View Effective Practices for Access

• Rapid Transfer Credit Reporting
  Saint Leo University found ways to produce rapid responses to applicants, and to create program outlines for degree completion that include thousands of sources of equivalent transfer credit. -- more...
  
• A Systems Approach to Online Learning
  Rio Salado College works as a system to support its distance/online program. -- more...
  
• Access to Online Support Services
  Pace University supports students with providing technical assistance, pertinent information and tutoring services. -- more...
  
• Electronic Document Delivery
  University of Maryland University College's Electronic Delivery service allows UMUC students and faculty to access journal articles and book chapters. -- more...
  
• Common Application Form
  Kentucky Virtual University (KYVU) enables students from participating institutions to register for KYVU courses using a common online registration form. -- more...
  
• Course Wizards: Successful Students as Tutors, Facilitators, and Role Models
  Mercy College uses "course wizards" to make its students more comfortable about asking for assistance. -- more...
  
• Test Proctoring for Online Students
  Florida State University has revamped the proctoring process to provide a secure testing environment for FSU students. -- more...
  
• Online Services: Getting the Word Out In Person
  Associate Registrar Bob Baer conducts in-person workshops regularly to inform others on how to utilize Community College of Baltimore County, Essex Campus's web-based services. -- more...
  
• Web-Based Student Services for Online Learners -- Resources
  The Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET) provides students with time- and location-independent support services. -- more...
  
• Anywhere, Anytime Tutoring in Real Time
  SMARTHINKING provides various one-on-one online tutoring services to students. -- more...
  
• The Power of Community: Increasing Access through Online Activities and Involvement Opportunities
  Saint Leo University has developed an online platform to facilitate student involvement, community, activity, and other opportunities. -- more...
  
• Online Mentor Performance Reporting
  Florida State University's online mentor performance reporting system enables FSU to effectively evaluate the services provided. Online students rate their mentors via webforms for rapid feedback during the semester. The feedback influences management and training of mentors, yielding high satifaction, retention, and success rates at FSU. -- more...
  
• Making Distance Courses Accessible to Students with Disabilities
  The University of Washington's DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center promotes the accessible design of online courses nationwide. DO-IT, the UW Access Technology Lab, and the UW Distance Learning program have demonstrated an effective practice in this area. -- more...
  
• Live Online Interactive Library Services -- Statewide
  Maryland residents and students can access 24/7 live online interactive library services through AskUsNow, a service which uses the expertise of librarians to provide answers to questions, research guidance, and help navigating the Internet. -- more...
  
• One-Click Access to Student Services and Resources from Online Courses
  Online learning makes integrating student services and resources into courses much easier than with traditional place-based methods. The University of Phoenix's Student Resource Page allows one-click access to many student services and resources from online courses, providing one example of how these can be seamlessly meshed in an online learning environment. -- more...
  
• Live Online Interactive Library Services -- Nationwide
  24/7 Reference enables patrons of participating libraries to access 24/7 live online interactive library services. Library patrons can ask questions and get answers, in real time, on the Internet, from live expert librarians and reference staff. -- more...
  
• Providing anytime, anywhere online access to higher education for a highly mobile learner population.
  eArmyU allows U.S. Army Soldiers unprecedented access to all the resources needed to pursue higher education while simultaneously serving in a demanding work environment. -- more...
  

• Flexible Enrollment Options
  Flexible enrollment options at Washington State University offer learners choices and control of their pace of learning. -- more...
  
• Using Streaming Technologies to Publish Course Descriptions, Faculty Bios and Student Testimonials
  Washington State University's Distance Degree Programs unit produces and publishes course previews, faculty bios and student testimonials in close-captioned streaming audio with revolving photos, allowing students an opportunity to quickly and easily see and hear the fine details of WSU-DDP online courses. -- more...
  
• Course Information Access for Prospective Students
  Northern Virginia Community College employs several strategies to provide online course information for prospective students. -- more...
  
• Continuous Enrollment and Expandable Course Sections
  Northern Virginia Community College offers continuous enrollment throughout the semester and expandable course sections to improve access. -- more...
  
