DECSC

Minutes 4-22-2004

Time/Location

12pm-1pm;  Room:  DSPS

Members Present

Desmond Chun, Arlene DeLeon, Scott Hildreth, Zarir Marawala (chair), Minta Peterson, Steve Piatetsky, Norberto Ruiz, Lynn Sandoval, Wanda Wong.

Minutes discussion/approval

Minutes approved.

Discuss Nursing Package-vote

Zarir asked committee if everyone is in agreement to approve all of the Nursing proposals.  Scott expressed that in future terms the committee needs to tackle the concerns of being able to reach all of the instructors proposing, such as the need to be in touch with Instructional Designer Lynn Sandoval, and the fact that they had to submit about 27 separate proposals. Scott proposed that we present the consensus that we support the proposals, but that the group of Nursing instructors report to the committee later on with their experiences, possibly meeting with Lynn. Wanda proposed the idea of two separate proposals, one for the design of the course and the other for the implementation. That way, each instructor does not have to redesign the course delivery. Lynn expressed concerns of what happens after we approve the proposal in terms of implementation & evaluation? Arlene asked if there is a process for evaluating distance education courses, and Scott responded that he has his online course evaluated. Scott went on to state that many other campus' require much more, such as obtaining certification, and a distance education coordinator can cancel the course if the requirements are not being met. Nolly noted that Nursing 59 does not have an instructor listed. Zarir asked committee to vote on all Nursing proposals, and the committee voted to approve.

Discuss Neil Skapuro?s English 1A-vote

Lynn stated that Neil's proposal contained many elements that are often missing in many proposals. Scott expressed the concern that the course is not fully online because it requires an orientation, and the final exam schedule was not yet determined. An instructor can explain that they are competent in teaching English, but they may not be prepared to teach online. Arlene stated that the English faculty are keeping an eye on the course. Minta clarified that the current policy is that if an instructor is hired at the last minute to teach an online course (for example, if a second section is added due to student demand), they must submit their DE proposal within the semester, or they can not teach the course the following semester. Wanda pointed out that not all courses work well as online courses. Desmond suggested that in the future we ask instructors to present aspects of their course to the committee. Minta asked how do we get instructors to answer the questions on the proposal in the manner intended? Wanda suggested that we be able to view a mock-up of their course. Minta stated that the checklist Lynn is working on will address many issues of course development, such as technology requirements. Desmond stated that we are not asking about the content; we want to know, "Have you posted announcements? Have you stated who to contact for help?" Wanda added that it is not about how many quizzes, but how they are delivered. Arlene suggested that a workshop is held on Flex Day on teaching online. She had read "DE is more than just teaching in pyjamas." Scott replied that attendance is usually low. Zarir will email Neil, the division dean, and others the concerns of the committee.

Speech 11 DE proposal

Arlene stated that she will work with Christine Deane on her proposal, specifically in obtaining the necessary signatures. Desmond brought up the issue of how are speech students being evaluated on their speeches? Scott stated that it is the jurisdiction of the division as to whether or not in-person speeches are required. Zarir asked isn't Christine Deane on the newly formed DE Task force?  Committee members stated that Christine, Scott, Dmitriy Kalyagin, and Pam Shen are on this task force to evaluate the DE curriculum process. Zarir stated that the proposal is approved pending signatures.

Governance verbiage

Scott stated that titles, not names of people (such as Instructional Designer) need to be stated, and the criteria "experience with DE" needs to be elaborated. Committee members and Scott agreed that rather than specifying how many committee members are necessary, qualifications should be based on a variety of criteria such as "an instructor with experience teaching multimedia, an instructor who teaches fully online, a staff member who works with online instructors," etc.

Good of the order

Zarir revisited the issue that a new chair will be needed next term.

Minutes taken by Minta.