University of California Extension Online: From Concept to Reality

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ABSTRACT
University of California Extension's online program is distinguished among online programs by its broad curriculum and its offering of certificate programs and course sequences designed for adult students seeking professional and academic study. The courses are designed for a national audience and are currently being offered largely via America Online; an Internet site was launched in March 1998. The courses feature "asynchronicity" of instruction, allowing students and instructors flexibility in their choices of when and where to participate, and interactivity through various program features that will be described. In this model, the instructor role has become that of tutor-facilitator rather than lecturer, which has implications for course design and for instructor selection and training.

This paper describes UC Extension's online program features as well as issues related to marketing, instructional design, and support services. It includes a discussion of training issues unique to online courses, early evaluation data, and student and instructor responses to the program.

KEYWORDS
Asynchronous learning networks
Computer-mediated instruction
Continuing education
Distance education
Virtual university

I. INTRODUCTION

Lifelong learning and distance education have their roots in the history of the development of higher education in the United States [1]. University extension programs began in the late 1800s as a means of extending universities to the general populace, and distance learning was an early delivery mechanism for reaching this audience.

A century later, lifelong learning has become an imperative in today's society. A 1995 study of working adults in 48 states by the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center at Washington State University found that 81% of those surveyed think that getting additional education is important for them to be successful [2]. Seventy-two percent think that, given the realities of the lives of working adults, distance education methods offer an important means of meeting their needs for continuing education [2]. Many adults already hold college degrees and need highly focused, specialized instruction that enhances their work skills and knowledge.

University of California Extension has over a century of experience designing and offering relevant, high-quality continuing education both in classroom and independent learning formats. Its experience in creating certificate programs--post-baccalaureate training that responds to adults' needs for highly focused, current knowledge that is applicable on the job--is extensive. Developing an online program has been a logical step in fulfilling our goals of reaching students where they are and using technology in program delivery.

Through its statewide Center for Media and Independent Learning (CMIL), University of California Extension launched its online course program on America Online (AOL) on January 22, 1996. With funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, CMIL developed a nine-course online Certificate Program in Hazardous Materials Management. CMIL then tested student interest in sixteen additional courses in a variety of other subject areas.

The Sloan Foundation awarded a second grant in June 1996 for the development of another 100 courses over the next two years. This grant is being implemented by UC Berkeley Extension in collaboration with CMIL. Berkeley Extension and CMIL have further committed to develop an additional 50 courses at the end of the grant period, so that 175 courses will be offered online by late 1999.

This collaboration blends UC Berkeley Extension's extensive curriculum design and program development resources with CMIL's experience and expertise in distance education. UC Berkeley Extension offers more than 30 professional certificate programs and 3,000 courses each year, logging more than 70,000 registrations [3]. The Center for Media and Independent Learning, a statewide program of University of California Extension, has offered independent learning, or correspondence, courses--increasingly with electronic options such as email and fax delivery--for more than 80 years [4]. CMIL has extensive distance education course development and publishing expertise, as well as the infrastructure for supporting distance students and instructors.

Currently 59 courses have been developed in subjects ranging from Critical Thinking to Systems Analysis and Design to Environmental Issues. Among these courses are two professional certificate programs: the Certificate Program in Computer Information Systems as well as the previously-developed Hazardous Materials Management Certificate Program. Four to six new courses are slated to open monthly. To date, more than 1,400 students have enrolled.

II. PROVIDING MORE OPTIONS TO STUDENTS

From the early stages of the development of the online program, students have praised the flexibility of studying online and have asked for more courses in this format. One student commented on "...the ability to get a recognized education in my main field of interest, without having to travel to an actual college." Others select online courses because of family obligations, job pressures or travel, physical limitations, or lack of local educational institutions.

Because of our positive experiences in the early stages of developing an online program, we set out to rapidly expand the program so that we could offer a large and broadly diversified curriculum. It was our sense that it is important to build a critical mass of courses for a broad national adult student population, in order to have a significant presence in this rapidly developing field. In addition, such a broad-scale project serves as a "testbed" to learn how the process of course development, design of meaningful learning activities, selection of appropriate software tools, and instructor training might vary among courses.

It was also our goal to move online course development into the mainstream of program development at UC Berkeley Extension, so that when curriculum specialists design a curriculum, they consider online program delivery as well as more traditional formats such as classroom instruction. The project has provided an opportunity for CMIL and UC Berkeley Extension to cooperate programmatically in combining program resources to offer new curricula, and to make additional delivery options available to students. Now, students often can choose to take a course in any of three formats: classroom, independent learning, or online. This makes a reality Frank Mayadas' prediction that "...a multiplicity of approaches is likely to co-exist in the future [5]."

We have learned a great deal in the project already, and expect to learn much more as we build the program. For example, we expect to use new developments in technology to create innovative ways of teaching. We also are conducting market research and developing new marketing strategies to promote online curricula and courses, and to reach prospective online students. Throughout the development process, evaluation is a key activity. In fact, we are continuously conducting formative evaluations of the program and refining and changing our processes in response to what we learn.