• Open Source E-learning Platform (Uni Open Platform)
  FernUniversitat Hagen developed Uni Open Platform, which is a complete e-learning environment tailored for educational institutions. -- more...
  
• Facilitating Access by Reducing the Need for Plug-ins
  University of Illinois - Springfield uses Impatica to eliminate the need for plug-ins by converting PowerPoint lectures into streaming Java presentations. -- more...
  

• Online Access to Faculty Technology Training Opportunities via the Faculty Online Technology Training Consortium (FOTTC)
  The Maryland Faculty Online web site provides technology training opportunities to higher education faculty. -- more...
  
• Online Access to Learning Resources and Activities via Project Synergy
  The Maryland Faculty Online web site provides online access to a collection of interactive learning objects in six key discipline areas. -- more...
  
• Country-Wide Training in University Pedagogy and ICT
  The Finnish Virtual University has launched a comprehensive training program for Finland's university-level teachers. -- more...
  
• Making Online Learning Accessible -- Guidance for Faculty and Staff
  University of Maryland University College (UMUC)'s Accessibility in Distance Education (ADE) site addresses accessibility issues in online courses. -- more...
  
• LeTTOL: Learning to Teach Online Program
  The Learning to Teach Online (LeTTOL) program at The Sheffield College helps participants gain the skills they need to develop and deliver online courses. -- more...
  

• Faculty-Staff-Student Partnerships Support Production of Learning Objects
  Atlantic Cape Community College trains Digital Media Assistants to produce reusable and shareable learning objects for online courses. -- more...
  
• Creating Skilled Lifelong Global Learners: Fairleigh Dickinson's Distance Learning Initiative
  Fairleigh Dickinson University requires all of its undergraduates to take one online course per 32 credits of study. -- more...
  
• Electronic Portfolios in a Teaching Credential Program
  The University of California-Riverside (UCR) Graduate School of Education uses ePortfolios in its teaching credential program. -- more...
  
• Online Case-Based Role Play: The Doctor's Dilemma
  The Doctor's Dilemma interactive medical ethics program uses text- and photo-based material to explore "complex or controversial issues found in contemporary medical practice." -- more...
  
• Chemistry Laboratories for Science Majors in Distance Learning Courses
  Northern Virginia Community College's distance chemistry courses use home laboratories, computer exercises, field trips, and college laboratories to improve access and learning experience. -- more...
  
• Virtual Electronics Laboratories
  The virtual microelectronics laboratory at the University of Virginia uses visual representations of microelectronics devices to help students internalize concepts. -- more...
  
• Virtual ChemLab
  Brigham Young University's Virtual ChemLab simulates a complete instructional laboratory environment to provide learners with effective laboratory learning experiences. -- more...
  
• An Online Foundation for Course Content: Virtual Textbooks, Web Hot Spots, and Weekly Newsflashes
  University of Massachusetts Lowell offers The Virtual Textbook (VT), which provides valuable online resources to the students. -- more...
  
• Open Access to Scientific Journals Online = More Equitable Access
  At Davidson College, open-access scientific journals provide improved and more equitable access to primary research papers as learning resources. Using primary published research results can enhance student learning by supporting instructional strategies which emphasize development of critical and other higher-order thinking skills. -- more...
  
• Discipline-Specific Online Writing Lab with 24/7 Access and Asynchronous Peer Tutoring
  The Rogue Community College Online Writing Lab is a unique, multi-discipline, online writing assistance resource designed to equalize access for all students, across all digital boundaries. Its design and content is flexible and transferable, and provides a cost-effective vehicle for addressing a variety of needs at myriad institutions. -- more...
  
• Integrated Laboratory Network: Better Access to Scientific Instrumentation
  Western Washington University's Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) provides access to scientific instrumentation and expertise anytime, and from anywhere by allowing students and researchers to operate instruments located at different campus locations from any Internet-equipped computer. The ILN also enables direct exchange of information, data, access to expertise, and classroom material. The ILN is conceived as a model for the virtual laboratory of the future, enabling learners and teachers to apply the philosophy that science is a dynamic, iterative, ongoing, and collaborative process. -- more...
  
