A. NATURE OF CHANGE AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED 1

A.1 NATURE OF THE CHANGE 1
A.2 OVERVIEW OF ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 5 A.2.1 The Extended Learning Institute 5
A.2.2 Campus-based World Wide Web Courses Across Service Area Boundaries 8 A.3 OVERVIEW OF SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 8
A.4 ASSESSMENT OF NEED: THE MOVE TO THE WEB AND COMPRESSED VIDEO DELIVERY 9

B.1 ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 10
B.2 SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 12

C.1 ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 12
C.2 SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING 14

D.1 THE PLANNING PROCESS 15
D.2 PROCEDURES FOR SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL RESULTS 16
D.3 THE PROCESS FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATIONG DISTANCE LEARNING ACTVITIES 17
D.4 ADMISSIONS AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 18
D.5 GRADING, TRANSCRIPTS, AND TRANSFER CREDIT POLICIES 18

E.1 SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 18
E.2 ADAPTATION OF ACQUIRED MATERIALS 19
E.3 RESOURCES TO PRODUCE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS 19
E.4 ACCREDITATION STATUS OF OUTSIDE SOURCES 19

F.1 SELECTION OF COURSE CONTENT 20
F.2 FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS 20
F.3 FACULTY EVALUATION 20
F.4 FACULTY ORIENTATION 21
F.5 TEACHING LOADS 21

H. SUPPORT SERVICES 23

H.1 ADMISSIONS AND RECORDS 23
H.2 DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION 24
H.3 ORDERING COURSE MATERIALS 24
H.4 MEETING SPECIAL NEEDS 25
H.5 TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 25
H.6 TESTING SUPPORT 25
H.7 COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT 26
H.8 STUDENT GRIEVANCE POLICY 26

J. ADMINSTRATIVE STRUCTURE 27
K. FINANCIAL RESOURCES 27

K.1 OPERATING BUDGET 27
K.2 PROJECTED OPERATING BUDGET FOR 1998-99 28
K.3 GRANT FUNDING 29
K.4 FUNDING FOR PROPOSED NEW DISTANCE LEARNING ACTIVITIES 29

ROSTER OF INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF 32

APPENDICES 51

APPENDIX A 52

A. NATURE OF CHANGE AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED

Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) consists of five full-service campuses and the Extended Learning Institute (ELI), which is the College’s unit for home-study asynchronous distance learning. Since its founding in 1964, NVCC has grown to be the largest institution of higher education in Virginia. Located in the suburbs of Washington, DC, NVCC serves Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park. In the Spring of 1998, 36,272 students were enrolled in the College, with 3200 of these involved in distance learning.

A.1 NATURE OF THE CHANGE

Distance education has been part of NVCC since ELI’s establishment in 1975, and ELI has participated in the College’s regular self-studies and accreditation reaffirmation activities since that time. In 1993, NVCC notified the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges that ELI was ready to offer several degrees completely through distance education. The Commission acknowledged receiving the information, satisfying the requirement of notice to the Commission, and noted that this did not constitute a substantive change. When accreditation was last reaffirmed (1992), ELI was already offering both synchronous and asynchronous courses through print, video, audio, and two-way compressed video. Asynchronous courses were also being offered to other Colleges through the new Virginia Distance Education Network (VDEN). VDEN is the umbrella of policies, procedures, infrastructure and people that guides distance education activities among the VCCS colleges.

While it would appear that there is currently no substantive change that NVCC is making in its distance learning program, the College is participating in this Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Substantive Change project because there are changes that have affected the College. First, the College is now able to make use of the Internet and World Wide Web to offer asynchronous courses, those in which students can learn at a time and place of their own choosing. Second, the College is able to offer live synchronous classes by two-way compressed video to other colleges. To accommodate these two changes, the College has made a number of organizational and policy changes in its approach to distance learning.

At the same time as the Web is gaining popularity, the College is expanding its use of the VCCS compressed video network. Not only can this network allow NVCC to share courses and programs among its campuses, it also allows NVCC to share its depth of courses and programs with smaller sister community colleges. Unlike the original College network, which could handle no more than two courses at a time due to a limited number of receiving sites, NVCC is now capable of originating or receiving as many as five courses simultaneously.

The two new capabilities caused NVCC to consider a new organizational structure for managing and supporting distance education at the College. Elements of the plan were phased in over the past two years after being approved by the College Information Technology Committee. Though these changes are not dramatic in nature, they do provide the College with clearer lines of authority and responsibility for coping with the potential growth in distance learning, and distinguish between home-study and campus-based delivery (e.g. compressed video and use of campus computers).

Prior to these changes, distance learning was the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Instructional Technologies and Extended Learning who reported to the College Dean of Academic and Student Services who reported to the President. All asynchronous distance education was developed and delivered under the direction of the Director of the Extended Learning Institute who reported to the Associate Dean. All synchronous distance education over the College’s compressed video network was supervised by the campus academic divisions with direct technical, design, and administrative support from the Associate Dean and staff of the College Television Center and campus Learning Resource Centers.

The new administrative structure, implemented in 1996, expanded the role and changed the title of the Associate Dean. The new title is Associate Dean for Information Technology. The expanded role now includes responsibility for leadership in all technology applications, including mainframe programming and technology planning. The Associate Dean continues to have overall responsibility for distance learning. In 1997, recognizing the differences the Web could bring to distance learning, policies were enacted to govern use of the Web for courses offered as distance learning that crossed service area boundaries, but were not developed or delivered directly through ELI (see Appendix B). These policies established specific standards and support requirements that must be provided by a campus if it chooses not to offer a distance learning course through ELI. The campus could, however, always choose to collaborate with ELI to develop and/or offer the course. These new policies also create a new role for ELI , making it responsible for establishing procedures that facilitate offering campus-delivered Web courses, as well as providing College-wide coordination and tracking of these courses. ELI continues to have primary College responsibility for serving home study students with asynchronous instruction—especially through more traditional distance learning technologies, such as print, video, and audio. ELI also continues to have responsibility for offering continuous enrollment in its distance learning courses, which would be difficult and expensive to support individually on each campus.

By acknowledging that it is possible to develop and offer distance education over the Web without ELI’s direct involvement, the College is able to accomplish three important things. First, it can support faculty innovation and experimentation without forcing ELI into a gatekeeping role that might artificially restrict use of the Web to the limit of ELI’s resources. Second, it avoids requiring ELI to divert its resources from supporting traditional and more widely available technologies to supporting faculty experimentation and development of only Web courses and course materials. Third, it provides standards for all Web-based courses offered by the College, at ELI, and on campus.

To provide design and technical support for faculty developing campus-based technology applications, including use of the Web and compressed video, a new unit has been established under the Associate Dean. The new unit, the Technical Applications Center (TAC), is currently staffed with a coordinator and two instructional technologists—one of whom has primary College responsibility for supporting the use of compressed video and the other for synchronous use of computer applications. Academic supervision of live synchronous instruction takes place on the campuses and remains with the academic divisions of the College. The Associate Dean’s staff continues to provide technical, design, and administrative support as under the original organization model. The creation of a new unit to support directly the campuses’ use of technology, rather than merely expanding ELI’s responsibilities, provides a clearer focus for each unit (ELI and TAC) and avoids diminishing ELI’s ability to perform its primary mission, which is to serve the home-study student. Overall responsibility for College-level coordination of distance learning remains with the Associate Dean, who continues to report to the Dean of Academic and Student Services.