III. CURRICULUM SELECTION

In our strategy to diversify our course offerings and build critical mass in the program, we are selecting programs that have already been successful in the classroom. We also wish to provide courses in a broad range of subject areas--reflective of the scope of our traditional classroom and independent learning programs. Thus, a variety of certificate programs and shorter curricula have been identified, as well as a number of general education courses of interest to degree seekers.

Currently 59 courses are offered, including two professional certificate programs: Computer Information Systems and Hazardous Materials Management. Among those now offered or scheduled to open in the next few months are the first courses in a variety of curricula in such fields as telecommunications engineering, project management, education, creative writing, and business writing. Additional course sequences will be added as we build the program over the next two years.

Also key to a program's selection is the identification of experienced instructors who are interested in using technology in their courses. In our early feedback from instructors, they have indicated several reasons for participating in the project: interest in students, interest in their subject, and affiliation with the University of California. They also see participation as an opportunity for professional development for themselves: "Just being on the forefront of change has a lot of appeal."

IV. WHAT IS AN ONLINE COURSE?

The primary objectives of UC's online format are communication, interaction, and access to resources. Our online courses require individual study and one-on-one interaction with the course instructor and online contact with other students. They may also require online group activities. In addition to submitting course assignments to the instructor, the student participates in class discussions and other online activities designed especially for the course. The student is required to demonstrate mastery of the course material through original work on course assignments and projects and, in most courses, by sitting for a proctored final examination.

A. Course Features
Through the opening screens in our online program area, we are attempting to build a sense of community among all online students. Our goal is to provide a dynamic opening screen that engages students and prospective students in our program in a general way, providing information, interesting activities, and resources. These objectives are accomplished through various online program features [6].

Course message board: A non-real-time message board devoted to course discussion and group activities. This provides an opportunity for the student to discuss course materials, share information, and collaborate with other students and the instructor.

Electronic mail: The student submits assignments and sends questions via email to the instructor who works individually with each student throughout the course. The student can also "converse" individually with other students in the course and conduct research or collaborate on group projects with others as part of course activities.

Online resources: A variety of course-specific materials (text and software) may be posted online for student use. Links to relevant web sites are also incorporated into these materials, and the students use the Internet to conduct research for assignments, projects, and research papers.

Chat rooms: Real-time chat rooms are available for scheduled instructor office hours, class discussions, student collaborative work, and special events.

Course materials: These include an online syllabus with links to related study resources; lecture notes, which may be online or printed; textbooks; and supplementary materials such as videotapes, software, or other learning aids. Course materials that are not posted online are shipped to the student when he or she enrolls.

B. The Course Process
Students begin by reading the introduction and course overview in the course syllabus which gives them the "blueprint" for the course. They then begin their studies with the first unit, reading the instructor’s commentary, texts, supplementary readings, and exploring internet resources. They submit homework assignments to the instructor for evaluation and feedback; they engage in discussions on the message board; they may conduct research and develop projects and papers, often concurrent with other coursework and produced by the end of the course; and in most courses take a proctored final examination at the end of their study. During the course the instructor may offer office hours for real-time discussions with a student or a group of students.

The instructional process is designed to be both highly interactive and personal. Since students communicate one on one with their instructors, instructors to some extent serve as their tutors, a much more intimate process than is often experienced in classroom instruction. Additionally, students interact with one another and with the instructor in the message boards. Here instructors have opportunities to provide information, facilitate students' collaborative work, and identify resources for study. Adult students also bring a rich variety of experiences to a course. Thus, the role of the instructor in online courses is that of a tutor-facilitator, rather than one of lecturer.

These course elements allow students to study when and where they choose and also allow instructors to engage in the instructional process at their convenience. Thus, the online program provides "education on demand" via asynchronous instruction--giving students flexibility that allows them to fit coursework among other demands on their time.

V. SELECTING A SERVICE PROVIDER

A. Selecting America Online
At the outset of our project, we selected America Online (AOL) as the service provider for UC Extension Online. Because of the rapidity of technological change, we opted to focus our attentions initially on the curricular and program support components of an online program. This required that we find an appropriate existing delivery system to provide connectivity for our students and instructors.

AOL was a strong candidate for a number of reasons. Their interface is intuitive and easy to use. The system runs on all major hardware platforms and is available nationwide (and beyond). They provide technical support to users via an 800 number. Users have Internet access, and we can also provide course-specific software and services. We also have found that AOL subscribers are demographically similar to Extension students in their educational levels, income, and age.

Because AOL is market-driven, they are incorporating new technologies such as streaming audio, Java, and streaming video as the installed user base acquires equipment sophisticated enough to access them.

Linking with AOL also gives us access to their subscribers, now 12 million--an important way for us to leverage our modest marketing dollars in reaching a national audience. Those subscribers interested in education and learning are directed to the UC Extension Online program area (keyword: ucaol) through the "Research and Learn" channel, one of 21 channels on one of AOL's main screens. Thus, those AOL users interested in education have a straightforward way to reach our program site that is not so easily managed on the open Internet.

