Instructor Satisfaction in UC Extensions Online Writing Curriculum

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• Instructor Satisfaction in UC Extensions Online
  Writing Curriculum
• by
• Mary Beth Almeda
• Kathleen M. Rose
• ALN Summer Workshop
• Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
• August 17, 1999

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Overview

• Introduction
• Rationale
• Background Information
• Method
• Results

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Introduction

• Writing courses are microcosm of entire online
  program
• Fourteen courses in four curricular groupings
• Technical and Business Writing
• Creative Writing
• Composition and Literature
• English as a Second Language (ESL)

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Rationale

• Program Characteristics
• Broad curriculum
• Certificate programs and curricula
• National audience
• Designed for adult students
• UC Berkeley quality and reputation

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Rationale

• Course Selection Criteria
• Appropriate for online delivery
• Good classroom enrollments
• Involves a campus course or professor
• Part of a sequence or certificate
• Funds for development available
• Subject of great public (student) interest

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Background Information

• Instructor Support
• During course design and development
• Design/development team
• Online development guidelines
• Throughout teaching experience
• Instructional Support Specialists role
• Technical and administrative support

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Background Information

• Instructor Selection
• Selection criteria
• Subject matter expertise
• Teaching experience
• Interest in teaching online
• Technical proficiency

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Background Information
Writing Instructors
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Background Information
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Method

• Content Delivery
• Course format
• Asynchronous, rolling-enrollment
• Cohort, fixed-date
• Delivery channel
• AOL
• Internet

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Selection of AOL as Service Provider

• Comparable demographics
• Leverage national marketing efforts
• Ease of use
• Runs on all major hardware platforms
• Available nationwide (and beyond)
• Internet access
• Course-specific software and services
• Market-driven

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Online Program Main Screen
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Internet Program Site

• Internet program area
• For Internet-proficient audiences
• For regional programs
• For international programs
• Site of
• Posted online material
• Multimedia course elements

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Internet Site Main Screen
http//learn.berkeley.edu
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Method

• Course Features
• Online Course Objectives
• Communication
• Interaction
• Access to resources
• Online Course Elements
• E-mail
• Message boards
• Study resources
• Chat rooms

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The AOL Online Classroom
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The Internet Online Classroom
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Method

• Technology and Infrastructure
• Five servers
• AOL courses
• AOLs proprietary software
• Internet courses
• Mounted using NetObjects Fusion
• Netscape Collabra for message boards
• I-Chat for live chat feature

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Method

• Course Production and Costs
• Initial course development and production
• Budget 20,000 per course
• Writing courses less time-intensive in production
• Course maintenance
• Growing element of production activities
• 10 of 14 writing courses revised
• Cohort requires production time for each offering

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Results of Instructor Survey

• Why did you want to develop and teach an online
  course?
• Did you have any experience with using
  information technology in your courses before
  teaching an online course?
• Did you find the training adequate? Do you have
  any recommendations regarding training?

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Results of Instructor Survey, continued

• How have you had to adapt your teaching for
  online delivery?
• How satisfied are you with your online teaching
  experience?
• Please discuss your experience with technology,
  such as e-mail, message board, and chat room in
  this course.

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Results of Instructor Survey, continued

• How would you rate the importance of the
  following components of the instructional
  process? (1-5 scale, 1-very important)
• What have been the advantages and drawbacks of
  using technology in instruction?
• How has the workload for teaching this course
  compared to your workload in other courses?

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Results of Instructor Survey, continued

• To what do you attribute your answer?
• What have you liked most about teaching online?
• What have you liked least about teaching online?
• Do you like teaching online courses as much as
  traditional courses?

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Results of Instructor Survey, continued

• Would you recommend online teaching to a
  colleague? Have you done so?
• What changes in course development and delivery
  do you suggest?

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Results

• Obstacles to adoption
• Lack of face-to-face interaction
• Inadequate compensation
• Most effective practices
• Strong course development process
• Good instructor training
• Problematic practices
• Chat feature
• Instructor pay

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Results

• Programmatic Critical Factors
• Course selection
• Marketing
• Interface design
• Reliability of technology
• Support of instructors
• Support of students
• Course design
• Instructor compensation

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Results

• Individual Course Critical Factors
• Instructor responsiveness
• Instructor technical proficiency
• Student technical proficiency
• Reliability of technology
• Support of instructors
• Support of students
• Course design
• Instructor compensation