Mary Niemiec, associate vice president for distance education at the
University of Nebraska, hears all the time from faculty members and
others who believe online courses must cost less to produce than
face-to-face classes because they can be left untouched after launch.
She wants everyone who still believes that to understand why they’re
wrong.
“That’s like telling a faculty member, once you develop a syllabus, don’t worry about updating it,” Niemiec said.
At the risk of a tortured analogy, maintaining online courses is like
raising children: they need consistent care and attention, and plenty
of grooming and upgrading as they mature. Within a few years, depending
on the complexity of the course and the capacity of the institution, the
cost of those efforts can outstrip the original launch cost. (To be
clear, in this article we're talking about the cost of producing a course, as opposed to the price
charged to take it.) Online program administrators and observers
believe those investments are just as essential as the initial one --
but they don’t often come up in conversations about the cost of online
production.
Some factors out of an institution’s control play a role in cost as
well. Turnover among administrators or faculty members involved in
online course development can lead to longer and more costly processes
for keeping courses in shape, according to Vickie Cook, executive
director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the Univeristy of Illinois Springfield.
Increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity infrastructure can also drive up costs for online courses as they grow, Cook said.
This article appeared in Inside Higher Ed on July 18, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
Showing posts with label Accessibilty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accessibilty. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Friday, October 20, 2017
Downtown, UIS campus to find corridor connection
It will soon become easier for people to visit a college campus in the Springfield area.
Final approval has passed for the 11th Street Extension Corridor, which will connect downtown and the University of Illinois Springfield campus.
The city has worked on the project for several decades.
An influx of U.S. government money will pay for 80 percent of a $7 million cost.
People in the Springfield area should expect bike routes and walkable areas along the corridor, which is scheduled to be done by summer of 2018.
This article appeared on WAND on October 19, 2017.
Read the entire article online.
Final approval has passed for the 11th Street Extension Corridor, which will connect downtown and the University of Illinois Springfield campus.
The city has worked on the project for several decades.
An influx of U.S. government money will pay for 80 percent of a $7 million cost.
People in the Springfield area should expect bike routes and walkable areas along the corridor, which is scheduled to be done by summer of 2018.
This article appeared on WAND on October 19, 2017.
Read the entire article online.
Friday, October 9, 2015
UIS Disability Programs Offer Students Resources, New Outlook
Close your eyes and imagine a world where all you see is darkness and you had to rely on your other senses.
It's a tough task, but every day 285 million people in the world live their lives this way.
University of Illinois Springfield student Raven Wilson is one of those people. She's a sophomore majoring in English. "I love to read and write. I can spend hours and hours just reading. I love it."
She also loves learning. In chemistry class, Wilson listens carefully and processes everything the professor says.
Being blind doesn't stop her from having tunnel vision when it comes to accomplishing her goals. "My professor has a lot of physical models that I can feel and examine so I can understand what he's going over," said Wilson.
Raven is legally blind. She can only see light and shadows; she uses her dog Dana as her eyes. "Let's say if I'm going somewhere and I go there often, she knows where I want to go. So that's helpful. She keeps me safe. She protects me," said Wilson.
Raven is one of three blind students on the UIS campus. Her friend Jhaliyah is also blind. "We both relate in different ways. If we both have problems with homework assignments sometimes she knows things and I'll say, 'Raven how do you do this?'"
Both women say the university has a helpful staff accommodating, them every step of the way. "Extended times on exams, quiet distraction free environment and a reader and scribe for tests and quizzes," said Sarah Colby Weaver who is director of disability services at the university.
This story appeared online on WICS Newschannel 20 on October 8, 2015.
Read the entire story here.
It's a tough task, but every day 285 million people in the world live their lives this way.
University of Illinois Springfield student Raven Wilson is one of those people. She's a sophomore majoring in English. "I love to read and write. I can spend hours and hours just reading. I love it."
She also loves learning. In chemistry class, Wilson listens carefully and processes everything the professor says.
Being blind doesn't stop her from having tunnel vision when it comes to accomplishing her goals. "My professor has a lot of physical models that I can feel and examine so I can understand what he's going over," said Wilson.
Raven is legally blind. She can only see light and shadows; she uses her dog Dana as her eyes. "Let's say if I'm going somewhere and I go there often, she knows where I want to go. So that's helpful. She keeps me safe. She protects me," said Wilson.
Raven is one of three blind students on the UIS campus. Her friend Jhaliyah is also blind. "We both relate in different ways. If we both have problems with homework assignments sometimes she knows things and I'll say, 'Raven how do you do this?'"
Both women say the university has a helpful staff accommodating, them every step of the way. "Extended times on exams, quiet distraction free environment and a reader and scribe for tests and quizzes," said Sarah Colby Weaver who is director of disability services at the university.
This story appeared online on WICS Newschannel 20 on October 8, 2015.
Read the entire story here.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Campus faces accessibility issues
A number of students and faculty members with disabilities find the UIS campus less than fully accessible. Articles in the April 27, 2008, State Journal-Register outline the problem, as well as the administration's response.
Download a pdf file of the articles
20080427-sjr-Accessibility.pdf
Download a pdf file of the articles
20080427-sjr-Accessibility.pdf
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