While AOL has had periods of technical difficulties (as do all ISPs from time to time), they appear to have had a negligible impact on our students and instructors. When surveyed, 83% of students reported that the technology was very easy or easy to use; only 10% found the technology difficult to use, and none reported it very difficult. We might conclude that those who found the system difficult may have been reacting to delays in accessing AOL, although it may also relate to students' familiarity with technology.

B. Launching an Internet Site
With our program infrastructure and basic processes in place, in March 1998 we built our own Internet program site [7] with essentially the same online features as the America Online program site. The site serves as a delivery mechanism primarily for courses designed for Internet-proficient audiences, for example, engineering and computer sciences. We also envision the site being particularly appropriate for delivering regional programming such as curricula and courses designed for State of California licensure or credentialing requirements; four courses for teachers will be offered in the latter half of 1998. Additionally, the option of delivering courses directly on the Internet opens international markets that currently have limited connection to AOL.

VI. MARKETING THE ONLINE PROGRAM

A. Defining What an Online Course Is
Perhaps the biggest challenge for all of us involved in developing online programs is providing to prospective students a clear understanding of the nature, features, and content of our online programs. Because online courses and curricula are relatively new on the scene, and there is considerable variety in the format, length, breadth, and quality of programs offered, it is especially important to adequately explain what a UC Extension Online course is.

Our goals in our marketing and informational materials are twofold: to build an understanding of the delivery mode--the course structure and the richness of the study experience--and to allay concerns about using technology. In order to meet these goals, we have employed a variety of approaches: we developed an eight-minute videotape that explains the features of our program and its benefits; our redesigned AOL site and our new Internet site feature a "Take a Tour" option that allows prospective students to sample the various course elements; and we provide extensive information about each course in our online course catalog. This includes the usual print catalog course description, a more detailed and extensive course outline, and information about the instructor. Additionally, we periodically hold live online chats with instructors or CMIL staff to discuss particular course content as well as program features.

B. Who is Our Audience?
UC Extension's audience is largely college-educated working adults who are seeking professional development, career change, or personal enrichment. Online students tend to be people who cannot attend regularly scheduled classes because of work or travel schedules, family commitments, or a preference to study at times and places of their own choosing. As we gather more information, it will be interesting to compare our traditional audiences with the online audience to determine what differences emerge.

More than 1,400 students have enrolled since the program's launch in January 1996. Currently, about two-thirds of the students enrolled in UC Extension Online are from California, with the remaining students from 46 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and other countries such as Russia, Mexico, Japan, and Canada. The number of students in a course can range from one or two, to more than fifty.

Figure 1. University of California Online Enrollment Distribution

Early in the project, we cross-checked 400 online enrollments against CMIL's independent learning student database. Of students enrolled, 106 previously were independent learning students, or about 25%. Thus, early indications are that we are reaching largely a new audience in the online program. We also want to ascertain how many online students have been Extension classroom students in the past; however, these comparisons may not reflect students moving from one learning approach to another. Rather, it may be that students are taking more courses as a result of having additional study options available to them. These options may meet their need for particular content (at a particular time) or their need for flexible study at a given point in their lives and careers.

VII. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

A. Curriculum Design
Each certificate program has been designed in consultation with an advisory board comprising the various stakeholders in that particular subject area. For example, when we developed the national Certificate Program in Hazardous Materials Management, we convened an advisory board of representatives from industry, the military, and regulatory agencies, University of California faculty in related subject areas, and University Extension curriculum specialists who had designed similar curricula for local offering. We engaged them in discussions about how the curriculum should be adapted for national delivery and discussed related issues such as prospective audiences and ways to reach them.

The curricula and the individual courses that comprise them are reviewed by the University of California, Berkeley. Courses and instructors must be approved by both the appropriate academic department and the Academic Senate Committee on Courses. Because online courses are a new format, the Committee on Courses has requested--and we have provided--extensive background information on research about the efficacy of distance education and the particulars of our program. Each online course submitted for approval must specify in detail how various online features are used in that particular course; in addition, the Committee wishes to review our evaluation of the courses, student learning, and other factors on an ongoing basis. Additionally, curricula are also reviewed--first by University Extension's Academic Policy Committee and then by the relevant campus academic department.

B. Course Design and Development

S1. Team Approach
We use a team approach in course design and development because over the years we have found this to be a particularly effective way to design and develop courses for distance delivery. This approach is supported by Michael Moore: "There is...a direct relationship between the quality of the [distance education] program and the quality of the design process...Distance education can only be designed and delivered with the highest quality by teams of specialists" [8]. Team members include the curriculum developer, the course author, an instructional designer, a course editor, and a technical staff person. The team approach becomes even more critical when technological delivery is added into the mix: not only do technical staff get involved in course development at an early stage, it is also essential that course authors understand how the online features can be used effectively in the learning activities of the courses.

