July 31, 2005
INTRODUCTION
In accordance with the provisions of Article 12 - Distance Education, Section D, of the 2003-2005 collective bargaining agreement between the University of Maine System and the Associated Faculties of the University of Maine System, MEA/NEA, the parties established a joint committee to discuss unresolved and emergent issues relative to distance education, including working conditions, compensation for web-based course offerings, and academic computing.
The joint committee has met on ten occasions since 2002.
An earlier version of the committee began its deliberations in June of 1998 and brought forth a report in March of 1999. Much of the effort of that group centered upon establishing a typology for distance education and compensation programs for persons teaching distance education via various forms on instructional television and video.
As technology became more ubiquitous it presented new challenges and opportunities for students, instructional designers and faculty. It therefore, became necessary for the newly reconstituted committee to examine some of its earlier assumptions about distance education. Distance was no longer the principal characteristic of the new forms of teaching and learning. Rather, the nature and form of the technology used to deliver and support instruction was the central element of concern. Advancements in e-mail, the increase of online web courses that were neither distance or time based, streaming video, audio and a other advances in computer capabilities and affordability, all contributed to the need to revise committee’s report and recommendations.
The following report updating the work of the joint committee is in accordance with its charge and is only advisory to the parties in the collective bargaining process.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Each party to specify who they wish to list.
Frank C. Gerry, Co-Chair
Director of Labor Relations - UMS
Ken Elliott, Co-Chair
Professor of Psychology - UMA
Ross Ferrell
AFUM UniServ Director – MEA
Christine LeGore
Associate Director for Academic and Student Support Services - UNET
Sheri R. Stevens
Executive Director of Administrative Services – UMA
John Broida,
Professor of Psychology USM
Kenneth Nichols
Associate Professor of Public Administration UM
William W. Wells USM
Mary Ellen Camire ,
Ray Rice ,
Etc.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. TYPOLOGY OF RELEVANT INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITIES
II. ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND EDUCATION SERVICES SUPPORT
III. PREPARATION FEES
i. DEFINITION AND GUIDELINES
IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKLOAD ASSOCIATED WITH TECHNOLOGICALLY MEDIATED INSTRUCTION
V. RECOMMENDATIONS
VI. ATTACHMENTS/EXHIBITS
i. Schedule X – Compensation Rates
ii. Glossary
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
TYPOLOGY OF RELEVANT INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITIES
The joint committee recognizes the evolutionary nature of technology mediated instruction and learning. The following categories identify relevant instructional modalities most commonly used by the University of Maine System.
1) Regular ITV More than 50% of the contact hours are through
synchronous ITV transmission
2) Enhanced ITV Regular ITV enhanced with web-based computer
conferencing or the equivalent; e-mail is not enough
3) TV Plus 50% or fewer of the contact hours are through synchronous ITV broadcasts. Courses are supplemented with a combination of one or more
of the following: on-campus visits, pre-produced
video tapes, computer conferencing, telephone
conferencing, e-mail, list-serves, etc.
4) Web-Based Web based asynchronous courses. Primary mode
of instruction, learning, and student participation is
asynchronous and on-line
5) Video-Based Primary mode of instruction is video-based
synchronous course, supplemented with computer conferencing, telephone conferencing, e-mail, etc.
6) Compressed 2-way audio and video interactive; CV available at
Video/ATM campuses and centers; ATM available at some campuses
7) Enhanced On-Site “Regular” on site course, enhanced with computer
conferencing and other web activities other than e- mail and listserves.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
ACADEMIC AND EDUCATION SERVICES SUPPORT
The joint committee recognizes the need for the faculty to have access to academic support and assistance for technologically mediated instruction to assure a high quality educational experience for students.
The amount and nature of the support required will vary based upon the nature course content, enrollment size, and upon the technology and delivery system employed (see attached typology). As well, a faculty member teaching an asynchronous web course may find the need for support to be greater during the preliminary course design stage, while a less experienced colleague teaching to a group of distance learners at multiple remote sites might require considerable assistance during the actual delivery of the instruction. Consequently, this discussion of academic and educational support services is divided into sections in an attempt to begin to recognize these differing needs.
Regular ITV Based Instruction
For larger interactive television classes the instructor is provided with a limited number of hours of support provided by a teaching assistant. The teaching assistant is paid by the hour and is assigned such tasks as; providing direct assistance to distance students, helping in the grading of exams, responding to e-mail inquiries, assisting the instructor with managing of the flow of exams, and facilitating the sharing of materials between the students and the instructor.
Additionally, UC provides a measure of educational support services to the faculty teaching distance education courses.
