In this talk we presented our ideal programme team, current onboarding process for teachers and students, valuable lessons learned and reflect on the student and staff experience from a two year pilot of an innovative online programme.

1. Online Programme Team:
Roles, Induction and
Lessons Learned
Peter Windle
Waterford Institute of Technology

2. The Pilot
Programme
• Higher Diploma in Computer Science
• 2 year accelerated fully online progamme
• Currently in the second intake of students
• 2 modules per semester for three semesters
• Final semester is work placement
• The programme has a very student centric ethos
• Emphasis on being flexible for the student

3. Digital
learning
revolution
Trainer Centred Learner Centric
Formal Informal
Classroom
based
Anytime,
anywhere
Push Pull
Courses Experiences

4. Changing
Landscape of
Learning
Traditional Way Of
Thinking
• Teacher/expert led
• Content driven
• Classroom
• Theoretical
• Programmatic
New Way Of
Learning
• Learner led
• Content driven
• Collaborative
• Learning while doing
• Just in time/flexible
The sage on the stage The guide on the side

5. The Roles

6. Roles in a
traditional
programme
HEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
COURSE LEADER
LECTURER

7. Online
Programme
Team
SPONSOR COURSE LEADER SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERT
ELEARNING
DEVELOPER
LECTURER
ETUTOR PROJECT LEADER TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT
ADMINISTRATION
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
OFFICER

8. Programme Sponsor

9. Course Leader

10. Subject Matter Expert

11. eLearning Developer

12. Lecturer / Presenter

13. eTutor

14. Project Leader

15. Administrator

16. Future:
Student Experience Officer

17. Seems Like A Lot Of People?

18. Eamonn Deleastar
Course Leader
Worked closely with
the sponsor
Worked closely with
adminstratior
Subject matter
expert
Developed
eLearning material
Technical support in
creating and
supporting Tutors-ts
eTutor on his 5
credit module
Did some work on
the student
experience side too

19. Colm Dunphy
Lecturer /
Presenter /
Facilitator
Developed
eLearning
materials
Worked with two
eTutors on his 10
credit module
Worked on
student
experience too

20. Peter Windle
Project
Leader
eLearning
Developer
Technical
Support
Student
Experience

24. Staff Induction

25. Induction - Staff
• It was just another course
board meeting…
• In the words of one
lecturer - “Agreeable but
superficial”

26. Needs to better communicate the
programme ethos!

27. Future
induction
needs to
include
• Clear about expectation for each role
• What we mean by “flexible” hours -
flexible for the students not for the
lecturers
• Being available in between “regular”
hours
• Content style guides for the LMS,
Video Production and Powerpoint
slides
• Training on each of the tools used on
the course
• Communication – all slack, not email
once a week

28. Induction:
Staff
Staff induction needs to have activities to gain
lecturers understanding of the ethos, flexibility
and
Needs to happen before the timetable is finalised
to ensure lecturer’s ethos is inline with the rest of
the team’s…

29. Lessons Learned

30. Lessons
Learned
Dropout rates on online programmes are very
high compared to face to face
When it comes to studying online, students
are time poor!
Need someone keeping an eye on
engagement analytics to make early
interventions preventing dropout (especially
in the first weeks)

31. Lessons
Learned
Marking allocation for
communication – get people
talking and peer supporting
Marking allocation for weekly
quizzes to give better engagement
analytics and monitor learning

32. Lessons
Learned
Students need to be able to take
induction remotely
Students need to be able to
retake the induction (on
demand)
Whole team needs to be there
for staff induction

33. Lessons
Learned
Students can do it any time you like but
you have to set aside the time to do it
Encouraging participation in synchronous
classes
Synchronous students perform better
than asyncronous students
Chapter the YouTube videos

34. Lessons
Learned
Need student experience officer to
Proactive, social, life coaching,
work/study balance - early
intervention retention using
analytics and touchpoints

35. Lessons Learned
Need to take special account of the accelerated nature of the
programme, deliver more detailed content and interaction, at a
slower pace and still deliver everything required to meet the
learning outcomes but in less time than we’re currently doing it…

36. Lessons
Learned
There’s no time that suits all
the students
How do we deliver live classes
at a time that suits the
majority of studebts?
Can we deliver the same class
twice?

37. Lessons Learned
Need student experience
officer to Proactive, social,
life coaching, work/study
balance - early intervention
retention using analytics
and touchpoints

38. Lessons
Learned
Currently the eTutor is available at
fixed times and is based on e-
moderation.
Needs to be a call in show with a
live tutor on a video stream, not
just asking questions on Slack.
Needs to have questions in place
before going live

39. Lessons Learned
More questions in public
channels, less DMS (part of
lecture induction &
incentivised with the marking
scheme)

40. Questions