This latter point is particularly critical and has important pedagogical implications: in our experience, if a course author is willing to use technology but has little experience doing so, he or she can have considerable difficulty developing meaningful learning activities using online course features. An instructional designer well-versed in the capabilities of the online features can provide valuable assistance to the course author in designing an online course that takes optimum advantage of the various online program elements.

2. Course Redesign
Based on early feedback from students and instructors, and from our own observations and goals for the project, we have already redesigned our courses to more thoroughly integrate online activities in the course structure. Similar experiences have also been reported by other ALN programs: we found limited group interactions taking place in the absence of requiring such interaction as a part of the students' course grades. Thus, we are incorporating discussion activities directly into the course design and making such activity part of the course grade. In the redesigned courses, students now access an online syllabus which describes in relatively telegraphic fashion the various steps they need to take to complete each course segment. Lecture notes now are separated from the syllabus and are linked in from the software library for the course.

3. Asynchronous and Cohort Models
While we continue to offer the majority of courses in a fully asynchronous format, some curriculum specialists and instructors have wanted to offer courses in a cohort model, where students must enroll by a particular date and complete within a specified, short time frame. In order to test the efficacy of the model, we are developing a few courses in this format. At the outset, there are certain advantages to this arrangement. It allows us to have a more substantial number of students engaged in the course in a given time period which can allow more synchronized group activities and give us a larger "critical mass" to engage in discussion. There may also be benefits in pacing students, such as improved completion rates. Instructors are not required to make an open-ended teaching commitment in this format.

Asynchronous courses require more students to be enrolled in order to sustain robust group interactions since the students can be at different points in the course at the same time. This model requires different sorts of group exercises, ones that do not require the students to be at the same place in the course at the same time. Moore and Kearsley note that learner-learner interactions are a relatively new element in distance education [9], and so we must think in new ways about the course interactions we wish students to engage in. These group interactions can take the form of informal discussions, topical or other structured discussions, building projects or papers online, peer editing, brainstorming, and case study analysis, for example. Of course, some of these same activities can occur in cohort courses as well, but in addition, in cohort courses small groups can form at the beginning of the course and continue as a team throughout. Asynchronous courses can also incorporate small group work, but the groups have to be formed for each separate exercise, as students reach that point in the course. The key is using creativity and variety in structuring meaningful group activities.

There are also drawbacks to the cohort model. Because of the up-front course development necessary for program delivery, it may be difficult to recoup the investment in a course that is offered only at a few scheduled times and draws fewer students than is possible with ongoing, asynchronous delivery. Instructor retention may prove to be problematic, given the periodic nature of the course. This could result in the need to identify replacement instructors on a more frequent basis which, in our experience, also often leads to course revision as the replacement instructor modifies the course to match his or her preferences; such modification has associated costs.

Another question to which an answer is not clear is how, or if, the cohort model will affect enrollment in the course: will more students be compelled to enroll because of the deadline, or will restrictions on registration hinder enrollment over time? Our experience to date indicates that effective marketing approaches for the two formats differ considerably.

It is also possible that interest in the cohort model is in some instances an attempt to mimic the classroom in online courses rather than take advantage of the unique features of asynchronous online instruction; this may be the case when instructors are not conversant with technology and do not fully understand online course features and capabilities. So that the use of the cohort model is indeed tied to pedagogically sound objectives, we engage the course authors in discussions with the instructional designers at the very early stages of course development. As with television courses before them, online programs will suffer to the extent that classroom instruction is simply "ported" to the online environment. It is critical to take advantage of the technology and develop new and different interactions and learning activities.

4. What's Possible Versus What's Practical
Selection of the format of course elements is driven by our goal of making courses widely accessible nationally and serving our students well. A critical element is providing instruction in formats that students can access with the equipment they have available. Thus, we currently provide video material on videotapes rather than via streaming video online due to bandwidth considerations. Given the rapid evolution of technology, however, we constantly reevaluate these decisions and will change the mode of delivery of particular course elements as appropriate.

VIII. TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT

A. AOL Interface Design
The design of an engaging and informative online program area is key to the success of UC Extension Online. To this end, we have redesigned our AOL program area to be more dynamic and interesting to browsers, and to be more functional and intuitive to students. In addition to making our screens appealing graphically, we have designed a variety of screen elements whose content will change frequently. Our Internet site has similar functionality.

1. Features Accessible to the Public
The program's main screen (See Figure 2) is accessible to anyone who browses AOL (keyword: ucaol).

Figure 2. The Program’s Main Screen.

Course Catalog. The world icon next to this selection on the main screen revolves, to catch the browser's eye. The online catalog features extensive information about each course--the typical course description found in our print promotions, a more detailed course outline, and information about the instructor--much more than we could provide in a print catalog due to the mailing and printing costs.

Take a Tour. As mentioned previously, one challenge is illustrating for prospective students what the features of our online courses are and how the courses work. The "Take a Tour" feature allows browsers to gain a fuller understanding of UC Extension's online courses [6].