A.2 OVERVIEW OF ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

A.2.1 The Extended Learning Institute

ELI was officially established by action of Virginia’s State Board for Community Colleges in October 1974. NVCC commissioned an educational consulting firm (Leggett and Associates) whose report Extending Education in a Learning Society concluded that there was a great demand among adults in the Northern Virginia community for "time-free and space-free" learning opportunities which overcame the barriers to access and learning posed by traditional campus classroom-based instructional delivery. The report encouraged the development of learning systems which used various media and technologies to enable people to learn at home and noted that such learning systems could be both instructionally and cost effective. The Leggett report formed the foundation for NVCC’s implementation of ELI as a means of extending NVCC’s educational opportunities into the community.

ELI’s original design supported continuous enrollment in credit courses whereby students could begin their studies at any point in the semester. Its Mission, "to design and implement non-traditional programs and delivery systems as student options for independent study or individual learning," was approved by the NVCC Administrative Council on August 16, 1983 (see Appendix H). Asynchronous learning and continuous enrollment remain at the center of ELI today as it provides students opportunities to participate in higher education while maintaining professional and personal commitments. This provision of access is congruent with the college’s open admissions policy and is responsive to students who live in the fast-paced and traffic-choked environment of the Washington, DC, suburbs. ELI’s offices are located in the Ravensworth Industrial Park, adjacent to I-495, approximately five miles from the Annandale campus. This is a central location in Northern Virginia with easy access.

ELI Students: During the 1996-1997 academic year, ELI annual course enrollments totaled 8,845 (see Appendix C). In Fall, 1997, its unduplicated headcount was 5549, which was 9.4% of the College's headcount. This represented 852 FTES, 4.1% of the total College FTES.

NVCC’s Office of Institutional Research data for 1997 showed that ELI students were slightly older than their campus counterparts. The median age for ELI students was 27.5 and for the College was 26.6. Thirty-seven percent of all students were 25 to 34 years of age. In this age bracket, students taking only ELI courses outnumbered those taking a mix of ELI and campus courses ( 56% vs. 44%). For students starting careers and families, ELI provided an important opportunity to participate in higher education. ELI attracted more women than men (65% vs. 55%).

ELI students live in one of the most vibrant economic areas in the United States. Northern Virginia is part of a growing region of high technology industries. Companies located in the new "edge cities" of Tyson’s Corner, Rosslyn, Reston, Ballston, and other locations have transformed Northern Virginia into a leading center of high tech employment.

The nature of the region affects ELI students in two ways. First, life moves at a fast pace, making it difficult for adults to balance work, family, and education. The opportunity to take courses through self-paced distance learning is what attracts many of these adults to the college as new students, as well as allowing them to move more quickly through their studies by mixing on-campus and distance education courses. For these students, geographic separation from the college is not an issue, since most live within 10 to 15 miles of one of NVCC’s campuses. The issue is fitting a college education into their busy personal and professional lives. Second, high technology industries require employees who are highly skilled and up-to-date in their fields. ELI students take courses to complete degrees, to improve their professional skills, and for personal enrichment. The demand for information technology courses is high, while enrollment in courses delivered through the latest means of technology continues to rise.

ELI Technologies: Throughout its existence, ELI adopted new instructional technologies whenever they became available. Print-based materials were used from the beginning. Broadcast TV, cable TV, audiocassettes, and videotapes were added as these technologies entered mainstream home use. ELI began computer conferencing on the mainframe computer with ENG 115 in Fall, 1989, introduced voice mail as a tool in French courses in Fall 1990, and added voice mail conferencing in ADJ 100 in 1993. Computer conferencing on personal computers using a bulletin board system began in 1995, and CD-ROM was first used in the fall of 1997. In 1998, ELI began offering four courses through Internet delivery on the World Wide Web as a pilot project. Several campuses have begun pilots for single-campus Web-based courses as well.
 
Course Development: In its early years, ELI designed credit courses through a systems development model. Content experts and instructional technologists collaborated to provide teaching faculty with the course materials for delivery. ELI’s instructional technologists all have faculty rank and meet the requirements for academic appointments. That model has evolved so that faculty now serve as content experts who are highly involved both in developing and teaching their own courses. In Spring 1998, 63 faculty offered 114 courses.

Courses for development and revision through ELI are selected using specific criteria, including course demand as reflected in high enrollments, strong emerging market demand, and innovative use of technology (see Appendix D). Proposed courses for the Web which are not selected for development by ELI may still be developed by the faculty with supervision from their division chair and delivered across service area boundaries following procedures detailed in the NVCC Academic and Administrative Standards for World Wide Web Courses Offered Across Service Boundaries document (see Appendix B). After initially developing Web courses on their own, campuses can choose to collaborate with ELI to facilitate delivery of large enrollment classes that would benefit from ELI’s well-developed delivery support system.

ELI Course Delivery: ELI maintains a microcomputer database system to support a variety of distance learning activities, including automated mailing of course syllabi, reminder postcards, and other timely communications from faculty and staff to students. The ELI system provides student enrollment data to faculty and helps faculty to track student progress. Faculty call or write students who have not begun or who have fallen behind in their coursework, to resolve problems and to encourage them to begin. Faculty refer students to campus services, such as counseling, peer tutoring, and writing centers whenever appropriate, and they also provide academic advising. A staff of two full-time and two part-time clerical course specialists assist faculty with record-keeping and respond to student policy/ procedure/technical questions on the ELI telephone hotline. Course specialists help students who have content questions to get in touch with their instructors.

ELI Degree and Certificate Programs: In addition to its large inventory of courses that support requirements of many degrees and certificates, ELI has developed three complete Associate in Science degree programs transferable to four-year colleges and is developing the courses required for certificates in Clinical Data Coding Specialist and Medical Transcription. In 1991, ELI received a $150,000 grant from the Annenberg/CPB project New Pathways to a Degree project to develop degrees in Business Administration and General Studies. These two degree programs are supported by telecourses, locally and commercially produced, as well as voice mail conferencing. Some courses incorporate computer conferencing.

The Engineering AS degree program, based on the use of asynchronous learning networks, was developed through two grants totaling $716,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. By Fall 1997, ELI offered the complete engineering degree program, including 14 courses in science, math, and engineering. All engineering courses use asynchronous learning networks. ELI licenses FirstClass software to support computer conferencing as the basis of these networks.

Virginia Distance Education Network: Through cooperative arrangements with other Virginia Community College System (VCCS) colleges, ELI delivers asynchronous and synchronous courses through the Virginia Distance Education Network (VDEN) throughout the Commonwealth. From VDEN’s beginning in 1991, ELI has offered asynchronous courses each semester, for a total of 363 courses (see Appendix E).

Through VCCS’s membership in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), ELI participates in the Southern Regional Electronic Campus (SREC), a virtual university for the Southern States. In 1998, ELI’s HIS 276: US History Since World War II was offered as part of SRECB’s listings for Southern regional distance students. ELI is also a long-term participant in PBS’s "Going the Distance, " an effort through the PBS Adult Learning Services to develop degree programs in distance learning.

Throughout its history ELI has answered the need for applying new technologies to provide educational opportunities for the home-study students. Since 1995, through its Sloan initiative, ELI has supported computer conference interactivity. With the growing popularity of the World Wide Web, ELI is exploring the Web’s potential as a tool both for course management and for interactivity for the distance learner – whether in Northern Virginia or elsewhere.

A.2.2 Campus-based World Wide Web Courses Across Service Area Boundaries

In 1997, in response to potentially explosive student and faculty desire for classes on the World Wide Web, ELI articulated academic and administrative standards which all College campuses delivering Web-based courses across service-area boundaries must meet. ELI also defined specific procedures which campus divisions must follow in delivering Web-based courses across service area boundaries (see Appendix B). An important distinction was made in these procedures between faculty use of the Web to support their regular campus-based instruction, and use of the Web primarily for distance education. Similarly, unless the faculty member took specific steps to offer the course across service area boundaries (i.e. listing the course in other campus’ class schedules, offering exams at other campus testing centers, making books available at other campus’ bookstores), it was difficult to classify the Web as something other than an innovative instructional method (not unlike independent and directed study, mastery learning, computer-based or computer-managed instruction). If it was only an innovative instructional method, it would be difficult to justify taking academic supervision and ownership of the course away from the individual campus division. On the other hand, once the course was offered across a service area boundary, it clearly became distance learning. The new procedures provided a means for the College to coordinate and supervise Web courses that grew out of individual campus innovation, without creating unnecessary administrative limitations and conflicts over jurisdiction and campus/ELI ownership.