• University System-Wide Access to Online Learning Communities
  State University of New York Learning Network's courses emphasize the importance of interactions between student and faculty and increase student access to available learning resources. -- more...
  
• Connecting Graduate Students to Virtual Guests Through Asynchronous Discussions
  At a Rice University graduate-level College of Education course titled "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum," virtual guest speakers/experts were invited to address a variety of educational needs through web-based conferencing and discussion forums, providing unique opportunities for higher education faculty to rethink the resources that are available to them and re-envision their pedagogical techniques. The virtual guests hosted asynchronous interactive discussions with students in the course for a specified period of time. These technologies provided students with the ability to interact with guests in new ways by expressing individual concerns and discussing them without time and place constraints. -- more...
  
• A Consortial Approach to Providing Online Electronic Library Resources
  Maryland Digital Library (MDL) helps Maryland higher education institutions by providing access to essential library services and information. -- more...
  
• Preparing Students to Succeed: Online
  Boise State University's IPT Department's "boot camp" is an asynchronous online training program that teaches students the technical and asynchronous learning skills. -- more...
  
• Courselets: Improving Learning Resource Access
  Stanford University offers courselets, self-contained, integrated sets of learning materials, to enhance the learning experience for students and reduce the demand for faculty time. -- more...
  
• Modeling Experiential Learning and Exemplary Standards
  Harvard University illustrates that modeling experiential learning and exemplary standards can provide effective learning experiences. -- more...
  
• Used Books: Buying and Selling Made Easy
  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's undergraduate course list page allows students to buy or sell back their books online. -- more...
  
• Anytime Anywhere Chemistry Experience
  Home-based science laboratories enable The University of Colorado at Denver (UCD) to offer lab-based science courses in online and hybrid formats. -- more...
  

• The Real-Time Case Method: Access to Real-Time, Real-World Cases
  University of Massachusetts uses the Real-Time Case Method (RCTM) to overcome the limitations of the conventional case method by providing extended, in-depth coverage and real-time interactivity with the case company. -- more...
  
• Driving Systemic Change: A Team-Based Approach That Supports High Learner Enrollments
  The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Breakthrough Series employs a sophisticated collaborative, team-based, blended learning approach to reach large numbers of learners. The model enables panels of five to eight experts to support dozens of learning teams simultaneously in one Collaborative project. Since 1995, the IHI Breakthrough Series Collaborative has enabled thousands of health care teams to achieve dramatic results in reducing costs and improving quality. -- more...
  
• Time Windows with Mid-Week Start/End Frames for Course Assignments
  Online courses at Pace University often require students to complete assignments within a specified "time window." Using "mid-week" start and end dates instead of weekend start/end frames is a simple, easy-to-implement practice which can make it much easier for students to complete assignments within specified time frames. -- more...
  
• Personal/Professional Development Center Model Used for Planning the Development and Implementation of Hybrid Non-Credit Programs
  Michigan State University's MSU Global unit has created an effective Personal/Professional Development Center Model for planning the development and implementation of hybrid non-credit programs and "Institutes" for offering personal enrichment and/or professional development courses and learning experiences to niche audiences. -- more...
  
• FlexNet: Improving Access by Maximizing Utilization of Physical Facilities
  The University of Phoenix's FlexNet uses a hybrid design to maximize facilities utilization and improve access. -- more...
  
• Converting 'On-the-Fly' Classroom Lecture to Online Format for Residential Students
  A Pennsylvania State journalism professor's experience illustrates how a classroom lecture course can be transformed into an effective online course 'on-the-fly'. -- more...
  
• Event-Centered, Online-Supported Delivery Model
  To enrich students' learning experience, Michigan State University Global Institute Global's online delivery model combines in-person events with online learning opportunities and resources. -- more...
  

• Visualizing the Enrollment Procedure
  By summarizing the enrollment procedure in a flowchart, Boise State University simplifies the registration process. -- more...
  
• University/Industry Partnership
  Pace University formed a partnership with CAEL and the telecommunications industry and collaborated on a degree that benefits telecommunications employees, their employers, and the University. -- more...
  
• Access Means A Smooth Connection to Information, Programs, and Services.
  Pennsylvania State University World Campus website responds appropriately to users, emphasizes service, and projects a distinctive identity. -- more...
  