UC Gazette. Designed to be an online newspaper or magazine, the "UC Gazette" features articles about courses and instructors; other interesting information about the program, Extension, and the University; and student work. In a special area called "Features," we post special announcements, surveys, and other noteworthy information. Our goal is to change publicly accessible content sufficiently often so that browsers will want to return to the site regularly.

What's New. Here we highlight new courses, upcoming live chats, and other noteworthy Extension and University events.

Public Library. This is a resource area available to all browsers which includes materials and Internet sites selected for various courses. Prospective students who browse a particular article or Internet reference are reminded of the course or courses to which those materials are pertinent.

Orientation. This is an area of general information about our program, including FAQs and program policies. Prospective students can also query staff directly from this area with questions.

Registration. Students can enroll directly from this site. They complete an online enrollment form, providing their credit card information via AOL's secure system, and receive confirmation from our office within 24 hours.

2. Features for Enrolled Students
Classrooms. One of our goals is to have a project that is scalable. By developing a common structure for courses, we can more quickly and efficiently develop courses, and students know what to expect in each course in our program.

Upon enrollment, students are given access to their classroom. Each course has an opening screen (see Figure 3); immediately under the course name is dynamic text that can be changed as needed.

Figure 3. Opening Screen for a Course.

The course syllabus is posted online, linking to materials in the "Resources" area. Resources include the course lecture notes and can also include materials and software specifically provided for the course, as well as relevant Web links. The Message Board is the site of most class discussion, in an asynchronous format. The Chat button allows for instructor office hours as well as providing the opportunity for students to interact in real time among themselves for small group projects. Students can also send email to their instructor directly from this screen.

B. Internet Site Design
While visually somewhat different, the same course features are found on our new Internet site. The interface design is crisper and bolder than AOL's design to ensure that the page loads quickly; our goal of an easy-to-use interface remained paramount in the design of the new site.

1. Main Screen
All the areas on the opening screen (see Figure 4) are accessible by anyone logging onto our site, with the exception of the password-protected classrooms. Students are able to enroll directly via a secure online enrollment form.

Figure 4. Opening Screen for the Internet Site.

2. Internet Classroom
Again, the Internet classroom has many of the same features as the AOL classroom, with message board, email, and chat features in the top navigation bar and resources linked into the course syllabus which appears on the left side of the screen. On this site, however, we structure the course content somewhat differently, incorporating the class notes into the body of the course unit rather than linking to it and dividing the notes into manageable chunks for ease of reading online. Other course resources such as Internet resources and other class materials are linked at appropriate point.

IX. INSTRUCTOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Critical to the success of our program is identifying and developing effective online instructors. We therefore have employed a variety of techniques to provide support and guidance to instructors as they prepare to teach online.

Figure 5. Instructor Introduction Page

A. Orientation Sessions
We have conducted a number of group orientation sessions for University Extension curriculum specialists and instructors. While group sessions are useful in providing general information and demonstrations, it is our experience that individual instructors have widely varying needs based on their experience with technology and their personal learning styles. Thus, we also have provided extensive individual training as needed.

B. Hands-on Training
We also have provided technical training in both group and individual formats. Again, individual attention appears to be needed to assist instructors in becoming conversant with the program features and processes. Because there is no uniformity among instructors with regard to equipment and software, a variety of unique technical problems can occur. Often questions arise as instructors begin to actually teach online; for example, receiving and sending files has been troublesome for some instructors and students while others have no difficulties.

C. Message Board
On our AOL site, we provide an online asynchronous message board for instructors so they can share information and discuss common problems. We also provide information and suggestions. This is also a way for us to model discussion activities for new instructors, so they can see the possibilities for group interaction in their courses.

D. Instructor Compensation
Instructors are paid to develop the course and to develop message board threads and design message board activities. Instructors are then paid separately for teaching the course. They receive a set fee when each student begins his or her studies in recognition of the additional workload required for informal email interaction and participation in the message boards. Then they are paid for the evaluation of assignments and examinations, as the work is done.

X. SUPPORT SERVICES

A. Students
Students studying at a distance need access to knowledgeable staff who can answer a variety of questions, some related to the course they're taking and others related to broader administrative or academic issues. Often in a classroom setting, the instructor supplies much of this support; however, at a distance, instructors are more focused on course content rather than administrative details. It is therefore important that program staff provide information, respond to questions, and provide the personalization needed to ensure that students feel a part of an academic process.

Providing information and assisting students in course selection is the beginning point of our contact with prospective students. It is critical that correct information be given in a timely, helpful manner. In order to respond efficiently to students' questions online, we have developed template responses to frequently-asked questions which we can call up and tailor to the individual inquiry. This allows us to respond to online questions within 24 hours of receipt. Staff are engaged with students throughout their studies: they respond to questions and resolve problems, monitor the frequency and nature of instructor feedback, schedule proctored final examinations, and help with technical questions.

