PROJECT EAGLE I, FINAL REPORT
Report NarrativeProject Eagle is a multi-year strategic initiative by St. Petersburg College (SPC) to build a national model for increasing access to degrees and workforce training for students attending community colleges. Access was enhanced by educational opportunities that were increasingly flexible -- with courses, programs and support services to be delivered at any time, any place, and at a pace best suited to the needs of the individual learner. Success of this project can largely be measured by the growth of the online services, course offerings, and programs. SPC boasts the largest distance learning program currently in the State of Florida. The college has achieved the status of being a national model for online education. eCampus was recently recognized nationally as the "Outstanding Distance Learning Program" by the American Association of Community Colleges. The college was successful in achieving the seven original project goals: Goal 1: Develop, implement and evaluate over 160 technology-mediated (primarily web-based) associate degree and certificate courses as well as web-based and traditional baccalaureate courses in conjunction with four-year college and university partners. To initiate the project, the Provosts' Council approved a proposal to develop the administrative umbrella under which all online courses would be supervised. A new campus/department was created out of Project Eagle called Electronic Campus or eCampus. The newly formed eCampus is "the point of integration and access for all distance courses, and a one-stop shop for information and services." In conjunction with the formation of the new campus, an advisory group called Instructional Technology Advisory Group or ITAG was formed. The Senior Vice-President in charge of Education and Student Services chaired the committee. Members included a Provost, eCampus Program Director, Director of Instructional Technology, campus-based Program Directors, online faculty from a variety of disciplines, and faculty representatives of the Faculty Governing Organization. Additional advisory groups were consulted from various associations both locally and nationally. The courses and curriculum in the Associate of Science, A.S. area were developed based on both ITAG standards and on local, state, national and industry standards to prepare currently employed students for promotion, to increase job knowledge, competency, and to be successful on state certification examinations. ITAG reviewed a number of initiatives to assist online faculty in the training and development process, online teaching, student services, and a variety of administrative details. For example, an online faculty office hours plan was developed. The group also advised on all aspects of instructional technology as it applied to the college. In addition, existing advisory committees from departments in the A.S. degree programs and corporate training advisory committee were also solicited for input. The following is a breakdown of all the courses created for online delivery or through a blended format.
The "Flexible Access Procedure" and "Online Course Development Check List" were developed as a means of tracking quality control of newly developed online courses. The instructor/course developer and instructional technologist who developed the course completed the forms, forwarded them to the Program Director of eCampus, who forwarded them to the Senior Vice President in charge of Education and Student Services. A review committee of instructors teaching in that particular discipline reviewed the online course, made suggestions for improvement, and ultimately approved or disapproved the online course design. Courses could not be offered without approval of the Flexible Access Review Committee. This process gave credibility to the quality of the online classes. As an addition assessment, students are encouraged to complete an online Student Survey of Instruction every semester, in which they evaluate the online course, the instructor, and the services provided by SPC. The results of the survey were shared with individual instructors, the eCampus program director and the instructors' discipline-based Program Directors to praise, counsel and/or evaluate the instructors' abilities as an online educator. The success of the online program has been one of the driving forces for the development for the 4-year program in Veterinary Technology, Nursing, and Technology Management. Finally, the college participated in the national "Community College Survey of Student Engagement", for both face to face and online courses in early 2003. SPC far exceeded this goal, by developing an impressive 192 courses over the grant period. The result of concentrating efforts on the developmental and operational fronts has been nothing less than remarkable. During the four-year duration of Project Eagle I, from 1999 to 2003, eCampus' growth has been phenomenal, exhibiting an increase of 1,760%. Last year SPC topped all the other 27 community colleges in the state by a large margin: more than 18,000 course enrollments in 1,112 sections of over 240 different courses. And the satisfaction level of eCampus students, as reflected in the results of the college's latest "Enrolled Student Survey," was the highest of any SPC campus or center. Goal 2: Develop, deliver, and assess innovative, integrated student and academic support services for the upper-division, distance, and other "flexible access" students (e.g., open-entry/open-exit). The goal was met through a variety of different student support initiatives. First, background research was conducted and published in a monthly newsletter, Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), which will be discussed further in Goal 3. Research was conducted in areas that included testing, orientation, counseling, advising, cyber-tutoring, open-entry, open-exit courses, and various academic support services. Through this research, it was discovered that one of the most useful services that other institutions offer to e-students is a webpage that provides a directory of quick links to everything they might need. At SPC, a directory of services for e-learners has been constructed on the home page of the eCampus Website (http://www.spcollege.edu/ecampus/). It provides quick links to the e-course catalog, registration, cyber advisors, technical