Northeastern State University has joined the Oklahoma statewide subscription to the Quality Matters Program to promote and improve the quality of online education and student learning. We are currently in the process of rewriting distance learning policies to follow the Quality Matters rubric. The current online and video conference policies and compensation policies on this site are in effect until October 30th and will be replaced at that time. All requests for distance learning course development compensation for the 2011-2012 academic year are due by October 30, 2011 and should follow the current application/evaluation guidelines.
In October 1999, the Northeastern State University Distance Learning Advisory Committee (now the Center for Teaching and Learning Steering Committee) was formed and was given the mission of developing policies and procedures for delivering instruction via this modality. Some of the components are variable, but valuable, to the functions of faculty members who are teaching by videoconference or online. As the field dictates, the committee will have the on-going responsibility of revising the policies and/or procedures on an annual basis.
Distance learning at NSU is being developed as a new model for interactive distance learning. The goal of interactive distance learning is to facilitate effective learning based upon interaction between: faculty and students, students and resources, such as books, journals, the Internet, and other students. Through the use of technologies, these interactions can occur at any time or in any place.
Interactive distance learning is important because it can provide quality access to courses by learners who are unable to take classes in traditional ways. These students might be adult learners in rural districts; K-12 students; disabled students; homebound students; non-native language speakers; and adults who have changing work patterns, changing social patterns, changing education patterns, or are simply lifelong learners. It provides a means by which students can complete or enhance their education in a timely and effective manner. Interactive distance learning can also provide flexibility in access to on-campus students as well (Truman & Sorg, 1999).
NSU's priorities for distance learning are to develop full course sequences and/or degree programs via distance learning. Programs are developed as the need, budget, faculty and program leadership come together to support such programs.
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides faculty support for distance learning projects by identifying resources for redesigning courses, providing information on the available technologies and infrastructure, and developing proposals for interactive distance learning. CTL assists faculty in the instructional design process to ensure the technologies fit the goals of the course content. The academic standards and quality are expected to remain the same or exceed on-campus courses. The quality is measured through an evaluative summary at the conclusion of the term. Technology will serve content, not vice versa.
Re-designing a course or program to be offered in a distance learning mode provides the opportunity for faculty to expand instructional skills and be on the forefront of education. Interactive distance learning courses have the ability to increase student involvement which can increase student interest and can often increase learning in the long run. In addition, interactive distance learning courses provide options to on-campus courses. Courses and programs are designed to expand the audience of courses to include students who have previously been precluded from taking the course due to barriers of time and place.
The interactive television (ITV) courses are delivered through OneNet, Oklahoma's telecommunications network. Goals that deal specifically with NSU's distance learning program are:
Copyright law is extremely complex. For your information, we are including the copyright law as it relates to electronic delivery of instruction. Please refer to the NSU Faculty Council Policy on Copyright. If you have questions regarding a specific circumstance, please contact the NSU counsel's office or the Reserves Department at the John Vaughan Library. We also suggest faculty take the copyright test. If copyright clearance is needed, the Library Reserve Department will request copyright clearance from the Copyright Clearance Center.
Educators have always utilized outside resources to enhance the learning experience for their students. These resources can range from a newspaper clipping to a book to a movie. All of these items, and many other resources, are copyrighted materials.
The Copyright Law of 1976 established the rights of the copyright holder as well as provided for the use of copyrighted materials, especially in educational settings. In order to comply with the law in the area of copyright and proper use of copyrighted materials, educators must be aware of the law and the parameters that govern proper or "fair use" of copyrighted publications (Dalziel, 1995).
There are both civil and criminal penalties for infringement of copyright law. Civil awards generally include a monetary award of up to $1,000,000 (Mason, 1996), attorney fees, an injunction against the violator, and confiscation of the materials that used the copyrighted works (17 USC sections 502-505).
Distance educators have a unique dilemma when dealing with copyright law. Due to the time that the law was passed and the rapid advancement of technology for distance education, the provisions for education in the copyright law are often unclear for the distance education classroom.
A copyright grants the holder the sole right to reproduce or grant permission to others to reproduce the copyrighted works. The copyright holder is defined as the person who owns the exclusive rights to a work. The protection is limited to original works, whether or not they have been published. However, it is the expression of the idea that is copyrighted, not the idea in and of itself (Brinson and Radcliffe, 1994).
