Committee on Online Learning (COOL)

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the process?
• What are the deadlines for submitting a proposal?
• Why does each instructor have to submit their own proposal?
• Why is a separate curriculum approval required?
• What do I do first - Blackboard training or the Online Learning proposal process?
• What do the Statewide Regulations specify as far as the amount and types of faculty-student contact?
• What are some of the most important issues about ensuring quality in Online Learning courses?
• What are the College's obligations regarding Online Learning support?
• What guidelines exist about Access for Students with Disabilities?
• What is the Curriculum Committee's role?

What are the deadlines for submitting a proposal?

• the second Monday in September for courses to be offered in the spring, and
• the second Monday in February for courses to be offered in the summer or fall.

Why does each instructor have to submit his/her own proposal?

As required in the current faculty contract (page 10-4), the process calls for all faculty planning to:

• teach for the first time a course or a section of a course in Online Learning format, or
• change the approved delivery of a course they are currently teaching in Online Learning format

to present an Online Learning course delivery plan to the COOL Committee.

There are three primary reasons for this.

1. Faculty have not always been aware of new technologies and successful applications by colleagues that might enhance their Online Learning delivery plan and contribute to greater student success and satisfaction.
2. We have found that faculty who present delivery plans contribute to the overall knowledge base about Online Learning and, thus, to the quality of all online/hybrid offerings.
3. To be a successful at online teaching, faculty should be experienced in the technology and medium of online delivery. Faculty should also be aware of the support services offered: Blackboard Faculty Support and Online Learning Student Support.

Separate Course Approval for Online Learning

Title 5 Regulations require separate course approval for distance education delivery courses according to the district's certified course approval procedures. (Section 55378)

What do I do first - Blackboard training or the Online Learning proposal process?

The answer depends on deadlines. Ideally, the CWS staff strongly recommends that before attempting to teach online, you complete introductory Blackboard training, and gradually incorporate various uses of Blackboard into your on-campus courses for a few semesters.

Instructor Contact

Title 5 Regulations specify that "All approved courses offered as distance education shall include regular effective contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voicemail, email, or other activities." (Section 55376) This language was adopted by the Board of Governors in July 1998, changing the focus from "in-person contact" to "regular effective contact" for credit transferable courses.

Three Key Issues: Content, Interaction, & Access

• Content Delivery

  • How will the required information be successfully delivered via Online Learning modes?
  • What combinations of media (video, audio, CDs, websites, textbooks, manuals, etc.), instructional modes (lecture, discussion, laboratory, etc.), and assignments are involved in this course?
  • What is the approximate schedule of time allocated to each mode?
     

• Interaction

  • How will communications between faculty and students, and between the students themselves, be enabled, encouraged, and managed?
  • How does the instructor define "regular effective contact" for this particular course?
  • What types of interaction will occur, with what frequency?
  • How will these types of interaction be evaluated for their effectiveness?
     

• Access

• How will students participate in the course?
• What variety of learning options are made available for different students with different learning styles?
• What technical, academic, and learning resources are required?
• What about access for students with disabilities?

The College's Obligations:

• Student support services
• Faculty Development & Training for technology-mediated courses
• Responsive Technical Support for faculty and students
• Timely, systematic planning, preparation, budgeting, and implementation of training and technical support.
• A commitment to quality. "The greatest strength of the community college lies in the quality of instruction."

What guidelines exist about Access for Students with Disabilities?

• The Chancellor's Office of California's Community Colleges distributed Guidelines on Accessibility of Distance Education Courses for Students with Disabilities in September of 1999.
• Section 55370 of Title 5 Regulations expressly states that the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act are applicable to distance education courses.
• See the WAI Guidelines for Accessible WebSite Design at http://www.w3.org/WAI/
• See the High Tech Center Training Unit of the California Community Colleges at http://www.htctu.fhda.edu/
• For Blackboard accessibility, refer to http://www.blackboard.com/products/access/faqs.htm

The Curriculum Committee Review

"Curriculum committees must make a judgment as to the quality of the course based on a review of the appropriateness of the methods of presentation, assignments, evaluation of student performance, and instructional materials. Are these components adequate to achieve the stated objectives of the course?"

Opportunity vs. Obstacle Course: The curriculum review is intended to assist faculty interested in creating a course of the highest possible quality. There is not a single, "most effective" model for distance education that everyone must follow, but rather an entire continuum of delivery modes. How much the class will rely on technology, videos, on-campus meetings, or off-campus contact depends totally on the curriculum, the instructor, and the students. The questions to be discussed should be made available to all interested faculty and staff, and effective proposals should be shared as exemplars.

Overview of the Process:

Please click on process overview.