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Educator's Voice

Volume 6, Issue 6
June 8, 2005

Program Intelligence: Creating Your Vision from the Start

Many of you may already be aware of one of eCollege's new products, Program Intelligence Manager (or PIM for short). [Read more: http://www.ecollege.com/products/newcollat/ProgIntellMngr_050205.pdf ] This tool allows institutions to delve into their campus' data--looking at elements like enrollment and user activity (from a student and faculty perspective). This allows school leaders to make informed, data-driven decisions around overall program "health." Actionable objectives and solutions can be described, and even prescribed. This can help with overall student retention (the bottom line), and it goes a long way in obtaining accreditation (the data is accessible and easily pulled into comprehensive reports).

eCollege has identified some key characteristics of successful and profitable online programs:

                                                --www.eCollege.com

Obviously, key words here are "strong enrollment…high completion…retention…" and something I'd like to explore more: "Continuous Program Improvement."

Over the years, as eCollege has grown and evolved, we have seen our Educational Partner institutions do the same. In the beginning of this online craze (as some have called it), we saw many "one-offs" come up; that is, we saw many schools experimenting with the idea of online learning, and they would put a smattering of courses online--only one or two courses in some cases--primarily just to see what happened. While many programs that were developed this way did manage to survive--in fact, many continue to thrive--this didn't create any sort of holistic program vision, to be sure.

As educators, primarily, and in the everyday roles we fulfill (teachers, administrators, technicians, directors, etc.), we know that an overriding vision, and then continuous improvement, is key to success--no matter how, exactly, "success" may be defined for any given project.

One of the most important elements of a successful online program is laying out a Master Plan--from Day One. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is a difficult endeavor: many program administrators don't know what they don't know. Many are not sure what questions to bring to the table, initially. Over the years, again, we have come to recognize the value of these initial consulting opportunities. In scoping out the vision and goals of an online program, EPs (Educational Partners) can create a road map of sorts, pin-pointing the necessary "attractions" along the way. That is, asking the questions: Where do I want be in one year? In two? In ten? Then, we note all the steps that need to occur in between here and there to make sure the goals are met.

Goals around continuous improvement should be written into the Master Plan--again, right from the initial plotting-out of the goals. Clear objectives should be outlined in order to meet the goals. As with all good objectives, these need to be actionable items. Roles and responsibilities to support the actions will begin to emerge.

Along the way, though, how will you monitor success? How will you ensure that courses are developed and delivered with consistent quality? How will you know when faculty members are succeeding as well? And, let's not forget the students! What are your attrition rates? Do the majority of students tend to drop during the first week of class? Ultimately, our students are our customers. If they're not satisfied with the "product" they buy, they won't come back. Inevitably, an institution must gauge success by the number of new enrollments, and maybe more importantly, by the number of return customers.

To help this happen, we need to ensure that whole programs are launched with vision and a clear understanding of scope. They need to be curriculum-based and interconnected to be truly useful to students. Continual improvement of the program and vision that has been set in motion needs to be in the forefront of our minds (and business plans) at all times.

I know I've thrown a lot at you in a relatively short space, but I'm sure this is a topic (data-driven decision making) you'll hear more about. It's something I have become increasingly interested in as well, and my intent is to do more research and come up with some more fact-based material to report. So…until my next installment, start plotting (or refining) your Master Plan!

       –Errin Klein, M.A.

TIP

A Quick Guide to Uploading Files

Have you ever been in the midst of uploading a file into the eCollege System and feel as though it will never finish? Sometimes uploading large files can be a little tricky, so here are a few things to keep in mind when doing so:

  1. Although eCollege doesn't place a file size limitation, we recommend that when using a dial-up connection, limit the file size uploads to 2mb, and less than 10mb when on a broadband or high-speed connection.
  2. Try to limit the name of your file to under 13 characters, and avoid using any special characters (& / * ).
  3. If you're uploading the file from a CD or other drive, it's best to save it first under "My Documents" and then upload to eCollege from that location.
A couple more items to consider when using the Office Document Converter (ODC) tool:
  1. Use Auto-Spell Check? I personally use it a lot. Be careful to turn this tool off before uploading, though, because the conversion tool will try to spell check while converting and cause the tool to fail.
  2. Use Macros? Macros also will cause the converter tool to fail. Make sure to turn these off prior to uploading.
  3. We all love PowerPoint animations, but they can also cause the converter to lag, or even time-out.

Keep these things in mind, and you should be off to a smooth start!

       – Theresa Turner