Copyright may be held on a variety of original works which include: literary works, musical works, dramatic works, graphical works, motion pictures, sound recordings, and architectural works (17 USC section 102, and Brinson and Radcliffe, 1994).
For works created prior to 1978, copyright protection lasts 75 years from the date of first publication or 100 years from the date of creation of the work, contingent on which date allows the copyright to expire first. For works created after 1978, protection begins at the creation of the work and lasts 50 years after the death of the author (17 USC section 104A).
The Copyright Law of 1976 defined the right of the copyright holder, items that may be copyrighted, fair use guidelines, etc. The right to a work may be used, sold, or given away as the copyright holder deems appropriate. The exclusive rights provided for in the Act (17 USC section 106) include:
The concept of "fair use" was established in the Copyright Law of 1976. It specifies situations in which copyrighted materials may be used without express permission of the copyright holder (17 USC section 107). However, with the technology available today, it is very easy to abuse the "fair use" provision. The U.S. House of Representatives suggested that the three major considerations in determining fair use should be: brevity of the selection, spontaneity of the decision, and the cumulative effect of the use of the selection (HR 1476, 1976).
Section 107 of the Copyright Law lists four factors that define "fair use" (17 USC section 107):
Publishers and educators agreed to more specific guidelines which will provide a list of safe parameters in which colleges may operate. However, if a college exceeds the guidelines, they will open themselves to a lawsuit to challenge the use as fair. Congress never agreed to these guidelines, but since they were established by a diverse group of educators and copyright holders, courts tend to recognize their validity (Dalziel, 1995).
These guidelines indicated that copying is allowed when the instructor decides to use a work spontaneously for educational purposes (NACS and AAP, 1991) and also outline the length of works that may be copied:
The guidelines also require that the copying be for only one course, and no more than one short poem, article, or story or two excerpts can be copied from the works of any one author. Lastly, all copied materials must show the original copyright notice from the work. There are also several prohibitions related to fair use. These are guidelines, and are not the law (NACS and AAP, 1991).
Copyright permission must be obtained from the copyright holder of the work in which you are interested. However, copyright notice is optional for works published on or after March 1, 1989, so tracking down the copyright holder may be difficult (NACS and AAP, 1991).
When requesting copyright permission, include all of the following information (NACS and AAP, 1991):
As distance educators, preparing multimedia presentations is a viable teaching strategy. In doing so, the instructor must keep in mind some basic principles (Brinson and Radcliffe, 1994):
In 1995, the Consortium of College and University Media Centers established a working group of educators and copyright holders to establish a group of mutually agreed upon guidelines for multimedia fair use (Dalziel, 1995). Although no conclusions have been reached, those involved tend to agree with the following statements (Dalziel, 1995):
There are several precautionary steps that may be taken in order to avoid copyright infringement. This is not a complete list, but rather highlights that will assist in avoiding illegal copying of materials (Bruwelheide, 1994):
A basic knowledge of copyright law is essential for any educator. Instructors in a distance education classroom are subject to additional concerns due to the nature of the educational environment. This issue concerns the instructor, the students, the administration, and the institution with which they are all involved, and it is not an issue that can be taken lightly.
Faculty assignments for ITV classes are made by the deans in consultation with the department heads. Consideration is given to the faculty members' regular teaching load and the nature of the course. Some courses clearly would not be appropriate for ITV at this time. Attempts will be made to limit the size of the classes at the sending and receiving sites. The total number of students for all sites should not exceed the number of students in the traditional on-site class, based upon recommendations of the specific college and the nature of the class. (Note: Research indicates that ten students or less at remote sites maximizes interactivity.)
There will be no designated maximum number of sites for ITV instruction. The number of receiving sites will be dependent upon student demand and enrollment. (See Course Consideration)
Faculty compensation is available for each course developed for ITV delivery through an application process. Course developers submit a proposal for compensation of the course converted. The CTL Steering Committee will determine the amount of compensation based on the extent of development. The quality of development will be based on a pre-determined rubric with specific criteria. The amount of compensation will be according to the table below. Payment will occur after the course has been developed.