A.3 OVERVIEW OF SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

Northern Virginia Community College was a pioneer among colleges in the use of two-way compressed video. All five NVCC campuses were connected by compressed video in 1988 and offered a variety of live synchronous courses among the campuses. This was a closed network and did not allow for connection to sites other than the campuses. In August of 1995, NVCC began cooperating in an interactive compressed-video pilot project with a VCCS-supported Center for Distance Education. The pilot was funded through a special legislative grant from the General Assembly for the 1994-96 biennium. As part of this project, NVCC was selected as one of the five regional centers devoted to faculty training, curriculum development, and course production and delivery of compressed video courses. This activity supported a SCHEV report that all institutions of higher education in Virginia serve more students through innovative methods and at regional sites (see Appendix F).

As part of a major VCCS-wide technology upgrade, new compressed video equipment was installed on all five NVCC campuses in 1996 and was connected to the new statewide network. All synchronous compressed video instruction at NVCC originates on the campuses as part of their regular course offerings. ELI’s location at Ravensworth is not currently connected to the compressed video network, though plans are underway to connect it through a desktop video system in the future.

As a regional center, NVCC began offering compressed video courses to other VCCS colleges in Spring 1996. NVCC offered two courses, each to one receiving college: REA 216: Real Estate Appraisal and MKT 115: Retail Organization and Management. REA 216 went to Southwest Virginia Community College, MRT to Tidewater Community College at Portsmouth. In 1998, NVCC synchronous courses are currently received by five different colleges. For Fall 1998, NVCC will offer at least 20 compressed video courses to other VCCS colleges (see Appendix G).

Faculty receive the assistance of instructional technologists from the Technical Applications Center (TAC) in the design and delivery of compressed video courses. TAC staff also offer workshops and support for faculty on using the Web in their instruction. The TAC instructional technologists all have faculty rank and meet the requirements for academic appointments. TAC staff have offices next to the College Television Center located on the Annandale Campus.

A.4 ASSESSMENT OF NEED: THE MOVE TO THE WEB AND COMPRESSED VIDEO DELIVERY

The selection of courses to develop and offer through distance learning is based on a variety of factors including the following needs assessment strategies:

• Development of alternative delivery strategies for high enrollment and over-enrolled campus-based courses.
• Development of delivery strategies for low enrollment courses where students from several campuses need to be combined so that a given course can be offered cost effectively.
• Information on course and delivery strategy preferences from student focus groups, student letters, student phone calls, and evaluation comments.
• Requests from faculty interested in developing courses based on student requests or input from College Advisory Committees.
• Requests from other VCCS colleges for specific courses in a distance learning format.
• Pilot tests of courses offered to gauge student interest in expanding courses or programs to remote sites.

The staff also monitors student needs and interests in delivery technologies. This is done to ensure that the College takes advantage of modern communication tools but does not exclude students who are not technically sophisticated.

B. RELATIONSHIP OF DISTANCE LEARNING ACTIVITIES TO INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE AND MISSION

Distance learning was established as one means for NVCC to fulfill its mission to "respond to the educational needs of a changing community and its institutions, ensuring that all individuals in the Northern Virginia area have an opportunity to develop and enhance their values, skills and knowledge" (see Appendix A for the complete text of NVCC’s mission statement). ELI courses and campus-based Web delivered courses are designed to meet the asynchronous distance learning need while compressed video is designed to meet the synchronous distance learning need.

B.1 ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

ELI is one means for the College to meet its stated goal of providing "a broad range of instructional methods, materials, facilities, and instructional support services that accommodate students of varied backgrounds, interests and abilities" (see Appendix A). As the College’s administrative unit for home-study asynchronous distance education delivery, ELI "is responsible for the distance learning program of NVCC," and ELI is "to design and implement for distant learners excellent and innovative instruction and delivery systems including formats that combine distance education with classroom instruction, independent study, or individualized learning" (see Appendix H). ELI's method of home study education delivery provides courses for those who cannot or prefer not to attend regular classes on campus. Instruction for ELI courses uses television, computers, audio and video cassette tapes, and printed materials designed especially for independent study. A broad range of instructional support services is available to ELI students (see Sections G, H, and I), whose demographics reflect the varied backgrounds of students served by the College as a whole (see Section D-3).

To ensure development of effective distance learning programs, NVCC through ELI has developed distance learning goals to meet the criterion for accreditation that states

• To forward the college’s open-access mission by providing students home study courses and degree programs.
• To be a leader in the use of multiple information technologies for distance education.
• To enable faculty to design, develop, and deliver systematically home study courses that provide rigorous and useful instruction.
• To be responsive to all students and to accord them respect.
• To facilitate students’ appreciation of learning for personal development, vocational improvement, and academic advancement.
• To encourage the enrollment and success of a diverse student population.
• To adapt instruction to meet varying student needs.
• To model distance education delivery by allowing ELI faculty to work from remote sites.
• To reduce time and location constraints to teaching and learning.
• To meet students’ needs for varied formats of instruction by joining with campus units to design and implement courses that combine elements of classroom and distance teaching and learning.

 

ELI Goal	Related Activities
redesign ELI’s operating processes to serve more students, offer more courses, and improve the quality of its work environment	create online student information and logsheets; provide network access to them create automated course design program create online integrated course database develop online communication systems w/other VCCS colleges explore feasibility of implementing telephone order system for course materials
provide students, staff w/more online information, services, and learning resources	establish ELI Web site; provide student and staff Web access develop & implement online testing and student evaluation provide students w/remote access to course records
recruit and serve a diverse student population	develop courses & culture to encourage minority faculty, student participation conduct market research to recruit diverse student population provide personalized, high quality information to assist students w/course selection and completion
train ELI faculty and staff to use technology applications pertinent to their position	provide faculty & staff with basic technology, applications training establish a cadre of leading technology users to support colleagues provide faculty & staff with advanced technology, applications training provide faculty training on video production provide new faculty w/print, video orientation on developing ELI courses

 

ELI’s progress in meeting these goals is detailed in the NVCC Institutional Effectiveness Plan, 1996-1998 (see Appendix J) which was incorporated in the 1996 - 1998 College Plan titled NOVA 21: Transforming Northern Virginia Community College for the 21^st Century.

Web-based courses, one method of delivery for distance learning, are designed to meet these same goals and objectives. ELI provides services to facilitate the delivery of Web-based courses across service area boundaries for courses developed and delivered by both ELI and campus divisions. The Academic and Administrative Standards Checklist for World Wide Web Courses Offered Across Service Boundaries details these services (see Appendix B).

B.2 SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

Compressed video delivery is also an integral part of NVCC's purpose and mission. Courses delivered through compressed video are another means for the College to meet its stated goal of providing "a broad range of instructional methods, materials, facilities, and instructional support services that accommodate students of varied backgrounds, interests and abilities" (see Appendix A for complete list of College goals). NVCC uses compressed video as an instructional method to accommodate students of varied backgrounds, interests, abilities, and location by making courses available on campuses which could not offer those courses with their own instructor because class size was too small or no local instructor was available.

Compressed video increases the range of delivery methods for instruction available to students and extends to them equitable access to quality programs and courses. Its use models collaborative methods of instructional technology. Compressed video also offers the potential to build new partnerships with colleges and businesses in the region and state, and fosters economic development. NVCC’s compressed video delivery is part of a state-wide, VCCS initiative detailed in the VDEN Compressed Video Network Administrative Plan (see Appendix K).

C. LOCATIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY
 
C.1 ASYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

ELI offers independent home study. ELI does not offer site-based distance learning. ELI courses are accessible by individuals in the nine political jurisdictions served by the five campuses of the College: The counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William, and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas Park, and Manassas (see Appendix L).

Students have ample opportunities to interact with ELI faculty, who hold regular office hours at ELI and on campus. Faculty are also available to students through voice mail, and many are accessible through email and FirstClass computer conferencing. Some ELI faculty even accept phone calls at home. Students outside the metropolitan area can use the 800 number to access faculty either directly during office hours or indirectly through the voice mailboxes.

Additional access is available to students according to interactive technologies in individual courses. ELI delivers instruction using the following technologies: (1) print; (2) cable television; (3) videotape; (4) audiotape; (5) dial-up computer conferencing; (6) World Wide Web and email; (7) voice mail; and (8) computer software. Each instructor uses a mix of technologies best suited to the content and audience for his or her course.

The College duplicating service duplicates print materials. The four print components for ELI courses are syllabus, course guide, textbook, and study guide, which may be optional. ELI mails course syllabi to students. The College bookstores purchase detailed ELI course guides from the duplicating service and sell them and the textbooks to students. Web-based courses offer both print and electronic forms of the syllabus. Students can purchase the materials in person or by mail or by calling an 800 number and charging the purchases. When a course is offered at another college or campus, arrangements are made to provide the course texts and materials in the local bookstore.

The College has cablecasting time by arrangement with the following companies: Jones Intercable (Alexandria, Channel 19), Arlington Cable TV (Arlington County, Channel 37), Media General Cable (Fairfax County, Channel 49), and Jones Communications (Loudoun County, Channel 67; Manassas, Channel 59; Reston, Channels 49, 25, 95, and 19; and Woodbridge, Channel 59). ELI offers cablecast programs for approximately 60 courses. Videotapes are duplicated by the College and placed in campus Learning Resource Centers for all cablecast programs and some non-cable programs. College Video, an independent company, rents videotapes to ELI students. Infocus Systems, an independent company, duplicates some video programs for sale in the College bookstores.

The College contracts for some duplication of materials. Infocus Systems also duplicates audiotapes for sale in the College bookstore, which then sells the audiotapes to students. ELI also places copies of all audiotapes in the five College Learning Resource Centers. Software Designs, an independent company, duplicates computer software developed in-house or licensed for distribution to students for sale in the College bookstores.

ELI provides dial-up computer conferencing service using FirstClass, a commercial software product. ELI maintains a FirstClass server with dialup and network connections. The client software and manual are provided to Software Designs, an independent company that duplicates and packages the disks and manuals and sells them to the College bookstore, which in turn sells them to students. At least one workstation with the FirstClass client software is available in the Learning Resource Centers or computer labs of each campus for students who do not own their own computers.

The College provides the server connected via the College and VCCS LANs to the Internet for World Wide Web courses. Students access the ELI Web server from their own computers and Internet Service Providers, or from Internet workstations in campus Learning Resource Centers and computer labs. The College is currently soliciting bids for reduced-price Internet access from home for students and faculty. ELI maintains a remote access server for faculty use in accessing the Internet from home. The College currently provides email service to all faculty and is planning to offer email service to all students by Fall1998.

ELI maintains a voice mail server for use by ELI faculty and students. Students may leave messages for their instructors, listen to informational messages, participate in asynchronous voice mail conferences, and receive feedback from instructors by voice mail. Touchtone telephone service is required.

C.2 SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE LEARNING

NVCC was selected to become one of the five VCCS Regional Centers for Distance Education as part of a state initiative. The 1995 pilot initially connected five regional centers in a two-way compressed video network. The VCCS compressed video network has now expanded to all 39 VCCS campuses and most other state colleges and universities. They are capable of delivering and receiving classes and programs to and from each other. As of Spring 1998, NVCC is offering compressed video instruction to Eastern Shore, Mountain Empire, Piedmont Virginia, Dabney S. Lancaster, and J. Sergeant Reynolds Community Colleges. NVCC has remained an origination site rather than a receive site. The VDEN Standards specifies certain conditions to be met for origination and reception (see Appendix M). The VCCS has developed the VDEN Compressed Video Network Administrative Plan for coordinating and managing instruction between colleges (see Appendix K).

All of the colleges in the state network have rooms with similar configurations and equipment. This equipment list can be found in the specifications for the Commonwealth Classroom defined in chapter 7 of the VDEN Compressed Video Network Administrative Plan (see Appendix K). Most sites have compressed video equipment, an ATM multiplexer, microphones and an audio mixer, additional monitors to make the instructor and students easier to see, a document camera, and some computer platform for graphic display of instructional content.

Each NVCC campus has a compressed video Commonwealth Classroom. Technical support is provided by campus audiovisual and College Television Center staff. Instructional support is offered through the Technical Applications Center of the Office of Information Technology. Specific support is provided through workshops and individual consultations with faculty.

D. MONITORING AND ENSURING QUALITY

NVCC asynchronous and synchronous distance learning courses use many assessment strategies to monitor and ensure their quality. The assessment process involves faculty and instructional technologists in planning; systematic evaluation of instructional results; and monitoring and evaluating distance learning activities. Reviewing admission and graduation requirements, grading, transcripts, and transfer credit policies is an ongoing process throughout the College.

To ensure development of effective distance learning programs, NVCC has developed these assessment processes to meet the criterion for accreditation that states

Planning for distance learning at NVCC addresses the College's Strategic Directions detailed in the 1996-1998 College Plan, Transforming Northern Virginia Community College for the 21^st Century. The eight directions are

Asynchronous Distance Learning: Every proposed course offering and course revision complete a proposal and planning stage, each with established criteria. Some of the criteria for selecting courses include a demonstrated demand, potential enrollment, inclusion in several degree programs, commitment of teaching faculty, and opportunities to test new delivery technologies. At ELI, faculty and staff use the Course Proposal and Course Plan documents to guide them in course development (see Appendix N). Elements in the Course Plan include types of learning, goals, objectives, activities to achieve the objectives, appropriate technology to deliver instruction, structured interaction between faculty and students, and evaluation strategies.

Synchronous Distance Learning: For compressed video courses, faculty and staff use chapter 4 of the VDEN Compressed Video Network Administrative Plan document to guide the planning stage (see Appendix K). Elements in the Administrative Plan include course objectives, effectively designed instructional materials, interactive instructional presentation, and student assessments.

All courses and programs selected for distance learning are proposed and delivered by academically qualified faculty from the campuses and agreed to by corresponding campus division chairs. The content of each course complies with The VCCS Curriculum Guide and College-wide course content summaries. ELI and compressed video courses use a team approach to develop distance courses. Faculty are teamed with one of five instructional technologists to ensure that the technologies chosen are appropriate not only to deliver instruction but also to increase student/faculty interaction and student/student interaction. The planning process is used throughout the idea, design, production, delivery, and evaluation stages.

An example of two successful initiatives for adding degree programs at ELI include the Annenberg/CPB project which added the General Studies and Business Administration degrees, and the Alfred P. Sloan project which added the Engineering degree program (see Appendix O). These projects were selected and funded based on the demonstrated need for complete degree programs via distance. Each underwent a systematic planning process.

In Spring 1998, ELI is using the planning process to initiate several Web-based courses. A pilot using the Web for instructional delivery includes ENG 112, PSY 201 and 202, each of which received VCCS courseware grants for developing Web-based courses with inter-college collaboration.

