MONITORING REPORT

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Community College District Twelve
Centralia College

Title: eLearning Type: END

Policy Number: END-4.6 I submit that the findings and data as

reported constitute a reasonable
Date of Report: 14 April 2011 interpretation of this policy requirement:

President
The Board of Trustees accept the findings
and data as reported:

Chair, Board of Trustees

End 4

Centralia College shall provide to our greater community an ever-increasing number of

educated people having the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and behaviors to
become life-long learners and productive and responsible citizens more capable of
realizing their highest human potential.

END-4.6

Centralia College will meet the evolving needs of the student population by leveraging
technology to attract, engage, and retain students.

Findings

Centralia College is in compliance with END 4.6

Definitions

eLearning: learning facilitated by the use of digital tools or digital content

Online: A course taught 100% within a web-based platform

eCorrespondence: A self-paced course with all materials and content in digital

format

Hybrid: Some seat time is replaced with online activities

Web-enhanced: A class meets face-to-face 100% of the time but with online
materials or activities

Data and Analysis

There are three benchmarks inherent in END 4.6: 1) leveraging technology to attract
students, 2) leveraging technology to engage students, and 3) leveraging technology to
retain students.

Within the scope of END 4.6, technology is herein defined as eLearning technology, or the
use of digital tools and content to facilitate student learning. For example, the use of online
platforms such as the ANGEL Learning Management System for delivery of course content
and facilitation of learning activities is eLearning technology.

Benchmark #1 – Leveraging technology to attract students

Today’s students have more obligations outside of school than previous generations.
Many students must balance family and work with education. eLearning serves the
evolving needs of students by using technology platforms to expand access to
education for students who otherwise would not be able to attend school. Often,
students take online classes to give them greater flexibility in their schedules, mixing
online courses with face-to-face courses. A measure of the college’s ability to attract
students in the 21st century education environment is enrollment in online courses.

Students increasingly engage in online learning, not only at Centralia College but
throughout Washington Community and Technical Colleges.

Table 1: Comparison of Centralia College to System FTES in Online

AY 2007-08 AY 2008-09 AY 2009-10 % Growth Over

FTES FTES FTES Last AY
Centralia College 248 449 743 65.5%
System 13,750 16,701 19,978 19.6%
Source: SBCTC AYR
 Students statewide are choosing to participate in online education, and at Centralia
College our online FTE growth exceeds state trends. In 2007 Centralia College
identified eLearning as an institutional priority and since that time enrollment in
online classes has steadily increased.

Table 2: Quarterly FTES in online classes at Centralia College

AY 2007-08 AY 2008-09 AY 2009-10 AY 2010-2011

FTES FTES FTES FTES
Summer 76 130 194 225
Fall 111 190 234 215
Winter 142 198 247
Spring 158 204 286
Source: SBCTC Data Warehouse

From fall 2009 to fall 2010 the number of online courses offered by Centralia College
rose 85%, from 28 to 52 courses. Students can enroll in any online course from any
institution regardless of their geographical location. We can infer that if Centralia
College were not offering online courses that students would enroll elsewhere.

Therefore, Centralia College is in compliance with Benchmark #1 – Leveraging

technology to attract students.

Benchmark #2 – Leveraging technology to engage students

Starting in 2006 Centralia College conducts the Community College Survey of Student
Engagement (CCSSE) every two years. Engagement is important because research
shows that student learning and retention are strongly correlated to student
engagement.

The CCSSE survey instrument is designed to assess the level in which students are
taking part in educational practices that foster student engagement. There are
several factors relating to student engagement that are assessed in the CCSSE, and
one factor relates to the use of technology.

There are 4 key questions in the CCSSE that relate to the role of technology in
student engagement. These are specifically used as benchmarks by CCSSE
researchers to measure active and collaborative learning, a consistent predictor of
student success. In other words, eLearning tools can be used to actively involve
students in their education by allowing students to interact with their teachers and
with other students. eLearning tools have the ability to extend learning outside of
the classroom.
Table 3: CCSSE data for Centralia College

Centralia Centralia Centralia Other Other Other Scale

College College College Small Small Small
2006 2008 2010 Colleges Colleges Colleges
2006 2008 2010
Used the 2.49 2.80 2.97 2.74 2.84 2.91 1=Never
Internet or 2=Sometimes
instant 3=Often
messaging to 4=Very often
work on an
assignment
Used e-mail 1.89 2.24 2.26 2.27 2.52 2.65 1=Never
to 2=Sometimes
communicate 3=Often
with an 4=Very often
instructor
Using 2.98 3.09 3.18 3.07 3.15 3.17 1=Very little
computers in 2=Some
academic 3=Quite a bit
work 4=Very much