The CTL Steering Committee allocates compensation for proposals from an annual budget set aside for this purpose. Consideration is given only after the deans and department chairs approve the development of a particular course to be delivered via ITV.
Note: This policy replaces the previous ITV compensation policy.
If an instructor develops a face-to-face course to both online and VC modality, the amount compensated will be proportional to the delivery method policy.
In addition to OneNet minimum equipment specifications, each site should have echo cancellers, Push-To-Talk microphones, a fax machine, and telephone. Students at all sites should have access to computers with Internet access.
Students have access to academic advising through telephone or e-mail and by providing periodic on-site advising at off-campus locations. Faculty teaching ITV classes need to provide off-campus students with a mechanism to easily contact the faculty members. Faculty are encouraged to do reverse teaching, i.e., to teach from remote sites, whenever possible in order to establish a rapport with those students at remote sites. Library resources are provided for students at all sites for research purposes at the remote sites, including services from the John Vaughan Library at Northeastern State University on the Internet, by courier services, document delivery, and other methods. Bookstore resources will be provided for students at all sites either through the mail or through the bookstore at the remote site. Videotape backups are provided for each lecture. If there are technical difficulties, remote site students may access the on-site class via VHS tape, which is in compliance with existing copyright laws.
Faculty will have access to a variety of resources to assist in adapting their courses to the interactive television delivery mode. Instructional design, video production, web-page assistance, graphics production, authoring tools and other computer-based resources are available for faculty needs. Along with the computer-based resources are those that assist faculty in the instructional strategies involved in teaching from a distance.
Each ITV classroom has student facilitators at the Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, and Muskogee campuses. Every effort will be made to coordinate student facilitation at other receive sites. Technical support is provided by NSU Information Technology Services (ITS) for Broken Arrow, Muskogee, and Tahlequah. In conjunction with OSRHE Receive Site Funding, remote sites provide technical assistance for NSU classes.
The receiving site provides proctors for examinations. The instructor needs to communicate the date and time of the examination to the Distance Education Office at the receiving site at least one week in advance of the class. Examinations are sent to the Distance Education Office at least one week in advance of the class and are kept in a locked desk or file cabinet. Examinations should be handled only by authorized personnel.
Course Correspondence in this case refers to documents which are transported back and forth between the instructors and the students of ITV classes by various means.
Tests should be processed according to policies on course correspondence listed above. Tests received late will not be administered. VC Facilitators will serve as proctors for tests in the ITV classes they are assigned. After the tests are administered, completed tests will be returned according to the time frames listed in the course correspondence section.
Equipment training is required for all new ITV faculty as well as training for any updates in equipment for current ITV faculty at least one semester prior to the semester of the ITV course taught with the equipment. Training is provided on the type of equipment used (compressed vs. full motion) and includes any custom training for faculty in other technologies and/or software. A minimum of one training session per semester is required for enhancing instructional strategies in ITV course delivery.
ITV students are provided with the NSU Distance Learning Office instructional material for successful learning methods while taking an ITV course. These materials are for the faculty's distribution to their students before or during the course.
Both summative and formative evaluations of the distance learning program, of which ITV is a component, will be conducted for improvement purposes.
Distance learning efforts are directed by the Assistant Vice President for Teaching and Learning through the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The coordinator provides faculty training and consulting; OneNet scheduling; maintaining of reimbursement records; course tracking and monitoring; evaluating the distance learning program; and serving as liaison to other University units.
