Committee on Online Learning

Minutes for Meeting: May 4, 2010

(Attendees: Ramona Silver(chair), Norman Buchwald, Bob Buell, Richard Dinwiddie, Mary Dermody, Desmond Chun, Aldrian Estepa Scott Hildreth, Michael Langdon, Jan Novak, Lisa Ulibarri, Minta Winsor, Wanda Wong and Sherri Yeager)

1. Policy of Student Conduct/Online Classes: The Committee continued our discussion on Student Conduct in online classes and weather we need to establish a policy specifically for online classes. However, several members including Kathleen Allen felt that there should be only one policy that is the same as the one for face-to-face classes. The Committee then discussed the actual policy that is written in the Chabot Catalog. Page 60 of the Chabot Catalog addresses the policy regarding disruptive or abusive students. There is a set protocol. Scott Hildreth states taht you can ask them to leave and call security if they refuse to do so. If the student continues to display negative behavior in class and or via e-mail etc, they can be expelled. Wanda Wong asked if we could diss-allow difficult students from the course site, but Minta Winsor informed us that we would need to drop them. Mary Dermody suggests that the Catalougue states that this policy also applies to online classes. Jan Novak suggested that we go through the Chabot Catalog and recommend adjustments throughout it to include online courses.

2. Student Success: In reference to the study conducted by Rajinder Samra regarding student success rates between online classes and face-to-face classes, the data suggests that online classes have a lower success rate for some classes, while other online classes have a significantly higher success rate. The overall result is that online classes on average are the same in success rates for face-to-face classes. The committee discussed the determining factors for "student success". Scott Hildreth for example proposed that sometimes a "W" is actually a successful outcome for a student. Ramona Silver concurred with Scott's idea stating that she herself had taken 2 W's in her academic career and felt that they were a successful ending to courses for her learning goals. The committee expressed concerns about how the data would be interpreted by other faculty and what we need to do about examining closely the definition of "student success" in online courses. The Chair stated that she felt that this was an issue that we needed to address directly in the Fall 2010 semester. Additionally the Chair told the committee that she was meeting with Rajinder Samra and Carolyn Arnold two times in the coming week on 5/11 and 5/13 with Jan Novak and Tom Clark. The Chair also intends to have Rajinder Samra attend one of the COOL meetings in September 2010.

3. D.E. Room Recommendations for Buildings 1700 and 1800: Scott Hildreth graciously took leadership and presented all of the information and possibilities for the potential new D.E. Rooms that are to be constructed in Buildings 1700 and 1800. The committee members agreed that for the two rooms in 1800 there should be one of each kind of room: One tiered with fixed auditorium style seats for a large group of students 90-100. One regular classroom with flat desks that can be moved that accommodates a regular size class of students. We think that in the 1800 rooms the Live video panning and all the rest would be great! We hope that the D.E. room in 1700 has capability for "live video panning", video on demand and all of the rest of the smart room features--we know that an instructor in that room will have to manage those technology features themselves. Finally, the Committee wants to acknowledge the great help and patience from Dave Fouquet who gave us the opportunity and gave us detailed information so that we could offer our recommendations!

4. Updates on Online/Hybrid Course Demonstrations Spring 2010: Miguel Colon completed a wonderful demonstration last week for ENTR-1 and ENTR-10. Ricky Hurtado and Bob Buell successfully completed their hybrid Fire Technology courses. T. J. Puckett presented a very well organized English 4 online course. Matt Davis is scheduled to do his course demonstration on 5/12 and Carmen Johnston is scheduled to do her demonstration for English 4 Online on 5/13. The Chair is meeting with A. Huang for ARCH 12 next Tuesday to set up his demonstration.

5. For the next and last meeting of our Spring 2010 semester, the Chair asked the committee members to bring two specific ideas or goals that they would like us to accomplish for Fall 2010.

Next COOL meeting is Scheduled for Tuesday May 18, 2010 at Noon in the IOB