Using 2.47 2.48 2.57 2.74 2.78 2.81 1=Very little

computing 2=Some
and 3=Quite a bit
information 4=Very much
technology
Source: CCSSE, 2006,2008, & 2010 4. J. k, 9. g., 12. g

Data from the previous two CCSSE surveys show that student use of technology tools
to engage in activities that promote active and collaborative learning have increased
over time, and are now on par with other small colleges. There have only been very
slight increases in 2010 over 2008. An important point to observe is that the CCSSE
surveys are conducted with students in on-ground classes. This means that students
who are NOT in an online class are increasingly using technology in ways to foster
student engagement. The two most useful indicators in these measures are “Using
computers in academic work” and “Using computing and information technology.”
Given the advances in information technologies the college expects that faculty
expectation of students in relation to use of these technologies should grow.

Educational research shows that hybrid and web-enhanced modalities strongly

correlate to improved student outcomes. From fall 2009 to fall 2010 Centralia
College has increased the number of hybrid and web-enhanced course offerings
from 28 to 98.

Centralia College is in compliance with Benchmark #2 – Leverage technology to

engage students.
Benchmark #3 – Leveraging technology to retain students

Broadly speaking, an institution “retains” a student when that student completes a

stated goal. Institutional retention is one of the most basic and oft-reported types of
retention. However, the smallest unit that can be measured with respect to
retention is course completion.

In online courses, the latest data available from the state board shows that course
completion (credits attempted/credits earned) was lower at Centralia College in
comparison to the system.

Table 4: Completion rates in online classes

AY 2006-07 AY 2007-08 Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Fall 2010

Centralia College 78% 72% 85% 80% 81%
System 81% 81% N/A N/A N/A
Source: CC IR (fall 2010), SBCTC eLearning (N/A data is undergoing new analysis)

The last three years show significant improvement in completion rate over previous
years, with the completion rate leveling off. Several changes have occurred that may
have played a part in the completion rate improvement, including a shift from
system-owned courses to college-owned courses. Increasingly since AY 2007-08
online courses offered by Centralia College are developed and taught by faculty at
Centralia College. The college had relied on Washington Online for online course
offerings, courses which are taught by Washington CTC system faculty at any of the
other CTC institutions. (What is the overall completion rate at the college?)

Table 5: Centralia College Faculty teaching online courses

2007 2008 2009 2010

# of fall course offerings 28 37 43 52
% of courses taught by 32.1% 46% 74.4% 85.25%
Centralia College faculty
Source: eLearning Department

Another type of retention is student persistence in a program. While eLearning is

not an instructional program in itself, it does consist of a defined set of courses
based on modality. Since summer 2009 eLearning has conducted a satisfaction
survey of students enrolled in all eLearning courses, including hybrid and web-
enhanced. One question asks about likeliness to enroll in an eLearning course again
and another about overall level of satisfaction.
 Based on our performance, how likely is it that you
will enroll in a Centralia College eLearning course in
the future?
40

35

30

25

20
Fall 2009
15 Fall 2010
10

0
Certain Very likely Somewhat Unlikely Very Not
likely unlikely applicable

Overall, what is your level of satisfaction with your

learning experience?
50
45
40
35
30
25
20 Fall 2009

15 Fall 2010
10
5
0
Completely Somewhat Neither Somewhat Completely
satisfied satisfied satisfied nor dissatisfied dissatisfied
dissatisfied
 Given completion rates in online courses, along with student satisfaction survey
data, Centralia College is in compliance with Benchmark #3 – Leveraging technology
to retain students.

Update on Action Items for 2010-11

Grow hybrid and web-enhanced course offerings in order to provide more

opportunity for technology to enhance active and collaborative learning
environments.

Progress:

Table 6 Growth of hybrid and web-enhanced course offerings

# of courses
Fall 2009 28
Winter 2010 55
Spring 2010 66
Summer 2010 26
Fall 2010 98
Source: eLearning Department

Action Items for 2011-12

Increase the number of eLearning courses that have undergone a Quality

Matters (QM) review. As of fall 2010 there are 10 courses that have undergone
QM review.