online class in their first semester offering online instruction. Instructors should also be advised by colleagues, mentors and by any Distance Education Committee guidelines before deciding on offering multiple online class sections.

Faculty who are asked by their departments or the college administration to offer more than two fully asynchronous classes in a single semester should have some form of support to assist them in doing so. That support would be in released time in the semester of the actual instruction or in the prior semester where it involves online class development. While stipends may be considered for these faculty they do not offset the increase in teaching load activity for the online instructor.

No faculty or members of the administration may observe an online class or enter the class website in any manner unless invited or permitted to do so by the instructor. Observations are to governed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the PSC as adapted to online classes by a agreement to be reached by the PSC Chapter Leaders and the College Administration.

Appendix 10: Sample Charge and Suggested Membership of a Distance Education Committee

Sample charge for the standing committee:

� to report and make recommendations to the Academic Senate on all matters related to Distance Education, in particular, concerning policies and procedures related to the development of, support for and offering of programs, degrees and classes,

� to prepare a report on what type of Distance Education Program , if any, would best serve the College and its mission, including:

� purpose(s)

� resources

� training program

� support services

� assessment ;

� to assess any Distance Education program of the College and report to findings to the Academic Senate periodically;

� to serve as an advisory body for all matters related to Distance Education.

Suggested membership for the standing committee:

The Standing Committee should consist of seven faculty, two students and the President�s representative. All faculty and students should be experienced with online instruction. Faculty should come from different departments so as to be representative of the wide range of disciplines and degree programs at the college. The Bylaws Committee of the Academic Senate should work with the Committee on Computer Resources and the Committee on Committees in the creation of the charge and membership for the new committee.

Appendix 11: Student Surveys

A. Student survey: web enhanced classes

B. Student survey: partly online classes

C. Student survey: fully online classes

Appendix 12: Faculty Surveys

A. Faculty survey: non users of online education

Nonusers (n=69)

Do you think distance learning, i.e. students doing some or most of their course work via the Internet/Web has pedagogical merit for your students?

If yes, what would you require as a minimum to adopt distance learning technology in your class?

Text Box: an already developed course Text Box: training in technology Text Box: training in course design

B. Faculty survey: web enhanced classes

Web Enhanced (n=39)

How do you think the students are learning compared to a class without the enhancement?

Would you like to move to the next level - to conduct a partly (hybrid) or completely online course?

no because I �

What support, if any, would you like, to continue your online endeavors?

Text Box: training in course design

Text Box: training in pedagogy Text Box: training in technology Text Box: present support is sufficient

What do you consider the very minimum support, if any, you require to continue your online endeavors?

Partly Online (n=18)

C. Faculty survey: partly online classes

How do you think the students are learning compared to a regular class?

Would you like to move to the next level - to conduct a completely online course?

no because I �

What support, if any, would you like, to continue your online endeavors?

Text Box: present support is sufficient Text Box: training in pedagogy Text Box: training in technology Text Box: release time Text Box: training in course design