The primary role of the student is to learn. Under the best of circumstances, this challenging task requires motivation, planning, and the ability to analyze and apply the information being taught. In a distance education setting, the process of student learning is more complex for several reasons (Schuemer, 1993):
Beginning students may have some difficulty determining what the demands of a course of academic study actually are because they do not have the support of an immediate peer group, ready access to the instructor, or familiarity with the technology being used for delivery of the distance-education course. They may be unsure of themselves and their learning. Morgan (1991) suggests that distant students who are not confident about their learning tend to concentrate on memorizing facts and details in order to complete assignments and write exams. As a result, they end up with a poor understanding of course material. He views memorization of facts and details as a "surface approach" to learning and summarizes it as follows:
Surface approach
Distant students need to become more selective and focused in their learning in order to master new information. The focus of their learning needs to shift them from a "surface approach" to a "deep approach". Morgan (1991) summarizes this approach as follows:
Deep Approach
The shift from "surface" to "deep" learning is not automatic. Brundage, Keane, and Mackneson (1993) suggest that adult students and their instructors must face and overcome a number of challenges before learning takes place including becoming and staying responsible for themselves; "owning" their strengths, desires, skills, and needs; maintaining and increasing self-esteem; relating to others; clarifying what is learned; redefining what legitimate knowledge is; and dealing with content. These challenges are considered in relation to distance education:
Teaching and learning at a distance is demanding. However, learning is more meaningful and deeper for distant students, if the students and their instructor share responsibility for developing learning goals and objectives; actively interacting with class members; promoting reflection on experience; relating new information to examples that make sense to learners; maintaining self-esteem; and evaluating what is being learned. This is the challenge and the opportunity provided by distance education.
The following items are being followed to maintain the efficacy of distance education at NSU:
These are some of the duties/responsibilities required of an ITV Student Facilitator during the academic year:
It is recommended that the following items become a part of the Distance Learning Policies and Procedures for NSU. An NSU online course is defined as one in which all of the course content is delivered over the Internet.
Faculty teaching assignments for online courses will be made by the deans in consultation with the department heads. Consideration will be given to the faculty members' regular teaching load and the nature of the course. Some courses clearly would not be appropriate for online instruction at this time. Attempts will be made to limit the size of the classes. The total number of students should not exceed the number of students in the traditional on-site class, based upon recommendations of the specific college and the nature of the class. (Note: Research indicates that 15-25 students are the norm to maximize interactivity.)
Faculty compensation is available for each online course developed through an application process. Course developers submit a proposal for compensation of the course converted to online modality. The Center for Teaching and Learning Steering Committee determines the amount of compensation based on the extent of development. The quality of development is based on a pre-determined rubric with specific criteria. The amount of compensation is up to $1,800 per course for full conversion to online modality with all course material online. Fully converted courses are given first budgetary priority. A course developer may submit a proposal for compensation for any online enhancement to the course. Payment occurs after the course is developed.
The CTL Steering Committee allocates compensation for proposals from an annual budget set aside for this purpose. Consideration is given only after the deans and department chairs approve the development of a particular course to be delivered online.
If an instructor develops a face-to-face course to both online and ITVC modality, the amount compensated will be proportional to the delivery method policy.
Students have access to academic advising through telephone or e-mail. Library resources are provided for students for research purposes, including services from the John Vaughan Library at Northeastern State University on the Internet, by courier services, document delivery, and other methods. Bookstore resources are provided for students mail and are provided at a toll-free number for ordering.
Online students are provided a student manual as provided by the course development software publisher.
Faculty have access to a variety of resources to assist in adapting their courses to the online delivery mode. Instructional design, video production, web-page assistance, graphics production, authoring tools and other computer-based resources are available for faculty needs. Along with the computer-based resources are those that assist faculty in the instructional strategies involved in teaching from a distance.
Technical assistance will be provided for online students. The policy is stated at a separate location in this manual.
Course development software training is provided for all interested faculty at least one semester prior to the faculty teaching assignment.
Although the Service Desk (x5678) is only staffed 8 a.m. - 5:15 p.m., the Webb labs are staffed with Student Technical Consultants (STC) until 2:00 a.m, excluding major holidays. During normal business hours, a web-based student could call the Service Desk (x5678). After normal business hours (8:00 a.m. through 5:15 p.m.) the Service Desk phone is forwarded to the STC covering the lab and that STC monitors the e-mail address help@nsuok.edu. There are occasions when students at the Service Desk have to refer the problem to a full time employee the next day.
The ITS Client Services personnel, whether it is Service Desk, full time, or lab STC, offer the best advice they can regarding any problem located on the student side of the firewall. Any problem located at or on the NSU side of the firewall is the sole responsibility of NSU to resolve. Should a problem occur on the weekend, the Service Desk should be notified at 918-444-5678.
Both summative and formative evaluations of the distance learning program, of which online teaching and learning is a component, will be conducted for program improvement.