information, frequently asked questions, and e-campus help. It is comprehensive, well-arranged, attractive, and user-friendly. All of the services that would normally take place on campus may now be delivered online due to Project Eagle's initiative. For instance, the college presently uses an online registration system called the "Webster Online Student System." As part of its services, Webster allows students to drop and add courses, change to audit, update their records, and get help in the use of the system. Tuition and fees may be also be paid online as part of this system. An online Application for Admission was developed for non-credit and credit undergraduates, and a Baccalaureate Admissions Supplement was added when the college expanded its mission to offer Bachelor's degrees. Entrance requirements to the college often require students to take the college placement test to determine appropriate courses in reading, writing, and mathematics. To facilitate online registration, any distance learning student in Florida may take this test at any of the community colleges in the state and have the scores transferred to SPC. For those students who live outside the state of Florida, they may identify an appropriate proctor and take the test online too. Once a proctor is identified, a student may complete the online proctor submission form. Upon submission, the student automatically receives an e-mail message indicating that the request is being reviewed. The data is stored in a database for the Cyber Advisor to access and review the information for approval. Consequently, an e-mail message is automatically sent to the student to inform him or her of the status of their request. In the creation of online student orientation guidelines, several counselors and advisors worked together with the college videographer and the Instructional Technology department. The SPC's Cyber Advisor page, includes an e-Course Student Guide which contains links to a self-assessment test helps potential e-students determine their compatibility with this type of instruction. The Cyber Advisor page also includes online tips for success and online help of various kinds. The Instructional Technology department has also put together a sample online course, for students interested in getting the flavor of taking a WebCT course. (WebCT is the online course software/management system used by the college which includes a link for getting technical help). The final step of the orientation requires the student to complete an Educational Planning Worksheet. Once completed, a message is sent to the student records system to indicate that the student has completed the orientation, allowing them to register for classes. The information from the worksheet is stored in a database which is accessible to all counselors and advisors in the college. In addition, the eCampus site has an interactive Webpage, which allows students to receive virtual counseling, get involved in student activities, and more. Extensive development had to occur using tools provided by FACTS (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students) in order to meet our obligations to be able to make this tool useful. Cyber Advisors now use it as a primary referral source for students to determine their remaining requirements to graduate. FACTS also allows students to access an unofficial copy of their transcript or to monitor progress towards other potential degrees. For students seeking financial aid, SPC has a webpage with general information about seeking financial assistance, as well as a location in the Webster Online Student System that allows students to track their own financial aid. Students may apply for a Federal Stafford Loan using our online form. SPC's eCampus offers two areas to ask frequently asked questions. One links to the Help/FAQs page and the other to the eCampus FAQs page. As part of its Tech Info page, SPC lists the technical information for online and teleweb courses. Our Project Eagle experience told us that knowing the technical aspects and equipment requirements for any type of e-learning is a critical component for student success. A necessary modification to add flexibility for students enrolled in specific certificate programs concerned the strict beginning and ending of the traditional semesters. To offer flexibility and be in step with the main goal "to deliver courses any time, any place and in a way at a pace best suited to the needs of the individual learner," the policy needed adjustments. Now, in certain certificate programs, students can enter class up until the last two weeks of the semester and finish by the end of the following semester. The Senior Vice-President in charge of Education and Student Services at SPC directed the development of open-entry, open-exit courses, which a student can start at almost any time and have two semesters to finish the course. This concept is fully operational and is being tested in selected programs with the newly developed Open Entry/Open Exit Procedures. It is ready for more extensive application. To earn a degree at SPC, students must complete 25% of their courses "in residence" at SPC. All distance learning courses count towards this requirement. The Career Development Center coordinates the Experiential Learning Program (ELP), which is SPC's mechanism for assessing prior learning. An ELP representative mails hard copies of the ELP orientation materials to distance learners. Those distance learners communicate with faculty members via e-mail, phone, mail, etc. to complete the ELP process. The college online library website provides free access to an extensive collection of full-text educational databases subscribed by the college as well as those provided by the State of Florida, available to all students. A unique feature especially useful for online students is the "Course Links" section with its lists of online sources of information tailored to particular courses offered at the college. The Seminole campus monthly newsletter, Common-tary, also includes information and online links regarding these services. This allows students, faculty and staff access to information around the clock, without the need to physically visit a library or work with library staff. In addition, to enhance the course work with library material, a requirement was added to the online instructor's Flexible Access