In order to provide effective support services to online students, we have expanded and adapted our existing independent learning support infrastructure. Customer services staff now respond to our online students in addition to our more than 3,000 independent learning students. Twelve staff members provide information, advising, registration, fulfillment, records management, and course support services. In addition, it is critical that all departmental units, from course design to technical services to customer service, communicate in order to ensure that we provide the best possible service to students. As seasoned distance education administrators have noted, "The complexity of most [distance education] operations requires effective, ongoing communication among the various sections of the department if student needs are to be met," [10].

B. Instructors
Instructors also require support as they work with students at a distance. They copy our office on email responses to students so that we can track course activity and resolve problems. We work with instructors to arrange substitutes when they plan to be unavailable (for vacations, illnesses, and the like) and to notify students of any special situations that arise. If they have technical problems or questions, we respond. Our overarching goal is to aid instructors in providing a meaningful learning experience to our students.

XI. EVALUATION

Our formative evaluation has already resulted in changes in our course design and constantly informs our program's development (for example, the AOL screen redesign). Comprehensive surveys of our students and instructors are ongoing, and we continue to assess our course design, processes, and systems for improvement.

A. Student Evaluations and Feedback
We have also queried students about a variety of factors as the program has evolved. Early evaluation data follows and is based on two surveys; one of 60 responses to 142 surveys distributed in 1996 and 1997 (Survey 1), and the second a survey of 76 students who had completed significant coursework and to which 31 students responded, completed in Summer 1997 (Survey 2). The survey used in the latter evaluation [11] currently is being distributed to students who have enrolled since that time, and the results will be discussed at the ALN conference this November.

1. Motivation factors.
In both surveys, course content was the primary motivating factor in students' selection of courses. The use of technology, program format, and the University of California's reputation appear to be significant secondary factors in decision-making while recommendations from colleagues or supervisors do not appear to be relevant.

Table 1. Comparison of Motivation Factors

2. Experience with computers.
When we began the project, the proportion of students describing themselves as novices was 18%, as compared to only 5% in 1997. Those students who consider themselves somewhat experienced with computers has grown, to 50% as compared with 36% in the early stages of the project. The "very experienced" category has stayed the same, 45%. This may very well reflect the general trend of increased computer use, so that our students are gaining more experience with computers over time.

Table 2. Comparison of Experience with Computers

3. Preferred communication method.
Students overwhelmingly prefer communicating electronically. Telephone is the next most preferred method; however, it is a distant second, followed by fax and mail communication.

Table 3. Comparison of Preferred Communication Method

4. Student feedback.
Students find the asynchronous online course format exciting and note that it accommodates their busy schedules and their need for flexible study options. In Survey 2, almost two-thirds (63%) reported that they felt the use of technology enhanced the course, while 33% felt technology had no effect on the course. Only one student (3%) felt technology detracted from the course.

Early surveys indicated that students preferred more intense online interaction than they experienced in our early course model. We have addressed that concern in the redesigned course structure which more thoroughly integrates online activities throughout the course. We found limited group interactions taking place in the absence of requiring such interaction as a part of the students' course grades; similar experiences have also been reported by other online programs.

Other factors may relate to the low group interaction observed in the early stages of the project. From our instructor evaluation (see B. Instructors Feedback below), it is clear that, despite our extensive efforts to train them in using technology, some instructors’ lack of familiarity and proficiency with the online medium may be impeding robust online interactions. We expect improvement with the redesign of the original courses and implementation of the new design model for new courses, and as instructors gain online experience; however, instructors’ lack of technical skill (and possibly inexperience with distance learning generally) may have been a contributing factor to the lack of group interaction in the early stages of this project.

It is also possible that there simply will be limits on how much time both students and instructors can make available to participate in group activities, particularly any activities not specifically required and graded. Since our students and instructors are typically working adults, they have many demands on their time and may have constraints on the level of activity in which they are willing to engage.

Students have indicated that they are meeting life goals like degree completion, professional development, or career change. They are very satisfied with the program: 90% of students reported that they would take another class and would recommend the program to others.

When we asked students about their preference of course formats, the responses predictably indicated a preference for online study. However, the responses to the remaining choices were unusually evenly distributed, and when we remove online courses from the selection, the remaining choices are notably evenly preferred. This finding bears out the hypothesis that students choose various study formats as their circumstances require; thus, students who are predisposed to lifelong learning will avail themselves of various formats at different points in their lives and careers.

Table 4. Student Learning Preferences

B. Instructor Feedback
When asked what their expectations are for the online experience, instructors have indicated that they expect to see enhanced interaction in the courses and faster turnaround time in these interactions. They also find the student-student and group interaction capabilities to be an important program feature, and feel that the variety and extent of online resources that can be made available will enrich their courses. Their motivations for participating in the program are an interest in their subject, an interest in students, and an interest in technology. Instructors see participation in online course development as an opportunity for professional development themselves. Subsequent interviews have underscored these early expectations and provided more information based on experience with online instruction.

