online and distance learning in southwest tennessee: implementation and challenges
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Online and distance learning in southwest Tennessee: Implementation and challenges
Lydotta Taylor, Ed.D.,Research Partnerships Lead, REL Appalachia
Eric Cramer,Senior Research Specialist, REL Appalachia
February 11, 2015
Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program
• U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.
• RELs provide regional support for:
– Applied research and evaluation.
– Technical support and information sharing to build capacity to use data for improved education outcomes.
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REL Appalachia’s Mission
• Meet the applied research and technical support needs of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Bring evidence-based information to policymakers and practitioners:
– Provide support for a more evidence-reliant education system.
– Inform policy and practice for states, districts, schools, and other stakeholders.
– Focus on high-priority, discrete issues and build a body of knowledge over time.
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How We Work: Research Alliances
• What is a research alliance?
– A partnership between education stakeholders and REL Appalachia.
• What is the purpose of a research alliance?
– As partners, REL Appalachia and alliance members develop and carry out a research and analytic technical assistance agenda on priority topics.
• Who are the education stakeholders in an alliance?
– May include representatives from one or more schools, divisions, state education agencies, and other organizations (e.g., colleges and universities).
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Southwest Tennessee Rural Education Cooperative
• Coalition of superintendents from 12 school districts (half of which are rural) surrounding Memphis, Tennessee.
• About 60 percent of students in SWTREC districts are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
• Superintendents meet regularly to discuss challenges and collaborate on initiatives to improve students’ college and career readiness.
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Online and distance learning in southwest Tennessee
• The content of this presentation is based on the report Online and distance learning in southwest Tennessee: Implementation and challenges.
• The report is available on the Regional Educational Laboratory website at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.
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Study Background
• SWTREC members wanted to understand one another’s online and distance learning offerings
– Share resources across schools.
– Share courses and instructors across multiple schools.
• REL Appalachia modified a survey used for an Investing in Innovation (i3) grant originally used for districts in Tennessee. The survey
– Requests information about online and distance learning courses and the numbers of students enrolled in these courses.
– Asks respondents to rate the importance of reasons offering courses and perceived barriers to expansion.
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Definitions
• Online course – credit bearing, delivered primarily through the internet using asynchronous instruction, taken in school, at home, or in some other location, and can originate from within or outside the district.
• Distance learning – credit bearing, delivered through audio, video, the internet, or other computer-based technology using primarily synchronous instruction, and have an instructor in a different location from the students.
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Online and distance learning course availability
• The survey was distributed by the SWTREC leaders to high schools in April 2013, and 17 of 21 high schools (81 percent) responded.
• Online courses were used more frequently and had higher enrollment than distance learning courses. Still, more than 80 percent of responding schools used online or distance learning courses in 2012/13.
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Both online and distance
learning41.2%(n = 7)
Online only35.3%(n = 6)
Distance learning only
5.9%(n = 1)
Neither17.6%(n = 3)
Type of course offerings
Online
• 100 percent of high schools used online courses to offer dual enrollment courses
• 89 percent of the online courses offered were dual enrollment
Distance learning
• 75 percent of high schools used distance learning to offer dual enrollment courses and
• 66 percent of the distance learning courses offered were dual enrollment
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0
25
50
75
100
Advancedplacement
Dual enrollment Career and technicaleducation
Core academic Elective academic
Per
cen
t o
f sc
ho
ols
Online (n = 13) Distance learning (n = 8)
Course subject offerings
• More than half of online courses were in social studies and career and technical education.
• Most distance learning courses were in English and math.
14
0
25
50
75
100
Online (n = 63) Distance learning (n= 29)
Career and technicaleducation
English
Fine arts
Math
Science
Social studies
World languages
Reasons for offering online courses
• Providing opportunities for students to accelerate credit accumulation was most often rated a “very important” reason for offering online courses.
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Reason for offering online courses Number of high schools
Percent
Providing opportunities for students to accelerate credit accumulation
12 92
Providing courses not otherwise available at the school 10 77
Offering dual enrollment courses 10 77
Reducing scheduling conflicts 6 46
Providing opportunities for students who are homebound or have special needs to take courses
4 31
Reasons for offering distance learning courses
• The ability to offer dual enrollment courses was rated as a “very important” reason for providing the course.
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Reason for offering distance learning courses Number Percent
Offering dual enrollment courses 6 75
Providing courses not otherwise available at the school 4 50
Providing qualified instructors for courses 4 50
Barriers to offering online courses
• Cost was the greatest barrier for schools that offered online courses and limited technology was the greatest barrier for schools that did not offer online courses.
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Offered onlinecourses
Did not offeronline courses
Barrier to offering online courses Number Percent Number Percent
Cost of courses 10 77 1 25
Students find online courses are more difficult than they expected
5 39 1 25
Lack of supervision (proctor) for students taking courses
4 31 1 25
Limited technology to support courses (computer or lab space available)
3 23 3 75
Barriers to offering distance learning courses
• Availability of technology was the greatest barrier for schools that offered distance learning courses and supervision was the greatest barrier for schools that did not offer distance learning courses.
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Offered distance learning courses
Did not offerdistance learning
courses
Barrier to offering distance learning courses Number Percent Number Percent
Limited period when technology (either distance lab or computers) is available
4 50 2 22
Difficulty obtaining student progress or grade reports
3 38 0 0
Lack of supervision (proctor) for students taking courses
2 25 3 33
Implications of the study
• Online and distance learning courses offer schools a means of exposing students to a diversity of courses they might not otherwise have access to.
• Technological limitations – both in the availability of technology and the restricted periods when technology is available – were barriers that schools perceived in offering online and distance learning courses.
• The findings can help other rural districts plan for the anticipated challenges and opportunities of implementing online and distance learning courses in their own districts.
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Questions
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Connect with Us!
www.relappalachia.org
@REL_Appalachia
Eric Cramer
(703) 824-2896
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