Checklist, adding consultation with a librarian/cyberlibrarian and review of the library online site. The intent was to ensure that all online faculty were aware of the available resources and to pass that information on to their students. Similarly, in the required courses for all online faculty - first "Teach Online" and then "Pathways to E-Learning" - a section on online research was included and updated. This service was extended (via emails and oral invitations) to all Program Directors and faculty who were teaching the courses under development in Project Eagle. The best websites and course links were researched and selected mainly by the cyberlibrarian - with and some input from instructors. The cyberlibrarian consulted instructor syllabi when provided. Formal Course Links pages were developed for 15 SPC courses and 3 UPC courses. An online bookstore link is included on the bookstore page at the eCampus website and in its monthly campus newsletter. Students may purchase and sell all required textbooks through this site. Tutoring is included in the online student support services, not just for e-learners, but for all students attending SPC. The computer-based learning modules feature mathematics, writing, and study skill suggestions. SPC's Cyber Advisor's Webpage includes a link for online career planning that allows students to explore careers and assess their own personalities and interests. Student support services were evaluated in a variety of different modalities. From November 2000 to the end of January 2001, internal steps were taken to assess the level of e-student support services at SPC. An examination of all current student services of the college's eCampus was compiled by the college's Cyber Advisor and/or administered by the eCampus Program Director. In February 2001 external and internal services were compared, and the results compiled. An executive summary appears in Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), issue 6. Informal dialogue between the Cyber Advisor and selected e-learners was another technique to gather information. An invitation also went out to all SPC online faculty inviting them to submit any individual services they offer to their e-students, as well as any suggestions for improvement they might have to offer based on observation and experience in an e-learning situation. Finally, the Student Survey of Online Instruction, conducted at the end of the term for every online course, is another avenue for students to voice their opinions. During the creation and administration of the form, nine questions were added to deal specifically with the support services offered to the online student. Ongoing evaluation of student services takes place each semester through this method. Further, an online counseling/advising evaluation survey was created and is now sent to each student who receives services from the Cyber Advisor. Online versions of the Entering Student Survey, delivered following the application process, and the Graduating Student Survey, delivered following submission of an online graduation application, allow SPC to plan for student needs and monitor our success in meeting those needs. Also, a number of issues of Best Educational E-Practices, Project Eagle Research Capsules, and Project Eagle Evaluation Questions dealt with continuing assessment of student support services. Goal 3: Determine "best practices" for enhancing student learning via technology-mediated instruction, incorporate the findings into SPC program development, and disseminate the results of outcomes and evaluation findings nationally -- all with a focus on creatively leveraging technology for cost efficient and effective access. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), a monthly online newsletter that focused on one subject related to e-learning each month, was developed to meet this goal. It is received or viewed by thousands of people worldwide. The topics for BEEP were researched and written by an in-house researcher. More than half of the issues of Best Educational E-Practices detailed the best practices for learning via technology-mediated courses. By the end of the Project Eagle grant, not only is BEEP a nationally electronic-published newsletter, it has subscribers in every continent except Antarctica. Past and present issues can be viewed at http://www.spcollege.edu/eagle/research/beep/. Additionally, Project Eagle Research Capsules (PERCs) were published. This publication consisted of occasional (3-4 a year) summaries of research done nationally or at St. Petersburg College on the subject of "online research." A third method to evaluate and disseminate the information was through the Project Eagle Evaluation Questions. The research findings were incorporated into St. Petersburg College's program development via a series of six evaluation questions that were created at the outset of Project Eagle with the assistance of the project's external evaluators. They were spaced out for completion over an 18 month period. The results were turned over to college administrators who incorporated several suggestions into the eCampus operation. Examples included the hiring of a full-time cyber-advisor and more training of eCampus faculty. The Project Eagle Evaluation Questions were impressive enough to be included in the government's Education Resource Information Center, ERIC database. Additionally, information was disseminated via the following avenues: · Presentations/Papers Webpage with links to PowerPoint presentations made by eCampus faculty and staff with Eagle funds. · Golden Web Award-winning Project Eagle Website. · Published articles and papers on the accomplishments of Eagle. Within the context of "best practices," learning styles and learning outcomes were researched and results disseminated in Best Educational E-Practices, issue 30. The original plan was to do more on the subject of learning support, but it had to be dropped by the college after key personnel left the employ of the college. However, a self-analysis for personal learning styles is available on the Cyber Advisor's "eCampus for You" page. Another "best practices" topic concerned student computer skills. Several issues of Best Education E-Practices addressed the subject of computer skill competencies, including issue 2, Student Support Services for Distance Learners. Findings from this publication resulted in a number