When we queried instructors about the workload of teaching online courses, the majority rated the workload for teaching online courses to be heavier than for classroom courses. Yet we received variable feedback on this point: some instructors indicated that the work was neither easier nor hard, but simply different and initially more challenging. Others felt that the workload is both more and less; while some aspects are much faster due to word processing features, other aspects are more labor intensive. Most reported that the learning curve for effectively participating as an online instructor is significant.

It is clear from the instructor feedback we have received that ongoing instructor development, using all mechanisms available to us, is paramount. It appears that the major constraints to instructors being effective and more extensively exploiting online resources are lack of time to explore and lack of familiarity with how best to incorporate the resources with course objectives. It is important to note that this early feedback came from instructors who worked with the first iteration of our course design; our current course design has addressed the issue of more effective incorporation of online resources. We can address the latter issue of lack of familiarity as we work with instructors in the course design and revision processes and as we help them gain online experience; however, addressing the first point—that of the time it takes to scale the "learning curve"—is beyond our control. Clearly instructors have self-selected to participate in the project on the basis of their interest in learning about using technology in instruction and for reasons of professional development; however, as they actually experience the reality of the time commitment that requires, some instructors may opt out of participation. Our challenge is to capitalize on instructors’ interest in learning to use technology and support them while they expend the effort necessary to become proficient in online teaching.

Despite the inevitable technical challenges, and with the support of the UC Extension Online staff, instructors who participated in the interviews are overwhelmingly in favor of online instruction, and enthusiastic about being part of this initiative.

XII. CHALLENGES

A. Helping Students Get Started and Stay Motivated
One of the challenges identified in the early stages of the online project is that of aiding students in beginning their studies and motivating them to complete the courses. This has implications for course design and technical interface design, that is, ensuring that course materials are clear and the course structure is easy to navigate. Additionally, it has implications for instructional techniques as well as student support services.

In June 1997, we reviewed the records of 514 students whose enrollments were active. We found no significant difference between the status of online and independent learning students: in each group, almost half were in progress and the other half had not yet begun ("nonstarts"). We then examined how long the nonstarts had been enrolled, in order to better interpret the nonstart data. We found that online nonstarts were split almost half and half between those enrolled for more than six months and those enrolled for less than six months. Traditional independent learning nonstarts, on the other hand, showed about one-third enrolled for more than six months and two-thirds enrolled for a shorter time. It therefore appears that independent learning students engage more quickly in their courses; thus, additional factors may be affecting online students’ willingness or ability to engage in study—an area requiring further research.

Table 5. Comparison of Online and Independent Learning Students

To learn more about the reasons for their noncompletion, we conducted a telephone survey of a small random sample (n=12) of students in online and independent learning courses whose enrollments terminated. All twelve students reported professional and personal reasons for not completing their coursework; in addition, one reported technical problems and two cited problems with their courses. This is consistent with earlier information gathered regarding why students were not engaging promptly in coursework. In our earlier survey, we asked for feedback regarding why students had not yet begun, where that was the case, and most frequently got responses that indicated difficulties in fitting coursework into their schedules. One student said, "You know, life gets in the way sometimes." The tendency to postpone work on assignments and other forms of online participation also has been reported by other online programs [12].

Notably, nine of the twelve students surveyed indicated interest in taking another course and willingness to recommend the courses to friends, further corroborating the idea that they do not consider their inability to complete their coursework to be related to the courses themselves. This group categorized themselves as "somewhat proficient" with computers; there are fewer power users in this group, perhaps indicating a lower level of computer skill. In other factors related to computer use, such as amount of time logged on, this group responds similarly to the students actively engaged in their studies. One interesting difference emerges: while these students show interest in a variety of course formats, as did students in our more extensive survey, the online students show a clear preference for studying online. Further research is needed to see if these preliminary findings persist.

This data has implications for strategies we might employ to aid students in beginning their studies. We have instituted periodic communication with students to build a sense of community and provide study tips and other encouragements. We continue to examine and refine our course materials and processes to ensure that obstacles to student progress are removed. We are adding an academic specialist to oversee course instruction, monitoring students' progress and coaching instructors in optimal use of online instructional techniques. Effective August 1, 1998, we are reducing the enrollment period for online courses to six months rather than twelve. Our expectation is that the shorter enrollment period will encourage online students to pace themselves more carefully.

Other factors that may relate to student progress are student learning styles, the active nature of the online learning process, and student goals. Picciano cites maturity and academic preparedness as desirable attributes of online students [13].

B. Finding and Keeping Instructors
Critical to the success of the program is identifying, training, coaching, and supporting instructors who respond effectively to the online environment. In addition to course content expertise, instructors need to be willing to learn to use appropriate technology, explore online resources, engage in an ongoing instructional program, and work with students individually as well as in group activities. In some instances, instructors who are excellent in the classroom do not make the transition to online instruction well; any of the elements noted above may pose difficulties. Effective instructor selection is critical, because considerable time is invested in both the online course development process and in assisting the instructor to develop the requisite technological skills.