D.2 PROCEDURES FOR SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL RESULTS

Courses offered via distance education (asynchronous and synchronous) are systematically evaluated, both through College-wide assessment efforts and ELI-initiated efforts. The College-wide Assessment Plan calls for disciplines to be evaluated on a systematic basis. All ELI degree programs and individual course offerings, compressed video courses, and Web-based courses are included in this assessment. Assessment of distance education is routinely included in the College Academic Assessment Report (see Appendix P). The Office for Institutional Research’s annual Graduate Survey includes satisfaction questions pertaining to distance learning, especially ELI (see Appendix Q). The Academic Assessment Office has, over time, assessed the attainment of general education goals, program and course curriculum, faculty and instruction, program and discipline resource support, program and discipline administrative support, and student outcomes assessment, including critical thinking and attitudes and values. At ELI, an instructional technologist serves as liaison to the College Academic Assessment Committee. The instructional technologist collects course data and works with faculty to interpret the results.

Other data collected from either the Office of Institutional Research or ELI for assessment of ELI-delivered courses include

• Student profile of ELI student demographics
• ELI and equivalent on-campus grade comparisons
• Student course evaluations
• Section comparisons based on technology
• Student non-completion
• Quality of orientation program
• Occasional surveys to determine access to various technologies
• Phone surveys to determine reasons for withdrawals

D.3 THE PROCESS FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATING DISTANCE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

NVCC collects data for ELI, Web-based, and compressed video distance learning courses each semester. The two main sources of data are the grade distribution and the student course evaluation. The grade distribution provides data on the number of students who receive A through F and Withdrawals. It also indicates the place within the course where students withdraw. This information is used to review course content and assignments at those locations to determine if a change is needed. For example, a computer-based grammar unit including exercises was added to ELI’s ENG 111 based on the results of course evaluations and student non-completion data. In another example, the number of home-labs was increased in CHM 111 based on student feedback and focus group data. Another use of the data is to compare ELI sections with on-campus sections and sections using different delivery technologies. Pre- and post-tests were conducted in ELI history, psychology, and sociology sections, to evaluate student progress. These results were compared to similar data collected for on-campus sections whenever those disciplines were assessed through the Academic Assessment Office. Comparing sections using the Web with sections using other delivery technologies is planned for spring semester, the first time ELI offers Web courses, and will be available for comparison with campus-developed use of the Web.

ELI and campus divisions also collect a course evaluation from students after they complete their final exam (see Appendix R). ELI’s survey includes a wide variety of distance learning related questions concerning topics, such as textbooks, availability of interaction with faculty, clarity of instructional materials, helpfulness of instructional delivery strategies, and ease of using them. It also asks for overall satisfaction and interest in taking additional distance courses. Course evaluations are also collected in VDEN courses at receiving colleges. This information is used to revise ELI information sent to students, revise delivery procedures and improve services offered to students.

ELI and compressed video courses conduct orientations for students and faculty. ELI holds an orientation session once a semester, giving students an opportunity to meet with faculty and to learn about the specific courses. Students who miss the orientation session may watch an orientation video on cable and in the LRCs. The instructional technologist provides an orientation for the use of course-required technologies during the first class session for compressed video courses. Students in compressed video courses receive an orientation to the hardware and how to take a course through the new technology as part of their first class meeting.

A course review process for asynchronous courses is repeated at least every two or three years as each course is revised to take advantage of new textbook editions and advanced technologies. Faculty and staff use grade distribution and course evaluation data to make any necessary changes. Faculty, administrators, and staff review this data to make suggestions for necessary changes. ELI also monitors the demographic information of its students to verify any changes in the patterns of students taking distance learning courses. If the situation warrants, changes to courses and course materials can be made in advance of the normal review cycle. Synchronous compressed video courses, because they are live, are updated every semester.

Consistency of academic standards throughout the College ensures academic quality in all distance learning courses. Distance learning courses embody the same academic rigor and quality as those courses offered in traditional instructional delivery formats. They are subject to the same NVCC assessment processes as courses offered in traditional instructional delivery formats. Learning activities are planned to help students meet the course goals and objectives. Exams are geared toward the objectives. At ELI, item analysis of exams is used to verify the quality of exam questions. Faculty requiring the same texts for ELI and their on-campus sections often use the same exams in both sections. Faculty teaching compressed video courses can also conduct item analysis of their exams.

D.4 ADMISSIONS AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Distance learning sections are considered to be no different from on-campus sections other than the delivery strategy used. Therefore, admission policies and graduation requirements are exactly the same, including the requirement that graduates must have taken at least 25% of their credits at NVCC. As complete degree programs are relatively new at ELI, there have been no students who have earned a complete degree through ELI. However, there have been several students who have completed more than 50% of their required courses through ELI.

D.5 GRADING, TRANSCRIPTS, AND TRANSFER CREDIT POLICIES

Grading in distance learning courses, as in on-campus courses, is at the discretion of the faculty member. Exams must be proctored. All ELI courses require at least three proctored learning activities. ELI exams are generally proctored in the campus Learning Resource Centers. Exams in compressed video courses are administered at the send and receive sites with a faculty or staff member present.

The College maintains all student records, including transcripts. No distinction is made between distance learning sections and on-campus sections. Procedures for arranging for transcripts and transfers are identical throughout the College.

E. ACQUISITION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES

E.1 SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Instructional materials for distance learning include audio and video programs, computer software programs, print-based textbooks, and compressed video delivered materials. Some of these materials are produced by ELI (see Appendix S). Other materials are acquired from various sources, such as vendors, manufacturers, organizations, or institutions (see Appendix S).

The acquisition process consists of the selection phase and the internal review phase. Acquisition of instructional materials involves team work. Usually, after a faculty member indicates an interest in and submits a proposal for teaching a distance learning course, he or she will work with an instructional technologist to select instructional materials for the course. During the selection phase, the faculty and the instructional technologist will conduct initial research to identify instructional materials that can be used to support the course. Once potential instructional materials have been identified, an internal review process begins. The faculty member and the instructional technologist will review the materials and determine their appropriateness for delivery as a distance learning course. Sometimes, other faculty in the same discipline or faculty from other campuses participate in the review of the selected instructional materials. Once the materials are deemed appropriate, they are submitted to the division chair for final approval. The review process is repeated every two to three years as each course is revised to take advantage of new textbooks, content, and emerging technologies. On the campuses, Learning Resource Center staff help individual faculty acquire and review instructional materials.

E.2 ADAPTATION OF ACQUIRED MATERIALS

If the basic instructional materials meet distance learning selection criteria and are appropriate for asynchronous or synchronous delivery, the faculty and the instructional technologist will prepare any modifications or additions, making sure that graphics or other enhancements are compatible with the delivery medium. A study guide and sometimes video or audio programs will be developed to give students specific instructions as to how to use the instructional materials. All these efforts are important to ensure that the course meets NVCC and VCCS standards.

E.3 RESOURCES TO PRODUCE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Potential funds to purchase, lease, or produce supplemental instructional materials may be available from various sources. Current sources of funds for supplemental materials include the regular College budget, VCCS grants, the NVCC Educational Foundation, and the Sloan Foundation.

E.4 ACCREDITATION STATUS OF OUTSIDE SOURCES

NVCC can receive distance learning courses from any of the other twenty-two colleges through compressed video. Each institution in the VCCS is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Each college agreeing to originate or receive instruction enters into an agreement outlined in the VCCS Memorandum of Understanding ensuring compliance with SACS policies and good practice (see Appendix BB).

The majority of instructional materials ELI acquires are telecourses produced by an accredited institution or by a consortium with which ELI holds licensed agreements (see Appendix S). For example, ELI has licensed a site from Waterloo Maple to use Expressionist^TM , an equation editor program used by students in several mathematics courses. IST 195 Internet Literacy, a Web-based course licensed through PBS, uses the SERF software developed through the University of Delaware.

F. DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION OF DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES

F. 1 SELECTION OF COURSE CONTENT

Distance learning course content, including compressed video and Web-delivered courses, follows the VCCS Course Content Summaries as do courses with traditional modes of delivery. Distance learning courses insure this in four ways: (1) courses are taught by the same faculty who teach the courses on campus; (2) courses are based on the course content summaries prepared by campus divisions and maintained by the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Enrollment Services (see Appendix T); (3) only courses already included in the NVCC and VCCS curriculum are offered; and (4) courses must be approved by a campus division chair.

F.2 FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS

Web-based, compressed video, and other ELI courses are taught by the same faculty who teach them on campus, so there are no different qualifications for distance learning faculty. The faculty meet the qualifications of the VCCS-29. The faculty who develop and teach distance learning courses, including adjunct faculty, must meet all criteria related to faculty. Faculty office hours are required to provide students with structured access to and interaction with faculty. Faculty also offer their students email and phone consultation as communication options. At ELI, faculty offer students access to voice mail, too. Students in compressed video classes can arrange to meet with their instructors over the system before or after class. They can also arrange consultation by phone or e-mail as appropriate. See the Roster of Instructional Staff for a complete list of faculty and their qualifications (see Appendix U). See also C.1 above.

NVCC’s distance learning programs meet the criterion for accreditation that states

Asynchronous Distance Learning: ELI faculty are selected and hired by the campuses. ELI faculty, including those who teach Web-based courses, are evaluated annually by the Director of ELI for their performance with distance education courses. This evaluation is then reviewed with the faculty member and forwarded to the faculty member's division chair for consideration as part of the faculty member's complete annual evaluation. The evaluation process was developed as a result of the SACS, Commission on Colleges, reaffirmation in 1992.

Faculty are evaluated on three major criteria: (1) course development, (2) participation in ELI and College activities, and (3) instructional administration (see Appendix W). Quality of courses developed is assessed by review of semester evaluation reports produced by ELI (see Appendix V). Participation in activities is measured by review of committee memberships, individual initiatives, and attendance at ELI student orientations. Instructional administration is assessed by review of semester evaluation reports produced by ELI (see Appendix V) and records of student compliments and complaints submitted to the Director. Evaluations of ELI courses are compiled by ELI staff and forwarded to faculty.

Synchronous Distance Learning: Since all synchronous compressed video courses originate on the campuses as part of their regular course offerings, evaluation of faculty is done by the respective division chairs in the same manner as all other on-campus faculty.

F.4 FACULTY ORIENTATION

New compressed video faculty and ELI faculty, including those who teach Web-based courses, are oriented by (1) working in teams with instructional technologists; (2) completing forms for proposing and planning courses, developing materials, and administering courses; (3) participating in periodic in-service workshops and demonstrations; and (4) reviewing written procedures in faculty guides (see Appendix W). Faculty is provided training in any of the technologies selected for their course delivery, such as training for voice mail, FirstClass computer conferencing, Web Course in a Box software application, video production, and compressed video techniques.

Asynchronous Distance Learning: At ELI, when a course is implemented, faculty are teamed with course specialists experienced with course administration. Among other duties, course specialists assist the faculty by explaining procedures and standards for grading, record keeping, and communicating with students (see Appendix X).

Synchronous Distance Learning: All faculty selected to teach compressed video complete a training program to learn how to work with the medium. The training process is on-going throughout each semester. Training includes basic hands-on use of the system, tips on lesson planning, and strategies for sequencing the use of media and supplemental materials. Each faculty member works with an instructional technologist who is familiar with the requirements for grading, record keeping, and communicating with students. Faculty complete a two-module training and practice cycle that gives them basic information about the system, methods for developing classes in the medium, lesson planning, and practice time on the system before they begin instructing students (see Appendix Y).

F.5 TEACHING LOADS

Course teaching loads in compressed video and campus-based Web instruction are based on the workload scale in the NVCC Faculty Handbook. ELI teaching loads, including Web-based instruction, are based on a scale which adjusts for the difference in work requirements between ELI courses and campus classes. The ELI teaching load formula is currently under review at ELI (see Appendix Z).

G. LEARNING RESOURCES

The College has a Learning Resource Center (LRC) on each campus. Distance learning students have access to all LRC facilities and services, including the total NVCC collection of more than 400,000 books, periodicals, disks and videos; the online public access catalog; other online databases; and, through the Internet, local and state library systems, including those of George Mason University, the VCCS Learning Resource Centers, and the Library of Congress. Students can also take an NVCC Library Skills Tutorial via the Internet . Students can access the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) through any networked campus computer (see Appendix AA). Off-campus access to licensed electronic databases through VIVA is anticipated by the VCCS in fall 1998. Students in ELI, compressed video, and Web-based courses are informed of the campus Learning Resource Center locations, hours, and services. NVCC campus libraries are open at varying schedules, covering six days a week. Students from other colleges enrolled in VDEN courses have full access to their local VCCS community college LRC, including full access to all statewide electronic resources, as described in the standard VCCS Memorandum of Understanding (see Appendix BB).

Any LRC may issue an NVCC ID card to distance learning students, allowing them access to all resources; students can also visit local public libraries and college and university collections, or they can search these catalogs electronically. LRC staff members serve all NVCC students at all campuses. Sometimes, faculty and librarians also provide research materials for incarcerated, disabled, and other students who cannot travel to a campus.

Students taking courses through ELI, including those taking Web-based courses, are encouraged to click the "Learning Resources" link on the ELI Home Page and Novaonline for links to additional electronic resources. In addition to distributing its video materials over cable-TV, ELI provides copies of all videos for ELI courses in each LRC. Although the tapes are not available for check-out, students may view the tapes in the LRCs or rent them from an outside company.

Thus, NVCC’s distance learning programs meet the criterion for accreditation that states

The College provides a full range of support services to distance learning students. Each student designates a home campus which provides counseling, advising, and financial aid information. Distance learning courses are described in the schedule of classes which is mailed to all Northern Virginia residents each semester and made available on campus and on the World Wide Web. An information packet is available to prospective students by telephone request through the ELI office, including information about distance learning degrees. Also available on request and on ELI’s web site is an ELI brochure featuring the student self-quiz "Is ELI for Me?" Students are advised about distance learning by designated counselor contacts at each campus and by ELI faculty, through phone, mail, fax, and email as well as in person, and by staff on the ELI registration hotline. Students in VDEN courses have full access to the support services at their local VCCS community college.

For its home-study students, ELI maintains a microcomputer database system to support a variety of distance learning activities, including automated mailing of course syllabi, reminder postcards, and other timely communications from faculty and staff to students. The ELI system provides student enrollment data to faculty and helps faculty track student progress. Faculty call or write students who have not begun or who have fallen behind in their coursework to resolve problems and to encourage them to begin. Faculty refer students to campus services, such as counseling, peer tutoring, and writing centers whenever appropriate, and they also provide academic advising. A staff of two full-time and two part-time clerical course specialists assist faculty with record-keeping and respond to student policy/ procedure/technical questions on the ELI telephone hotline.

H.1 ADMISSIONS AND RECORDS

Application and registration are continuous for ELI (i.e., students may register on any day the College is open); most courses begin when students register and the course syllabus is mailed to them. Students taking compressed video courses follow the regular College registration dates. All distance learning students use the application and registration methods available to traditional students: the College NOVAnet telephone registration system and in-person registration at the five campuses and ELI. Students may also register for ELI courses by mail, by fax, and through the ELI hotline. The same skills assessment testing for placement in English and mathematics is used for both traditional students and distance learners. Students take placement tests in the testing center at any one of the five campuses or, in special cases, with an official proctor. Financial aid is available to distance learning students on the same basis as for classroom students.