of additions to the eCampus Website for counseling of online students, including a self-analysis for students of their computer skill competencies and other technical requirements and tips. The original plan to host a panel of national experts was postponed, then canceled, because of delays in opening of a new building to house the event. Instead, SPC co-hosted the National TeleLearning 2003 conference in Orlando. More than 200 attended. Nine SPC staff members gave presentations on Eagle-related accomplishments. Goal 4: Build the VITAL (Video and Internet Technologies to Advance Learning) Network -- a team of professionals operating within the College's Instructional Technology organization to develop the online programs and services. The Instructional Technology department, including a Videographer, a Media Systems Operator, five Technology Design Specialists, six Instructional Technologists, a Coordinator of Instructional Technology, a Web Assistant and a Director of Instructional Technology all worked together to develop online programs and services. Whereas the Instructional Technologists' main function is to assist and guide faculty members in development of courses, the Technology Design Specialists work behind the scenes on webpage development and services for the Instructional Technologists. The Instructional Technology department developed and delivered a variety of training opportunities to provide SPC instructors with greater knowledge in many application areas. Examples of such trainings include:
Telecourses were combined with WebCT course supplements to create TeleWeb courses. Pre-created publisher courses were integrated into online and TeleWeb delivery when applicable. WebCT was integrated into SPC's online course delivery model. WebCT templates were created for use in the initial development of online courses. WebCT training was also provided to all staff who were developing or refining online courses. Streaming video was integrated into many online courses through the use of Windows Media technologies and a variety of high end software and hardware. The equipment used was necessary to shoot, capture, encode and integrate streaming media into online courses. A variety of software applications were purchased and implemented in this process, such as Dreamweaver, Cold Fusion, and Flash. The College of Education (COE) is in the process of providing online and blended classes. The COE has developed a standardized course template on which all COE courses, whether online, blended or supplemental, will be based. This will result in all the education courses having the same look and feel for students while providing academic freedom for the professors. It has also developed a unique, interactive Website. It is called the College of Education Student Commons, and is housed in WebCT. Similar to the SPC website, the Student Commons has links to many of the services provided online at the college. There are also links here to the COE main web-site, the SPC Help Desk, citation guides, an online dictionary and everything you would want to know about creating WebQuests and only registered COE students, faculty, administrators, and staff have access. Therefore, all site participants have common goals and interests. Pertinent topics, such as student teaching, financial aid, study groups and a suggestion box have already been added to the discussion board to provide information and encourage interaction. A unique feature is a link to the teacher employment webpages of every school district in the state of Florida so our graduates have a starting place to seek employment. There is also a link on the homepage of the Student Commons called "Integrated Classroom Clinical." All school site placements for student teaching and observations are listed here. Students can find out what K-12 school they are assigned to, where it is located (maps are included), who the school contact people are and how to contact them. They can also find out about student teacher expectations and background check requirements. The Quiz/Survey tool of WebCT allows an easy way to survey the students or faculty when they are logged on. This provides feedback to make sure the Student Commons is serving our students' needs adequately. Goal 5: Create the University Partnership Center (UPC), formerly known as the College University Center (CUC), hubbed at the Seminole Campus, but with access points (especially via distance technologies) at other SPC sites. In June 1999 St. Petersburg College, in collaboration with several universities, began what is now known as the University Partnership Center (UPC). The UPC was developed as an economical way to bring more higher education opportunities to Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay area. A premier University provides the degree at a convenient UPC location. The first of its kind in Florida and one of a handful nationwide, the UPC provides a vehicle for students to obtain a degree in a variety of subjects - including Business, Computer Science, Elementary Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Emergency Medical Services and more. UPC brought 52 full bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs from 14 college and university partners to Pinellas County. A UPC student experiences the same academic standard of learning as they would by attending the home campuses of the partner institutions. A variety of methods are used to deliver UPC courses, depending on the program selected. The course may be taught in a traditional classroom setting where a student comes to class on a designated campus and an instructor from the "home" campus teaches the course. Classes are also taught through the two-way interactive approach where a student views an instructor lecturing at another location. Video cameras allow students and the instructor to see each other, ask questions, and talk with one another. A third way is Web-based classes that allow students to take courses online with mentors. web-based instruction is enhanced through the UPC by providing students the opportunity to meet periodically with the mentor from the student's "home" campus. The use of videotape is another method by which some courses are taught. A student watches the videotape with other classmates and then communicates with the instructor online as scheduled. The UPC also uses a blended method which is a