• Instructor-Led Online Learning for Adult Voluntary Learners
  Rochester Institute of Technology demonstrates that instructor-led online learning is an effective way for "non-traditional responders" to acquire "just in case" job-related knowledge. -- more...
  
• Graduate Engineering Certificate Programs Online: University/Association Partnership
  Stevens Institute of Technology, in partnership with several scholarly global organizations, offers several online engineering certificate programs. -- more...
  
• mLearning: Mobile Learning: A University In Your Pocket?
  Two pilot projects at the University of Helsinki demonstrate the potential of mobile learning to increase access to learning opportunities and resources. -- more...
  

• Library and Information Science
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers LEEP3, a site-independent distance education scheduling option for the Master of Science degree, to create a significant difference in the way students participate in a rapidly changing profession. -- more...
  
• Offering Environmental Studies Online
  The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Extension offers several environmental education courses in online and hybrid formats. -- more...
  
• MA in Historic Preservation: Off-Campus Program w/Hybrid Courses
  Goucher College's distance education program in Historic Preservation is a hybrid program course that requires one in-person introductory meeting. -- more...
  
• Distance Learning Faculty Specialists Bridge the Gap between Faculty and Administration
  The Distance Learning Faculty Specialist (DLFS) model, developed by Eastern Oregon University, is an effective way to involve faculty in distance education. -- more...
  
• Professional Design Education and Opt-in Hybrid Course Migration Model
  Boston Architectural Center has utilized various innovative approaches to incorporating online delivery into the core work of studio-based learning. -- more...
  
• Re-Creating the Studio-Based Model Online for Art and Design Education
  Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Distance Learning Initiative creates online design education courses that retain the essential elements of traditional studio courses. -- more...
  
• Web-Based Doctor of Pharmacy Pathway: Expanding Access to Underserved Populations
  Creighton University's web-based Doctor of Pharmacy Pathway provides a new full-time educational method to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. -- more...
  
• Establishing Engineering Technology Online Degree Programs
  The University of Toledo's collaborative partnering approach enables UT to offer engineering technology degree programs online statewide. -- more...
  
• Summer Online Courses
  James Madison University's(JMU) Center for Instructional Technology developed fully online summer courses that have increased the number of online course being offered by the university, as well as increase revenues. Additionally, through the creation of a Faculty Summer Institute Program that is the catalyst for the development of these summer online courses, JMU faculty have enhanced their online teaching skills. -- more...
  
• Applying an Instructor-Led, Cohort-Based Model to Corporate Online Learning
  FCIB, an association of executives in finance, credit, and international business, and Michigan State University Global (MSU Global) recently formed an innovative partnership to create a new online certification program in international credit and risk management. -- more...
  
• E-Service: Creating Experiential Service Learning Opportunities for Online Courses
  Bemidji State University's Distributed Learning in Teacher Education (DLiTE) program infuses Service learning opportunities into its online courses, enabling students to make connections between service and academics. -- more...
  

• Learning-on-the-Go: Anytime, Anywhere Access to Course and Study Materials
  The key objective of Duquesne University's "Learning-on-the-Go" program is to break down the barriers that make studying and attending class difficult for adult students. "Learning-on-the-Go" will accomplish this by providing convenient access to course materials, developing technologically-supported pedagogical tools to foster student learning, and creating a framework for faculty exchange of effective practices in mobile education. -- more...
  
• Technical Support Facilitation with Screen Capture Software
  University of Illinois - Springfield uses GifgIfgiF, an screen capture program, to help students by providing animated software demonstrations. -- more...
  
• Automated Response Systems, Intelligent Object Databases, and Other Comprehensive Implementations of Information and Communication Technologies: The e-University Project
  The University of South Queensland (USQ) is undertaking a strategically planned, systematically integrated, institutionally comprehensive implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) called the e-University Project. Key elements of the project include incorporating the use of automated response systems and intelligent object databases in the context of Internet-based delivery, This project will enable USQ to use technology to automate certain aspects of interaction with students, increasing access to higher education on a global scale. -- more...