Summer Academy 2009

The eLearning strand of Summer Academy 2009 ended with each group summarizing the best practices discussed throughout the day. Academy participants were asked to jot down any "a-ha" moments, or thoughts and ideas of particular note heard during the summaries. Below are listed all of these moments. Thanks to everyone contributing to this list. Recognize yours?

(Comments are written verbatim and taken directly from the blue comment forms. Names have been removed.)


• Separate phone number for Help Desk for problems with Blackboard.


• The group needs a clearer understanding of why remote instructors are needed.


• Good thought - How should on-line instructors be evaluated? By chair or by peer review. team? Should students also provide an on-line evaluation?


• Make Atomic Learning videos available to students so they can understand technology for their online courses.


• Extended help desk hours for students- Excellent!!!!


• Team with other schools to share Smarthinking - Smart!!!


• Our Best online instructors have been from "remote" locations.


• On-line campus advising.


• We need to understand the student population that enroll in on-line courses and why full on-line courses are beneficial to students.


• Professors in on-line courses can closely track students participation in on-line courses and use the information for retention.


• I liked recognition part.....


• Smarthinking tutoring and/or online math tutoring.


• On-line advising needs to be implemented for an efficient and effective on-line program.


• I like the idea of stipend for on-line course creation and master certification for online instructors.


• "Residency" Requirements - requiring students to complete a particular percentage of their coursework online suggests something "different" in the online course offerings.


• Many programs would lose enrollment if students were required to come to campus when enrolled in an online course.


• Either it's an online course or its not. There should not be a requirement that online students ever come to the campus.


• Restructuring fee schedule to make it more universal and fair, excellent idea (proposed by ***** *****).


• The one office hour requirement can be fulfilled in an online in office environment, policy should be revised.


• Good idea to collaborate with other educational institutions.


• Course surveys 10% response from students! I was interested to hear how to improve ways to acquire feedback from students, data we can work with.


• I like the idea of restructuring fee for students taking online classes.


• Rethink policy of having one hour per week office hours to include on-line instructors not located in Corpus Christi.


• Use Smarthinking as a after hours tutoring help so that it doesn't take away from our on campus tutoring centers.


• Data shows a need for math online tutoring for during the day and after hours.


• Remote faculty should be considered, home grown should be given first consideration.


• Residency requirement is not sound. Nursing E-line, and the new business and criminal justice online degrees would not be truly online.


• Consortiums are something Del Mar College should explore more, they can be very efficient, cost effective, ways of sharing resources, ideas, etc.


• Online advising is a great idea as students are adding classes online questions arise that need immediate response.


• Mentor assigned to online instructors..good idea.


• It would have been nice to know that the TXDLA Conference was in Corpus.


• Extending hours for the help desk will benefit students in online courses.


• Devise simple links to resources for e-learning students (proposed by ***** *****), very useful.


• Immediately increase faculty/administrator awareness of existing SACS-based evaluation instrument for online courses.


• I didn't know instructional design also responsible for education.


• Faculty evaluations by peer review teams, assign faculty who are proficient in e-learning, (good idea presented by ***** *****)


• This is not an equitable environment?! You're kidding!


• Certification of online instructors - great idea. College recognition of some sort?


• Lonestar College is developing an online certification program which will be ready soon.


• I would appreciate more faculty support - instructional designer and support.


• Add link or referral to advisor.


• DLAC is comatose and too narrowly focused. Expand it and make it more serious. Include it in DMC strategic planning.


• All the groups are interconnected, glad we found other groups can use as well and build on.