Measuring e-Learning Success: Moving Towards

Meaningful Metrics

Let’s Discuss• Hofstra University Overview

• Use of Blackboard @ Hofstra

– Who (faculty and students) and

– What (Content, Discussion Board, etc.)

• The Need for detailed information – Stats we need in order to

“Go Wide Go Deep”

Let’s Discuss (cont’d)

• The Process– What does Blackboard supply?– What else do we need?

• The Implementation • What have we accomplished?

Hofstra University Overview

• 12,700+

Students

• 1,200+ Faculty• Student Faculty Ratio: 14 to 1

• 240 acre campus on Long Island

PROGRAMS

• 140 Undergrad

• 150 Grad (one fully online)

Use of Blackboard @ Hofstra– 1,200 + Blackboard courses “made available” – 600 + unique instructors– 10,500+ unique Hofstra students

(Fall 2007 Semester)

Majority of Courses are Blended/Supplemental

Learning Objects– 4-6 in development 2007/08 academic year

One fully online graduate degree (Jan. 2008)Hofstra is a Blackboard 7.2/ASP client

The Need for Detailed Information• Who is using Blackboard?

– Faculty – Full Time and Adjunct– Schools– and more

• How is Blackboard being used?– Discussion Board– Content– and more

• Semester to semester; year to year growth

The Process• What does Blackboard supply?

– Is it enough?

• What could we do to get more detailed information?

We need more!

We need customized!

The Solution• Microsoft Access• Local data downloaded each night

– Access to Blackboard servers (static IP)– Starting point: “available” courses for a semester– Eat the elephant one bite at a time

• Full Semester storage requirements:– Over 900MB for a 1,200 course semester

– Activity Accumulator – over 3 million records

• Map the data in the Blackboard tables• Create a local Access table structure to

import the data• Get access to SIS (Banner) table with FT/PT

faculty information• Create Access queries and reports• Create an automated nightly download

procedure (4AM auto launch)

The Implementation

The Implementation

The Implementation

What Have We Accomplished?• A solution that’s repeatable semester after

semester, year after year• Detailed reporting to faculty, dept. chairs

and senior administrators• A serious motivator to grow the number of

faculty users and courses and• Increase interactions between:

– Teacher and student– Students and students

Wide Enough, Go Deep !

Ron ChalmersSr. Instructional Technologistronald.a.chalmers@hofstra.edu516-463-4532

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

Lao Tzu

HERE’S A LEARNING OBJECT