The same records are maintained on the College mainframe system for distance learners as for traditional students (application, registration, final grades, transfer credits, financial records, transcripts, program placement and graduation). These records are accessible to appropriate faculty, staff, and counselors in their offices. Since students may complete an ELI course at any time, course specialists enter final grades on the college mainframe as soon as they are assigned, and grade reports are mailed bimonthly. Faculty teaching compressed video report grades according to the regular College schedule.

H.2 DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

Students in compressed video courses receive a syllabus at their first class meeting and all other information during class throughout the semester. Students in Web-based courses receive a syllabus in the mail; all other course information is on the Web. ELI disseminates information in a number of ways. All students receive a syllabus and other course-specific printed information such as information on computer conferencing, voice mail conferencing, and a broadcast schedule. They may access a 24-hour hotline with ELI staff answering during the day and a machine taking messages at all other times. If they are outside the metropolitan service area, they may use an 800 number; deaf students receive a V/TDD number on which to transmit messages. The last two pages of every syllabus (sent to students in every course, Web-based included), provide voice mail box numbers for general information and phone numbers for and locations of LRC services on all five campuses. Students are invited to an in-person orientation at the beginning of every semester, and they may also watch an orientation video which is available widely on cable stations and always at all LRCs. ELI provides a complete set of up-to-date syllabi and course guides to each campus LRC. This year the ELI staff visited campus counselors to update them so they can, in turn, pass on accurate information to students. ELI also maintains a comprehensive Web site with detailed information about its distance learning program (see Appendix CC).

Materials for VDEN courses that are not mailed directly to students are mailed to the receiving colleges in advance or are faxed to the compressed video classroom at the receive site. Other materials may be made available on-line as appropriate. TAC maintains a web-site with information on compressed video courses, training workshops and related topics (see Appendix DD).

H.3 ORDERING COURSE MATERIALS

Asynchronous Distance Learning: Students taking ELI and Web-based courses can purchase textbooks, printed materials, software, supplies, audio and video cassettes at any of the five campus bookstores, or they may order course materials by telephone, fax, or mail. A SHIP TEXT service is provided by the bookstore especially for distance learners. At the ELI orientation each semester, bookstore representatives are available to talk with students, and the bookstore maintains special hours that evening to accommodate the needs of ELI students, both before and after the orientation meeting. All materials are also made available in the VCCS community college bookstore at VDEN sites where NVCC courses are offered.

Synchronous Distance Learning: For compressed video courses, students purchase books for the courses at their local campus bookstores; the texts are the same ones used in the campus course, and book orders are sent by the instructional technologist responsible for the course to the receiving institution's Distance Learning Contact Person. All of the course information that applies to texts, course guides, supplemental materials, and audio cassettes is handled by these two college contacts.

H.4 MEETING SPECIAL NEEDS

Asynchronous Distance Learning: Disabled students who request assistance at ELI are referred to an instructional technologist and the records/registration manager who work together to arrange whatever accommodation may be necessary to make course material accessible to the student, such as large print, closed-captioned videos, transcripts of videos, etc. They act as liaison between disabled distant learners and services such as interpreters and readers which are provided to them through the home campus. Learning disabled students are referred to counselors at the five campuses for assessment and written recommendations; students provide a copy of the recommendations to their faculty so that various types of accommodation can be arranged, such as additional time for coursework or exams.

Synchronous Distance Learning: The same services are provided to disabled distance learners as are provided to disabled students on the campuses.

H.5 TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

All distance learning students may use lab services on campus. ELI has made arrangements with computer labs on all campuses, so students may use open labs for course work, and ELI has also supplied some computer equipment, staff training and software for students in courses that require computer components. All students are encouraged to seek tutorial help. When a writing center serves ELI students, it informs ELI faculty (see Appendix EE). LRC audiovisual services support ELI’s speech students who may need to use video equipment. Receive sites for VDEN courses are responsible for providing the necessary technology support.

H.6 TESTING SUPPORT

Asynchronous Distance Learners: The testing labs serve all distance learning students. Students may go to a testing lab whenever it is open (see Appendix FF) and must present a photo ID and an exam pass with the name of the course and the appropriate form number for the exam they expect to take. Lab personnel check the student ID against registration information on the College mainframe to ensure that the person requesting the exam is indeed registered for the course. The labs post their rules of operation and keep files of exams so students may take them at any time.

The College makes accommodations for distance learners who are unable to come to the testing lab to take an exam either because of a handicap, because they work or live outside of the metropolitan area, because they are incarcerated, or because they have some other legitimate reason. In each ELI course syllabus, there is a Proctor Request Form (see Appendix GG) on which there are specifications for the eligibility of the proposed proctor. Course specialists process each request, ensuring the legitimacy of the proctor, and send a set of exams and directions directly to that person. ELI students taking Web-based courses follow the same procedures. Future plans for testing procedures for distance learning courses include transmitting exams and corrections to the testing labs via the College network and initiating online testing for students.

Synchronous Distance Learners: Students in compressed video courses have exam proctors on site.

H.7 COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

Asynchronous Distance Learning: ELI provides support services through computer conferencing, voice mail, a student newsletter and on the Web. Computer conferencing and voice mail are available to students twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The "ELI Learner Support" computer conference allows students to request individual assistance and to receive responses from a campus counselor, ELI instructional technologists, and other ELI staff. Topics include academic advising, study tips, and help with administrative problems. The "FirstClass Support" computer conference, which ELI staff monitor daily, provides help in using the conferencing technology. Students may also interact with their peers through the "Student Lounge" conference, which is off-limits to all staff except the system administrator. Such computer information and support are essential for students in web courses. The ELI Voice Mail Service enables students to exchange voice mail messages with their instructors and other students. Students can also listen to informational recordings about ELI and their courses. All ELI faculty and staff have voice mail boxes. When voice mail is required for a course, students also have individual mail boxes. A student newsletter, the ELI Bulletin Board, is produced each semester. It contains articles by and about ELI students, letters from ELI students, information on new courses and ELI faculty, and announcements of interest to distance learners (see Appendix HH).

Synchronous Distance Learning: All NVCC faculty are available to students by phone and e-mail. Arrangements can be made to meet with students at remote sites by compressed video before or after class. Plans are underway to provide all faculty with voice mail within the next several years.

H.8 STUDENT GRIEVANCE POLICY

The College Student Handbook, available to all distance learners on campus and through the mail upon request, provides detailed information on College policies and services, including the "Student Grievance Policy." For those disagreements which cannot be resolved informally, the same policy applies to all NVCC students. The College goal is to provide an atmosphere of growth and development for all students where disagreements are settled through negotiation, not conflict.

I. CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE USE OF SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS

Asynchronous and Synchronous Distance Learning: The VCCS requires delivering and receiving colleges to sign the VCCS Distance Education Memorandum of Understanding for compressed video delivery (see Appendix BB). The Distance Learning Management Model describes the distribution of tuition revenue, FTE credit, instructional costs, student support responsibilities, and other management considerations among VCCS institutions engaged in compressed video distance learning (see Appendix II). Each college in the system is expected to adhere to these guidelines and exchange agreements concerning classes or programs, their expected enrollments, and resources necessary to be duplicated at all partner colleges.

Asynchronous Distance Learning: ELI maintains contractual and other arrangements in support of its distance learning efforts. These arrangements include

• Telecourse licenses
• VCCS Virginia Distance Education Network
• Media General Cable Television
• George Mason University Cable Television Services
• Learningforce, Inc. video rental services
• NVCC Bookstore services
• Library reciprocal borrowing privileges and Interlibrary loan agreements.

J. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
 
The administration of distance learning activities at NVCC is a responsibility of the academic structure of the College. Overall responsibility rests with the Office of Information Technology under the direction of the Associate Dean for Information Technology. The current organizational structure for the administration of distance learning activities is shown in Appendix JJ. A narrative description and rationale for this administrative structure were presented earlier in section A of this report.

K. FINANCIAL RESOURCES
 
K.1 OPERATING BUDGET for 1997-98

Operating funds for distance learning come from the NVCC Maintenance and Operating (M&O) budget. M&O funds are allocated by an enrollment-driven model. Funding for ELI is part of the regular College budget formula. Funding for compressed video and the TAC is part of the Office of Information Technology budget which comes from the budget of the Dean of Academic and Student Services. The Dean’s budget is also derived from the College’s enrollment-driven budget formula.

Asynchronous Distance Learning

ELI Operating Budget:     State M&O Budget, 1997-98:

• Wages - Hourly, P-14 $40,029
• Wages - FICA $ 2,736
• Contract Services $19,756
• Supplies $21,830
• Equipment $ 2,890
• Professional Development $ 1,781

Subtotal $89,022

Other Funding Sources:

• Library Funds $19,407
• College Technology Training Plan $11,000
• Supplemental State M&O Allocations $ 9,402

Subtotal $39,809
Total $128,831

Maintenance and operation of the compressed video equipment on the campuses is included in the regular budget of the College Television Center.

TAC Operating Budget:
Since the TAC was not established until mid-year, no formal budget was established for 1997-98. Its operating costs have been absorbed by the Office of Information Technology. A formal budget will be established for 1998-99. Major TAC expenditures for the current year are projected to be:
 

• Hardware $14,860
• Software $ 1,983
• Travel and Conferences $ 1,180
• Furniture, Supplies, Misc. $ 1,250

Total $19,273

Since the VCCS has not yet allocated funding to the College, NVCC has not established an actual operating budget for 1998-99. ELI’s annual budget is set by formula based on the prior year’s enrollment. The budget for the Technical Applications Center and the rest of the Office of Information Technology comes from the budget of the Dean for Academic and Student Services, which is also set by an enrollment driven formula. Preliminary College data indicates little change in these budgets from 1998-99 levels.
 
K.3 GRANT FUNDING

Since NVCC has been one of the five Regional centers for Distance Education, the VCCS has provided the following funding in conjunction with Bell Atlantic for compressed video delivery (see Appendix KK):

• $50,000 (1995) VCCS-Bell Atlantic Grant to purchase a compressed video distance learning classroom configuration.
• $45,000 (1995-96) VCCS Center for Distance Learning Award to hire an Instructional Designer/Technologist for Distance
• Learning, to pay two faculty stipends for the development of courses.
• $45,000 (1996/97) VCCS Center for Distance Learning Award to hire an Instructional Designer/Technologist for Distance Learning
• $45,000 (1997/98) VCCS Center for Distance Learning Award to hire an Instructional Designer/Technologist for Distance Learning

• $395,841 (1995-98) from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to complete development of 14 science, mathematics, and engineering courses required for ELI to offer an entire Associate in Science degree program in engineering. $ 5,518 was spent for salary and benefits of ELI Television Producer and Instructional Technologist for television production related to course development for the grant.
• $320,149 (1994-95) from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop and pilot 4 science, mathematics, and engineering courses required for ELI to offer an entire Associate in Science degree program in engineering.
• $149,979 (1991-93) from the Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcasting New Pathways to a Degree Project to develop or revise 17 courses, enabling the offering of entire distance education degree programs in General Studies and Business Administration.
• $1,742 (1998) from the NVCC Educational Foundation, Inc., for closed-captioning and transcription of video telecourse pilot project.

ELI is currently seeking funding for several proposed new distance learning activities:

ELI: ELI continues to improve its development and delivery of distance learning classes. It is constantly assessing its procedures as well as new technologies and how they enhance the ELI program. Initiatives in the past year include the following:

• New procedures for proposing and developing courses for distance delivery. (See Appendix: Course Proposal and Course Planning Forms).
• A pilot project, supported by special College funds, to strengthen student success rates for Web-delivered courses.
• Pilot project to assess the feasibility of on-line student grade books.
• Review of course management tools for Web development and delivery, including Web Course in a Box, TopClass, Web CT, Virtual University, SERF to determine the best tool to fit our needs at the best price.
• Pilot project to deliver ELI courses without paper

• Provide better orientation for new ELI faculty
• Create a student information on-line data base
• Initiate on-line testing for ELI examinations at the Learning Resource Centers

• Expand its current on-line support for faculty with more software, tools, and reference materials.
• Provide additional models and templates, making it easier for faculty to put applications on-line quickly.
• Develop a cadre of students with various technical skills to help faculty implement technology in their teaching and give the students real-world experience.
• Develop a Summer Institute to offer more in-depth training to faculty.
• Build networks among advanced technology users, allowing them to support each other and mentor novice users.

See http://www.nvcc.edu/csdlreport/index.htm for all complete versions of the appendices listed below:

Appendix A College Mission and Goals Statement
Appendix B NVCC Academic & Administrative Standards for World Wide Web Courses Offered Across
                    Service Boundaries
Appendix C ELI Course Enrollments
Appendix D ELI Criteria for Course Selection
Appendix E NVCC’s Offering of Asynchronous VDEN Courses: 1991-1998
Appendix F SCHEV Distance Learning in Virginia Report
Appendix G VDEN Synchronous Courses Delivered from NVCC
Appendix H ELI Mission
Appendix I ELI Section of NVCC Academic & Student Services Unit Operations Plans, 1996-97
Appendix J NVCC Institutional Effectiveness Plan, 1996-1998
Appendix K VDEN Compressed Video Network Administrative Plan
Appendix L NVCC Service Area
Appendix M VDEN Standards
Appendix N ELI Course Proposal and Course Plan
Appendix O ELI Degree Programs: Sloan | Annenberg
Appendix P NVCC Academic Assessment Reports
Appendix Q OIR Annual Reports and Index of OIR Information
Appendix R ELI and Campus Student Course Evaluation Forms
Appendix S Production of ELI Instructional Materials
Appendix T Sample VCCS Course Content Summaries
Appendix U Roster of Instructional Staff Qualifications
Appendix V ELI Evaluation
Appendix W ELI Faculty Guide
Appendix X Faculty Guide to ELI Course Delivery Procedures
Appendix Y Compressed Video Training Materials on the Schedule & Faculty Reference Web Site
Appendix Z ELI Teaching Load Formula
Appendix AA VIVA Home Page
Appendix BB VCCS Memorandum of Understanding
Appendix CC ELI Web Page
Appendix DD TAC Web Page
Appendix EE Writing Center Form
Appendix FF College Testing Lab Hours
Appendix GG ELI Proctor Request Form
Appendix HH ELI Bulletin Board
Appendix II VCCS Management Model for Distance Learning
Appendix JJ Organizational Structure for Administration of Distance Learning Activities
Appendix KK Commonwealth Classrooms - Fees and Scheduling Procedures
 

Northern Virginia Community College believes that education is the cornerstone of a free society. In keeping with the mission of the Virginia Community College System, the mission of NVCC is to respond to the educational needs of a changing community and its institutions, ensuring that all individuals in the Northern Virginia area have an opportunity to develop and enhance their values, skills and knowledge. To achieve this mission, the following goals are established:
 

• To provide programs and courses of instruction, through the associate degree level, encompassing occupational-technical education, college transfer education, general education, developmental education, training for business and government, continuing education and community services, and experience in the work environment.
• To provide a comprehensive program of student development services.
• To provide a broad range of instructional methods, materials, facilities, and instructional support services that accommodate students of varied backgrounds, interests and abilities.
• To create an educational environment that encourages and supports the highest level of performance.
• To enhance economic, cultural, and educational partnerships between the College and the community.