Online Offerings of Mathematics Courses:

Trends, Pressures, Policies, Practices from the Perspectives of Department Leaders

Alex SmithAMS Workshop for Department Chairs and Leaders

January 14, 2014

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Online Enrollment TrendsChanging Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States

Copyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Online Enrollment Trends I

From page 16 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Online Enrollment Trends II

From page 18 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Online Enrollment Trends III

From page 19 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Online Enrollment Trends IV

From page 21 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Gallup PollOctober 2013

Lydia Saad, Brandon Busteed, and Mitchell Ogisi

PRINCETON, NJ -- Still something of a novelty, online education is seen relatively positively by Americans for giving students a wide range of curricula options and for providing good value for the money.

However, Americans tend to think it provides less rigorous testing and grading, less qualified instructors, and has less credence with employers compared with traditional, classroom-based education.

Gallup PollOctober 2013

Americans’ Views of Online Education

vs. Traditional Classroom-Based Education

Onlinebetter The same

Online worse Net better

% % % Providing a wide range of options for curriculum

33 39 23 +10

Providing good value for the money33 34 27 +6

Providing a format most student can succeed in23 42 30 -7

Providing instruction tailored to each individual23 31 41 -18

Providing high-quality instruction from well-qualified instructors 15 37 43 -28

Providing rigorous testing and grading that can be trusted11 39 45 -34

Providing a degree that will be viewed positively by employers13 33 49 -36

Gallup PollOctober 2013

From what you know, how would you rate the quality of education offered by each of the following?

Excellent Good

Only fair Poor

No opinion

% % % % %Four-year colleges and universities 16 52 22 8 2

Community colleges 13 51 27 6 3Internet-based college programs, in which the courses are conducted entirely online

4 29 34 18 13

Gallup PollOctober 2013

PRINCETON, NJ -- Still something of a novelty, online education is seen relatively positively by Americans for giving students a wide range of curricula options and for providing good value for the money.

However, Americans tend to think it provides less rigorous testing and grading, less qualified instructors, and has less credence with employers compared with traditional, classroom-based education.

Gallup PollOctober 2013

PRINCETON, NJ -- Still something of a novelty, online education is seen relatively positively by Americans for giving students a wide range of curricula options and for providing good value for the money.

However, Americans tend to think it provides less rigorous testing and grading, less qualified instructors, and has less credence with employers compared with traditional, classroom-based education.

In line with these views, Americans' overall assessment of Internet-based college programs is tepid at best.

Gallup PollOctober 2013

Lydia Saad, Brandon Busteed, and Mitchell Ogisi

“Although online education is in relatively nascent stages of development and acceptance, many Americans already see benefits in the lower cost and diverse coursework it offers. That is powerful. But if leaders in the field want online learning to have equal status with campus-based programs, they need to do more to demonstrate high standards for instruction, testing, and grading. With this, greater public appreciation for the benefits of online learning, and greater employer acceptance of online educational qualifications, will likely follow.”

Association of Public Land-Grant UniversitiesOnline Learning as a Strategic AssetVolume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices:

Views and Experiences with Online Learning

Results of a National Faculty SurveyPart of the Online Education Benchmarking Survey

APLU Sloan National Commission on Online LearningAugust 2009

How did faculty compare the effectiveness of online teaching to “face-to-face?”

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 29)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

How did faculty compare the effort required for online teaching to “face-to-face?”

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 26)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

What motivates faculty to teach online?

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 32)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

What barriers do faculty cite to teaching more online course?

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 33)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Do faculty recommend online courses to their advisees?

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 30)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

The first paragraph from theConclusions of the APLU study

Online Learning as a Strategic Asset Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices: Views and Experiences with Online Learning (page 37)© August 2009 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Practices in Online Mathematics Courses

Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences (CBMS) Survey Reports 2010

excerpt from page 47

Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences (CBMS) Survey Reports 2010

excerpt from page 54

Online Mathematics Courses:How many and what format?

