If you have been involved in online learning for any length of time, you have defended the quality of this delivery method, at least once or twice along the way, probably to colleagues, administrators, or even external accreditors. There were many doubts early on if students could learn without the instructor standing in the room, if instructors could effectively teach without seeing the students, and if students could receive the same quality support services we so readily offer to our traditional campus students. Online learning doesn’t mean that it costs less to produce or that it is less rigorous for the students. On the contrary, quality online learning requires resources, policies, and structure to successfully support all stakeholders.
It was the very reason the Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Programs was developed. As a long-time online learning administrator, I grew tired of justifying of how strong the quality really could be with effective online learning and why higher education needed to embrace this delivery method that would greatly impact our industry. The OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Programs is a comprehensive method for reviewing all the essential planning, policy development and alteration, resource allocation, data collection and continuous improvement strategies needed for quality online learning programs.
The OLC Quality Scorecard Mastery Series is a series of three workshops focused on the application and use of the Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Programs. Each workshop was developed to support a deeper use of the Scorecard for a complete online program quality review. The time between each workshop is allocated for reading, reflection and for the application of new knowledge and concepts. In addition, workshop participants share their own experiences, struggles, and successes in order to learn practical application and best strategies for improving their online programs.
Join me for the next OLC Quality Scorecard Mastery Series. I look forward to working with you in how to best demonstrate the quality of your online learning program.
About Dr. Kaye Shelton
Kaye Shelton, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the Center for Doctoral Studies in the College of Education at Lamar University. Previously as the Dean of Online Education for Dallas Baptist University, she led the development and ongoing operations of their online education programs with over 55 majors and degrees offered fully online. She is certified as an online instructor, teaching online since 1999, and also an online education consultant.
Winner of the both the Blackboard and eLearning exemplary online course awards, she has published over 40 articles and book chapters in the field of online education, including a coauthored book entitled An Administrator’s Guide to Online Education. Dr. Shelton was also awarded a Sloan-C Effective Practice Award for her research on the Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Education Programs, the John R. Bourne award for Outstanding Achievement in Online Education and the NCPEA Morphet Dissertation Award. Dr. Shelton has been involved with research in online education since 1997 and has spoken at numerous conferences and workshops and advised peer institutions regarding the creation of an online education program and best practices for teaching online and faculty support. She has also served as an advisor regarding online education programs for several peer institutions.