A Faculty Liaison is accessible through a toll-free number for faculty. This individual alerts faculty to delivery system deadlines and helps them work within systems and processes critical to success in teaching at a distance. UC Staff in the Academic Logistics Department also assist with the flow of paperwork, tapes and course-related materials to and from students and faculty.
Instructional Designers, Media Specialists and Distance Education Technicians provide limited assistance as faculty reorganize and restructure courses for distance delivery. They assist in the development of web resources to support distance courses, orient faculty to teaching via various modalities, and offer a limited amount of continuing support throughout the semester.
UC Student services staff in Augusta and at Centers work with faculty to communicate appropriate expectations to students in the registering and advising process. They assist with ADA accommodations and student conduct issues when appropriate, and provide support services to students.
Staff at Centers and campus, high school, or business receive sites assist in enforcing faculty and institutional policies.
Faculty members work with Off-Campus Library Services staff to schedule and/or coordinate the delivery of reserve materials for students at sites, in-class library skills training, copyright clearances and other library-related services at sites and centers.
Web Based Asynchronous Instruction
Access to and training in the use of commonly accepted web based instructional platforms (Blackboard, WebCT, Tycho) is made available to faculty members.
Prior to the commencement of the course, the University informs all students seeking to enroll about minimum computer and technical skills required for successful course participation (i.e. modem, speed, audio, size of hard drive as well as access and navigation skills).
To facilitate course development efforts, faculty members using online instruction have access to technical support services allowing them to archive instructional materials in a place where only they have access to them.
Prior to being authorized to offer a web course, each faculty member is provided training so that they can demonstrate the ability to make full use of all elements of the instructional platform being employed (i.e. chat room, threaded discussion, student grade book, posting and receiving assignments, etc.).
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
PREPARATION FEES FOR REGULAR ITV AND WEB-BASED (ON-LINE)
COURSES
DEFINITIONS AND GUIDELINES
When Preparation Fees Shall Be Offered
A preparation fee will be provided to faculty the first time they offer a given course in the above categories and, thereafter, only when a major revision in course design or content is required and approved.
Expectations of Faculty Receiving Initial Preparation Fee
A preparation fee will be paid to a faculty member when the following conditions have been met:
1. Faculty member has submitted, by preestablished deadlines, a detailed course proposal which is approved by the faculty member’s department/college administrator and the campus chief academic officer.
2. Faculty member has submitted all relevant forms, course materials, syllabus, and requests for print and broadcast copyright clearances to the appropriate staff.
3. Faculty member has met with an instructional designer to plan the proposed course or has attended a training workshop.
4. Faculty utilizing any of the ITV modalities for the first time will have attended a comprehensive orientation session with their assigned technician prior to the first class meeting.
5. A faculty member employing web based instruction for the first time has attended a comprehensive orientation session with a technical assistant to ensure their familiarity with the features of the instructional platform/program to be employed.
6. Faculty employing ITV technologically mediated instructional methods shall be compensated with a fee of not less that $500 for the development of a new course.
7. Faculty employing web based technologically mediated instructional methods shall be compensated with a fee of $1,000 for the development of a new course.
Expectations of Faculty Receiving Major Revision Preparation Fee
Faculty seeking a prep fee for major revisions to their courses must submit a written application to their department/college administrator and chief academic officer detailing the scope of the work to be undertaken and identifying the reason(s) why the course revisions are necessary. Faculty seeking revisions to web based courses shall, upon receipt of appropriate authorization, receive a fee of $500 for major course revisions. It is anticipated this may take place on cycles of 2-3 years.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNOLOGICALLY MEDIATED INSTRUCTION
The joint committee has observed that the preparation necessary and the methods utilized by the faculty in technologically mediated instruction can have a significant effect on faculty workload. Additional workload requirements may include:
Academic Policies - The faculty member must coordinate with University personnel at centers and sites on make-up exams and other individualized arrangements for distance learners as appropriate.
Class or Module Preparation - Significant advance preparation of course materials (syllabi, handouts, exam schedules, etc.) is required to provide adequate time for delivery to the distant locations or for posting on course website.
Class Size - The faculty teaching distance education courses on ITV or on the web may be dealing with an unusually large number of students, the majority of whom attend at locations other than where the faculty member is teaching.
Instructional Equipment - The faculty may need to use different equipment and tools in the delivery of course materials, online exercises and lectures as a result of the technology used to transmit the course.
ITV Classroom Management - The faculty member must communicate and coordinate with University staff and site coordinators regarding classroom management (and occasionally the UMS Student Conduct Code) at off campus locations.
Communications with Students - The faculty must develop various methods to communicate with students outside of class. The faculty member frequently will utilize e-mail or virtual chat as a means to communicate with students and sharing assignments.
Computer Management Systems - In some cases, the faculty must utilize computer conferencing or conference calling systems to conduct class.