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Percent offering distance learning: 48% 57% 28% 35%

Characterize majority of course instruction: --All instruction with no instructor physically present 68% 61% 77% 72%

--Some instruction with no instructor physically present 32% 39% 23% 28%

From Table SP.10 on page 55 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Who Creates Instructional Materials for Online Mathematics Courses?

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Instructional materials created by: --Faculty 41% 31% 41% 39% -- Commercially produced materials 10% 16% 5% 9%

-- Combination of both 49% 53% 53% 52%

From Table SP.10 on page 55 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

What about Exam Proctoring for Online Mathematics Courses?

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

How distance learning students take majority of tests: --Not at a monitored testing site 22% 35% 33% 31%

-- At proctored testing site 52% 32% 37% 40% -- Combination of both 23% 33% 30% 29%

From Table SP.10 on page 55 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Do Departments Allow Online Mathematics Courses to Transfer?

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Give credit for distance learning not offered through department: --Yes 26% 29% 55% 43% -- No 34% 32% 20% 26% -- no department policy 39% 39% 25% 31%

From Table SP.10 on page 55 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Content and Goals

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Content, goals, and objectives same as in non-distance learning 98% 100% 99% 99%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Office Hours

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Instructors hold comparable office hours on campus 62% 73% 59% 63%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Evaluation of Instructors

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Instructors participate in evaluation in the same way 72% 77% 86% 81%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Use of Common Exams

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Same use of common exams as in face-to-face 56% 51% 63% 59%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Course Outlines

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Same course outlines as in face-to-face 95% 100% 97% 97%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Comparison of Practices:Course Projects

Univ(PhD)

Univ(Masters)

College(Bachelors) Total

Some courses offered in both non-distance and distance learning formats: 93% 90% 87% 89%

Of those with courses in both formats, thepercentage where: --Same course projects as in face-to-face 74% 78% 68% 72%

From Table SP.12 on page 57 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Table SP12 at a Glance:

From Table SP12 of2010 CBMS Survey of Undergraduate Programs

Survey of Chief Academic Officers:January 2013 Publication

Chief Academic Officers:Are Online Courses of Strategic Importance?

From page 16 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Chief Academic Officers:Do Online Courses Require More Faculty

Effort?

From page 23 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Chief Academic Officers:Is Online Education Inferior to

Face-to-face?

From page 24 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Chief Academic Officers:My Faculty Accept the Value of

Online Education

From page 27 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Chief Academic Officers:Lower Retention Rates in

Online Courses are a Barrier to Growth

From page 30 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Chief Academic Officers:Lack of Acceptance by Employers of Online

Courses is a Barrier to Growth

From page 31 of Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United StatesCopyright ©2013 by Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

Enter MOOCs

New York Times calls 2012 “The Year of the MOOC”

(November 11, 2012)

Enter MOOCsNotices of the AMS: November 2013

The Coursera webpage for Calculus: Single Variable

Robert Ghrist

Robert Ghrist: Notices of the AMS November 2013

Robert Ghrist: Notices of the AMS November 2013

Musings on MOOCS: Notices of the AMS January 2014

Petra Bonfert-Taylor (Wesleyan)David Bressoud (Macalaster)

Harvey Diamond (West Virginia)

Exit MOOCs?

Exit MOOCs?

Exit MOOCs?One year ago, many were pointing to the growth of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, as the most important trend in higher education. Many saw the rapid expansion of MOOCs as a higher education revolution that would help address two long-vexing problems: access for underserved students and cost.

In theory, students saddled by rising debt and unable to tap into the best schools would be able to take free classes from rock star professors at elite schools via Udacity, edX, Coursera and other MOOC platforms.

But if 2012 was the "Year of the MOOC," as The New York Times , 2013 might be dubbed the year that online education fell back to earth. Faculty at several institutions rebelled against the rapid expansion of online learning — and the nation's largest MOOC providers are responding.

Eric Westervelt, NPR (Dec. 31. 2013)