combination of any of the above types of delivery. In order for a university to access dollars, they had to agree that the course they were developing with Project Eagle funds was part of a program offered at the UPC and was interrelated with SPC. Priority was also given to the programs with the highest student demand. Before any new program was offered at the UPC, first right-of-refusal was given to our sister institution, University of South Florida. If USF was unable to, or chose not to deliver a program through the UPC, other universities could then be approached. In situations where there were critical shortages or unmet needs, programs could be duplicated, but these typically were offered in different formats by the different partners (online and/or face-to-face). Since the fall of 1999 when the UPC began with seven highly respected and accredited partners offering 33 courses in 16 bachelor degree programs enrolling 251 students, the UPC in (3 years time) had produced over 80 graduates from its partner universities. These graduates have represented 7 of our institutional partners and a variety of programs. Goal 6: Develop the "Electronic College" as the point of integration and access for all distance courses, and the "one-stop shop" for information and services for distance students. The whole idea of eCampus was founded on the "one-stop-shop" notion. Student services were SPC's first and primary concern. The intention was for eCampus students to have the very same services available to them that "walk-in" students enjoyed. As a result, students are being served from the application process to graduation and beyond without having to set foot on a physical SPC campus. Online student services, including the previously mentioned admission process, cyber advising, registration, online orientation, placement testing, degree audits, technical specifications for home computer set-up, course catalogs, withdrawal forms, proctored testing arrangements, streamed video, logging onto their class website and much more are available by visiting the eCampus Website: http://www.spjc.edu/ecampus/. Quality control for coordinating, integrating, and monitoring of the online courses was ensured via the eCampus Program Director. The decision to put all online and telecourse classes under the administrative umbrella of eCampus guaranteed consistent application of newly developed procedures in this new teaching environment, while being able to market the courses effectively and concisely, giving students and staff ease and accessibility to information and services: "one-stop shopping for both college staff and students." SPC's eCampus has become a national showcase of distance learning modalities. Because it was created out of the funding from the Project Eagle FIPSE Grant, money was available to develop an entire Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree online, with several A.S. Degrees and Certificates following in a relatively short period of time. As word of the wide availability of courses and programs spread, faculty and staff from eCampus and the Instructional Technology Department were asked to share their expertise with colleges throughout the country. During the four years of the grant, various aspects of the program were presented at a number of national conferences. "How to" sessions were conducted, groups visited SPC for tours and question and answer sessions, and numerous inquiries via telephone and email came and continue to come. The detailed eCampus website attracts visitors from all over the world. Goal 7: Provide the infrastructure, equipment and robust support (e.g., 24/7 help desk) to provide ready access to upper-division and workforces courses and programs throughout Pinellas County and beyond. A model training center was also created on the Seminole Campus of SPC that includes the production classroom, interactive classroom, video on demand, and the collaborative commons. Collectively, these provide the necessary support for eCampus, UPC and the workforce. The production classroom was equipped with Macintosh dual processor G4 computer systems, a Plasma TV, Custom built workstation desks, Studio DV video digitizer, Sony DV recorder and playback decks among other essential hardware. The Collaborative Commons was equipped with a sound proof editing booth, high-end Dell computer work stations with a variety of software installed, along with scanners and printers. Web video conferencing was an essential tool to support the eCampus atmosphere and equipment purchased for it included licenses for Click to Meet Express and a high-end Dell Server. Additionally, purchases for Video-On-Demand were made to support the emerging technology of streaming video. In terms of technical support to the students, faculty and staff, a Help Desk was available to all on an "extended hours" basis. The original concept of having the helpdesk open on a 24/7 basis was deemed not feasible or necessary based on student need research. The phone number to the help desk is posted on the websites and in each of the faculty course syllabi. A separate phone line is devoted for the students who call. During the first week of classes, an Instructional Technologist answers any WebCT technical questions that need a more detailed answer to the students' questions. Summary: All of the proposed deliverables in Project Eagle were met, exceeding expectations. SPC has developed a model program for distance learning and for delivering technology-enhanced education. Over 190 online courses were developed with Project Eagle funds and over 52 upper degree programs were added under the University Partnership Center. A new department, eCampus, was established to oversee the development of the growing course base and assure quality control. The grant provided funds for the eCampus website, equipment in the collaborative commons, smart classrooms, and Faculty Development Centers at SPC as well as purchases for the University Partnership Center. A team of professionals developed a model training center for flexible delivery of high technology certificate programs. Student and academic services were enhanced and made available to students via an extensively enhanced website. The acquired knowledge of the best educational electronic practices for learning was disseminated nationally and internationally. |
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