Consultation between multiple support staff (i.e. library staff, academic logistics staff, graphic designers) must occur prior to the first class to address the unique requirements of technologically mediated instruction.
Copyright - The faculty member must make arrangements for copyright clearance of videos and other course materials prior to be being utilized.
Course Content - To respond to limitations of technology that make it difficult to engage students in class discussion, the faculty member must adjust his or her instructional methods (exams, requirements, papers, research). NOTE: This is particularly true in courses where enrollments are high.
Course Development – the faculty member works with instructional designers, media specialists, production staff, and external vendors in developing or revising a course and its related instructional materials.
Course Materials Distribution - The faculty must work closely with academic logistics personnel to arrange for timely distribution, processing and return of course materials and exams.
Management of Video Tapes and Other Course Materials - The faculty member may coordinate with University staff to arrange for electronic media to be made and delivered to students attending at a site where the signal was not received, or when students are not able to attend scheduled classes.
Orientation of Students to Technology - The faculty member must orient and instruct students in the use of the classroom technology and confirm that each student has the technical equipment and ability necessary to successfully complete the course.
Teaching Style – The faculty member must adjust his or her instructional style to make optimal use of technology
Services to Students with Disabilities – The faculty member must ensure that students with disabilities receive all authorized accommodations and other special assistance that may be required.
Student Support - The faculty member must develop techniques to assist students who are having difficulties and have limited access to tutoring or other support services. In many cases a student may be the only attending a particular site, and may be disadvantaged by not having classroom peers.
Teaching Assistance - When teaching assistance is provided, the faculty member is involved in the selection and training of the assistant to ensure competency in the instructional technology being employed in the course.
Telephone Bridge - The faculty member must coordinate with UC to reserve the University’s telephone bridge.
Technical Troubleshooting - The faculty member needs to report and help resolve technological difficulties.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that Schedule X (addressing compensation levels for ITV courses) be continued as shown
SCHEDULE X
The University will compensate faculty for distance education courses identified on the Typology as categories 1, 2 and 3 using the following formula:
For courses with less than 20 students 3 credits
For courses with at least 20 but less than 30 students 4 credits
For courses with at least 30 but less than 40 students 5 credits
For courses with at least 40 but less than 50 6 credits
For courses with 50 or more distance learners 6 credits + faculty assistance
The credit hours are minimum rates of compensation which do not preclude additional payment for courses which are deemed writing intensive or for innovative work which benefits the campus and/or the System. The credit hours shall be determined by the enrollment at the start of the third full week of classes.
EXAMPLE:
Faculty member teaches a three-credit course via ITV that has a total of
45 students enrolled at the time of official enrollment. The faculty member would be given credit towards load of 6 credits. In the event the faculty member’s workload results in a total credit load of more than twelve credits, the faculty member would be given a three credit overload.
Faculty member teaches a three-credit course via TV Plus that has a total of 61 students enrolled at the time of official enrollment. The faculty member will be compensated for six credits toward load and will be guaranteed faculty assistance.
Compensation for the creation or revision of technologically mediated courses is outlined in the Guidelines portion of this report.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -
GLOSSARY:
ADA See Americans with Disabilities Act.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Federal legislation promoting access to daily-life activities for people with physical and mental handicaps.
assessment and evaluation Using surveys and other evaluation methods to measure the effectiveness of technologically mediated courses. A frequently-used tool is having students complete an end-of-course survey questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with that instructor and course.
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) In its broadest sense, an electronic transmission technique for delivering broadband service. In Maine, the term also refers to a network of videoconferencing classrooms at more than 75 public high schools and some UMS campuses.
ATM See asynchronous transfer mode.
authorized reasonable accommodation Providing “reasonable accommodation” for someone with a disability is a flexible but basic element of ADA. It applies to most public organizations and other enterprises. Each university’s office of disability services provides guidance on what is authorized and reasonable for a given situation.
chat room A feature within many web sites and web-based instructional platforms that enables people interested in a given discussion to use their computer keyboards to engage in contemporaneous (a.k.a. real time or synchronous) online text-based conversation.
compressed video (CV) 1. A method for video conferencing (a transmission technique).
2. Within the University of Maine System, the term refers to a network of 11 videoconferencing rooms (seven campuses plus Gorham, LAC, Bangor and the Chancellor’s Office) that are centrally scheduled through University College and used for both course delivery and inter-campus meetings.
CV See compressed video.
distance education Technologically mediated instruction in which students take the same course from different locations.
electronic media Vessels for storing and conveying digital information, usually via optical or magnetic storage devices such as diskettes, compact disks (CDs), direct video disks (DVDs), magnetic tapes, and flash memory cards.
e-mail Electronic mail. A system that enables a person to compose a message on a computer and transmit that message through a computer network, such as the Internet, to another computer user.*
faculty assistance Includes teaching assistants, technical training and assistance, and supplemental technology, as needed and available.