Because the program is online, however, we are not limited to recruiting instructors from the immediate region. We can search worldwide for instructors with the appropriate background and experience to participate in the program.

C. Effective Marketing
Planning and conducting an effective national (and eventually international) marketing campaign of a new program requires considerable staff and financial resources. While linking with the largest commercial online service provider, AOL, gives the program visibility nationally, it is only one part of an effective promotional effort. Program marketing efforts to date have included press releases, direct mail, and advertisements in magazines and newspapers as well as electronic marketing: a Web site, online advertising, links to search engines and newsgroups, and AOL promotion.

The most successful promotional efforts thus far have been AOL promotion and coverage in the UC Berkeley Extension print catalog. Our news releases also receive good exposure in print, radio, and even television.

Direct mail promotion has only been successful if mailed to a very targeted market. In our case, the mailing lists that brought in the best results were of those individuals who had already inquired about the online program. Print ads appear to be successful only if in a very targeted publication, such as a distance learning guide.

Our focus for the immediate future is to maintain our visibility on AOL, and to begin to advertise on the Internet as well. We are also increasing our visibility in all of our print catalogs. We plan to establish an electronic mailing list, to keep our current and potential students actively informed of events, upcoming new courses, and other information.

D. Developing Models of Cost Effectiveness
Our goal is to sustain the online program, including revising and maintaining existing courses, developing new courses, and funding program marketing and support from the income generated by the program enrollment fees. This will require streamlining processes and effecting economies of scale as the program grows.

We currently are budgeting $20,000 per course. However, the per-course development cost is extremely variable depending upon the scope of the course; the amount of instructional design, writing, and editing required; the technological features incorporated; the abilities of the instructor in writing appropriate course notes, identifying Web resources, and developing other course features such as message board threads; and the extent of coordination of team members.

XIII. CONCLUSIONS

We join our ALN colleagues in charting new territories with online program development. UC Extension Online's goal is to reach 5,000 enrollments by the end of the millennium in at least 175 courses and to develop a self-sustaining program that provides high quality learning experiences for our students. We expect to learn much from both our successes and our mistakes along the way. This paper is an attempt to share with the wider ALN community some of the early observations and experiences we have had. We look forward to learning from others and to sharing additional information as our program evolves.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

UC Extension's online project has been substantially supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. We extend special thanks to Dr. Frank Mayadas for his support and encouragement.

REFERENCES

1. Watkins, B. L., The Road to University Extension, in Watkins, B. L. and Wright, S. J., eds., The Foundations of American Distance Education: A Century of Collegiate Correspondence Study, Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2, 1991.
2. Christenson, J., Dillman, D., Salant, P. And Warner, P., What the Public Wants from Higher Education: Workforce Implications from a 1995 National Survey, Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, Technical Report #95-52.
3. UC Berkeley Extension Home Page, http://www.unex.berkeley.edu:4243/
4. UC Extension, Center for Media and Independent Learning Home Page, http://www-cmil.unex.berkeley.edu/
5. Mayadas, F., Asynchronous Learning Networks: A Sloan Foundation Perspective, Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Vol. 1, Issue1, 1997.
6. Take a Tour, http://www-cmil.unex.berkeley.edu/online/tat/
7. UC Extension Online Home Page, http://learn.berkeley.edu/
8. Moore, M., Quality in Distance Education: Four Cases, The American Journal of Distance Education, 11, 6, 1997.
9. Moore, M. G., and Kearsley, G., Distance Education: A Systems View, Wadsworth Publishing Co., 131, 1996.
10. Malan, R. F., Rigby, D. S., and Glines, L. J., Support Services for the Independent Study Student, in Watkins, B. L. and Wright, S. J., eds., The Foundations of American Distance Education: A Century of Collegiate Correspondence Study, Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 168, 1991.
11. Online Student Survey, http://www-cmil.unex.berkeley.edu/survey.html
12. Hiltz, S. R., The Virtual Classroom: Learning Without Limits via Computer Networks, Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp., 171, 1994.
13. Picciano, A. G., Developing an Asynchronous Course Model at a Large, Urban University, Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Vol.2, Issue 1, 1998.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Beth Almeda is Director of University of California Extension's Center for Media and Independent Learning in Berkeley. She has twenty years of experience in the field of distance education. Ms. Almeda has been a leader in UC Extension's movement into the online arena. She has had a major role in shaping the online program and overseeing its development since its inception. In addition to the online program, she sets strategic directions, develops new program directions, and manages the design, production, implementation, and marketing of some 200 independent learning courses and the acquisition, sales, and rental of more than 3,000 media titles.

A graduate of Duke University where she received her Bachelors' and Masters' degrees, Ms. Almeda was President of the American Association for Collegiate Independent Study in 1996 and also has held leadership positions in UCEA's Division of Independent Study which honored her with its highest individual award, the Gayle B. Childs Award, in 1993.