In an era of tightening institutional budgets, ever increasing online enrollments, and greater calls for accountability from multiple directions, the need for online program administrators to continually assess the quality of their overall operations has never been greater. Measuring and quantifying elements of “quality” in online programs has been rather elusive especially as more learners are completing online courses and new Web 2.0 tools are transforming the teaching/learning landscape. This 45 minute general session will focus on implementing the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Quality Scorecard.

The presenters will provide a brief overview of the OLC Quality Scorecard highlighting the nine categories (institutional support, technology support, course development and instructional design, course structure, teaching and learning, social land student engagement, faculty support, student support as well as evaluation and assessment) for any workshop participant unfamiliar with the instrument. Through interactive pairing activities, session participants will learn how the 75-indicator Online Learning Consortium Quality Scorecard can provide online program administrators with key performance indicators serving as a quality assessment and/or benchmarking tool.

The future is now! Today, institutions are using the OLC Quality Scorecard to produce actionable continuous improvement outcomes impacting on learning effectiveness and program improvement as well as informing accreditation efforts. This session will provide participants with hands-on takeaways and insights about how to implement the scorecard in their own organization.

Designing and developing blended and online courses and teaching teachers online since 1997 I’ve presented at twenty-three related conferences since 2001, nine of them for TCC. At the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, my doctoral studies focused on “Holistic Approaches to Information Technology” resulting in the development of the graduate online course that I have now successfully delivered to masters and doctoral students fifteen times (2002-2014). The course information site complete with subject outline, readings, testimonials and a gallery of students team and individual educational website projects is online: http://astralsite.com/1799. This will be referenced in the session.

1. I plan to share highlights, tips and strategies related to making the transition from teaching face to face to teaching in computer labs and online with post-secondary students and with teachers and administrators.

2. The emphasis is on simple strategies for staying focused on priorities in the realm of teaching with technology, especially with ever-evolving media and a complex education landscape.

3. In this concentrated session, I aim to inspire meaningful fresh ideas for keeping on track with all ages and subjects as we lead all constituencies towards being successful role models and lifelong learners in the realm of teaching and learning with technology.

In this brief forum session, the presenter will introduce three tenacious challenges repeatedly encountered in an online YouTube course that has been offered as an elective in an educational technology program since 2008.
The three tenacious challenges include:

1. misunderstandings about copyright and fair use for educational media. Issues observed in class mirror what Hobbs has written on the subject. This is further complicated by the Content ID system on YouTube, which automatically scans videos for copyrighted content (YouTube Help, 2014).
2. issues related to YouTube being blocked at schools, institutions, and even some countries. Teachers who create educational materials on YouTube may not be able to use those materials at their schools and solutions are still emerging.
3. variable interpretations of what constitutes a “good” educational video. The defining attributes of “good” with respect to educational video can include content, aesthetics, pace, and production quality.

The presenter will introduce each challenge and explain the steps taken to address them. Members of the audience will be encouraged to engage in the discussion to share their own stories and offer their own suggestions for teaching with YouTube or other Web 2.0 services.

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the types of technology University of Hawai‘i undergraduate and graduate students were using in the library and for their academic research. Results show that students use many library provided technologies, but also bring there own devices and use their own technologies for research. While analysis is still in its early stages data collected will help the library administration understand how the library should adapt to the needs of students towards emerging digital and mobile technologies. It may also further understanding about what technology engages students, and how resources should be allotted to enhance the learning process.

The options for designing and developing online courses and programs are changing as new technologies, tools, applications, and delivery modes emerge. What skills are required of today’s instructional designers in higher education? Whether working as part of an academic department, centralized online education group, or faculty development office, the role is increasingly complex and varied to meet the needs of different faculty members, courses, programs, students, and administrators.

This session will address setting realistic expectations for the current work of instructional designers in higher education, and offer a look at how these jobs are being advertised. The presenters recently conducted a review of entry level, instructional design job vacancy announcements from colleges and universities. This study revealed a list of common components, as well as a list of unusual requirements and emerging needs.

Objectives of this session include:

1. Presentation of the job vacancy review results.
2. Introduction of a basic template for instructional design job announcements, which includes: work tasks and functions, technology skills, administrative skills, and expectations for experience and education.
3. Tips for hiring managers: What are the emerging needs of the instructional design field?
4. Tips for students planning instructional design careers: What are higher education employers looking for? How can you prepare?

The presenters have professional backgrounds that range from directing large-scale online education and curriculum development projects to freelance instructional design and online teaching. They will share their experiences both hiring and working in this field, and ask for feedback from attendees.