HTML See hypertext markup language.
hyperlink, link An icon, picture, or highlighted string of text that connects the current web page to other web pages, internet sites, graphics, pictures, or sounds.*
hypertext markup language (HTML) The document formatting language used to create pages on the World Wide Web.*
instructional television See interactive television.
interactive television (ITV) A form of technologically mediated instruction wherein, with the aid of a technician, an instructor broadcasts the course over one-way closed-circuit television from a specially-equipped classroom to classroom receive sites elsewhere within the University System. Students at receive sites communicate with the instructor during class through a telephone bridge, if necessary. Each site typically accommodates up to 30 students.
Internet A large, loosely-organized computer-based network connecting universities, government, businesses, and other organizations so that they can exchange messages and share information.*
ITV See interactive television.
listserve A method for routing email messages to a self-selected set of recipients.
major revision A general term for updating course materials. (Specific criteria are to be defined by the local academic unit.)
multimedia Displaying or playing text, pictures, sound, video, and animation.*
new course A general term for a given course not previously taught through a specific technologically mediated instruction. (Additional specific criteria are to be defined by the local academic unit.)
official enrollment A count of the number of students enrolled in a course at a specific point in time. For purposes of this document, that point is the beginning of the third week of the course.
online A general term referring to anything connection to on conveyed through an electronic communications network.*
Polycom Brand name of relatively low-cost videoconferencing units that are rapidly proliferating in Maine. Come in two flavors: units that connect via ISDN phone line, and units that connect through the internet (H323). Up to two H323 units may be found at most University College Centers; one H323 unit is installed at each campus for meetings among campus presidents. Many campuses and high schools in Maine have these units, as well.
posting Sending information to a specific location within a web site, email server, or other electronic repository. Commonly used to refer to the act of submitting a written comment as part of an online discussion.
preparation The initial development or substantial revision of a course. For many academic units, this is an important factor when considering academic workload.
preparation fee Compensation paid in certain circumstances for course preparation (see above).
receive site A classroom or other specially-equipped location that students who are not in the originating location use to participate in a technologically mediated course.
site 1. A physical location at which students gather for learning.
2. A web site.
streaming video Recorded or live video images transmitted over the Internet and viewed on the receiving computer as those images are transmitted (i.e., not stored within the receiving computer).
student grade book A feature within some web-based instructional platforms through which faculty may record the grades students earn for each graded activity within a course and through which students may view their own grades to track individual progress.
technologically mediated instruction See technology-mediated instruction.
technology-mediated instruction Academic courses conducted primarily through means other than the traditional classroom. The range of available information technologies is broad and growing. See the report section entitled, “Typology of Relevant Instructional Modalities,” for types of applications used within the University System.
telephone bridge A communication feature in ITV classrooms that enables students at up to four sites at one time to contact the instructor during class and, if the instructor chooses, to be heard at all receive sites. In addition, a toll-free, 26-line telephone bridge is available for both in-class and out-of-class applications, including small group discussions, administrative meetings, holding telephone office hours, etc.
threaded discussion A feature of many web-based instructional platforms, electronic bulletin boards, and email systems. It enables the user to quickly identify and review messages bearing the same subject heading (“threads”).
video conferencing A form of technology-mediated instruction wherein, without the aid of a technician, an instructor can conduct a seminar-style course over two-way closed-circuit television from a specially-equipped conference room to one or more similarly-configured receive sites. All sites can see and talk with one another and can employ various teaching technologies (e.g., computer graphics), though not all sites are on-screen at the same moment. Each site typically accommodates up to eight or 10 students. Disparate and multiple units may be connected via UNET-supported “bridges” to enable connectivity, synchronous start-up, and other features.
web The World Wide Web (WWW), a set of Internet computers and services that provide an easy-to-use system for finding information and using resources.*
web page An HTML document made available through the World Wide Web, along with any associated graphics or multimedia files.*
web site
One or more web pages intended to be viewed and explored together as a cohesive presentation.*
web-based course A form of technologically mediated instruction in which all or most of the course – its instruction, materials, discussions, assignments, etc. – is conducted through a dedicated web site, typically using a web-based instructional platform.
web-based instructional platform Commercially-developed computer software designed to facilitate course instruction through the World Wide Web. These include Blackboard, WebCT, and FirstClass, among other available packages.
WWW See web.
*Adapted from Dick Oliver, Teach Yourself HTML 4 in 24 Hours, 3d ed., SAMS/Macmillan, 1998.
|
