Name: Paula Szulc Dominguez, Ed.D and Suzanne Alexander Type of session: Presentation Proposed track: Track 1: Alternative course delivery Abstract: What decisions have to be made in order for an institution to offer online education to its students? This presentation will describe the process of evaluating, preparing for, and implementing a Web-based online education program at Christopher Newport University. The presenters will consider the criteria for deciding upon an online system, how to incorporate faculty feedback, how to create a training program for various online participants, and how to provide on-going support for online faculty and students. Description: A university's decision to pursue online education necessarily involves the cooperation of participants from across the institution. At each step of the way--from the initial evaluation of options to implementation and assessment--diverse members of the university's population must somehow come to agreement on a dizzying array of tasks. This presentation will focus on three issues of central importance to all institutions contemplating establishing a web-based educational program: how to evaluate the spectrum of platforms and systems available in terms of faculty and institutional needs, how to best prepare faculty, staff, and students for the debut of the web-based program, and how to make its implementation take place as smoothly as possible. The speakers will draw upon their experiences at Christopher Newport University (CNU) as they describe the process CNU has followed over the past year. During this 12-month period, faculty and staff evaluated a number of Web-based programs, selected several to review in depth, made a final decision, established a training program, developed more than 40 online courses, and successfully administered courses over the World Wide Web. The first 15 minutes of the 60-minute presentation will concentrate on the initial evaluation process and the collaboration that took place between faculty members and CNU Online staff. The second 15-minute segment will focus on the development of a training program for faculty, administrative support staff, and online students. The third 15-minute segment will consider the implementation (to date) of the first semester of courses. The final 15 minutes will be made available for questions and answers. The presenters will invite comments and responses from audience members throughout the session, to encourage a format that is more interactive than formal. The content of the presentation touches upon issues critical to a cross-section of faculty, administrators, and technology support staff. Audience members will benefit from Christopher Newport University's six-year history of delivering online courses. The new web-based program represents the third online platform that Christopher Newport University has used to offer its courses. The presenters, therefore, have at their disposal a rich store of knowledge that permits a balanced perspective of the benefits and weaknesses associated with online education.
Length: 60 minutes Audience: General Audience level: Beginning, Intermediate
On-site equipment requirements: LCD Panel and Access to Internet Affiliation and contact information: Paula Szulc Dominguez, Ed.D. Coordinator, CNU Online Christopher Newport University 1 University Place Newport News, VA 23666 Tel. (757) 594-7607 Fax (757) 594-7481 Email: paulasd@cnu.edu Suzanne Alexander Systems Engineer Christopher Newport University 1 University Place Newport News, VA 23666 Tel. (757) 594-7786 Fax (757) 594-7481 Email: salexander@cnu.edu
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