Distance learning efforts are directed by the Assistant Vice President for Teaching and Learning through the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The CTL provides faculty training and consulting; OneNet scheduling; maintaining of reimbursement records; course tracking and monitoring; evaluating the distance learning program; and serving as liaison to other University units.
Since the demand for distance learning appears to be increasing and the continuing development of electronically published course materials in various media seems likely, it is important to address the issues raised by the creation, use and distribution of various forms of electronically published course materials and clarify the rights and responsibilities of each of the parties involved. This policy is a supplement to the Patent and Copyright policies promulgated by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges and found in Chapter 5, ' 5.13 of the BOROC General policies, page 5-104. Furthermore, this policy only addresses distance learning. To the extent this policy conflicts with the general BOROC patent/copyright policy on issues involving distance learning, the BOROC policy prevails.
Definitions
Unless a specific written agreement between the author of a distance learning project and the University is negotiated, patent/copyright ownership in the project shall vest according to the categories stated below.
Works Generated At the Initiative of Faculty, Librarians or Staff Ownership interest, and all rights associated therewith, of any work resulting from an individual's efforts on his or her own personal time without any direct support from or through the University and without the use of any University resources beyond those normally provided by the University vests completely in the author of the work.
Works Generated At the Initiative of Faculty, Librarians or Staff Using Minimal University Resources Ownership interest, and all rights associated therewith, of any work resulting from an individual's efforts with the use of minimal university resources above and beyond those normally provided to other faculty, librarians or staff similarly situated vests completely in the author(s) of the work. The University possesses a non-exclusive educational license to use the work as part of its course delivery. The use of this license encompasses the situation where the author of the work is not responsible for teaching the course containing his or her electronically published materials.
Works Generated At the Initiative of Faculty, Librarians or Staff Using Substantial University Resources Ownership interest, and all rights associated therewith, of any work resulting from an individual's efforts with the use of substantial university resources as defined herein vests completely in the individual authoring the work. The University possesses a non-exclusive educational license to use the work as part of its course delivery. The use of this license encompasses the situation where the author of the work is not responsible for teaching the course containing his or her electronically published materials. The University also possesses a non-exclusive commercial license to market the course containing the author's work outside the University. If licensed for commercial purposes, either by the University or the author, the University and the author each receive a percentage of the royalties as specified in the BOROC General Patent/Copyright Policy unless a different percentage is agreed to by the parties involved and memorialized in writing.
Works Generated As A Work Made For Hire Ownership interest, and all rights associated therewith, of any distance learning project meeting the definition of a "work made for hire", as defined herein, vests completely in the University. The University possesses exclusive educational and commercial ownership and license authority. The author is not entitled to payment of royalty.
The author of a distance learning project retain the right to update, edit or otherwise revise electronically developed course materials that become out of date. In certain circumstances, the author of a distance learning project retains right to place a time limit upon the use of electronically developed course materials that are particularly time sensitive, regardless of who owns any copyright interest in the electronically developed course materials. These rights and limitations may be negotiated in advance of the creation of the electronically developed course materials and may be reduced to writing. Absent a written agreement, each author is under an academic duty to revise his or her work on an annual basis in order to maintain academic standards. If an author revises the work and such revision is done in a satisfactory manner, the author retains the rights to full royalties as stated above for another year. If the University believes a revision is necessary and no timely revision is made or if the revision made, in the University's opinion, does not maintain academic standards, the University may refuse to market the product, or the University may employ another individual to update the work and charge the cost of updating against any royalties paid to the original author. The duty to revise a distance learning project is continuing for the life of the project regardless of the author's employment status with the University.
The Patent/Copyright Officer and Patent/Copyright Committee shall be responsible for the administration of this policy and applying the policy equitably across the campus. The author of any electronically developed course materials should submit a proposal to the Patent/Copyright Officer describing the work and the institutional resources that will be used or consumed in its creation and production. The Patent/Copyright Officer shall review the submitted material and make an initial recommendation regarding the appropriate category of ownership to which the work should be assigned. The Patent/Copyright Officer shall forward the author's proposal along with his or her recommendation to the Patent/Copyright Committee. The Committee shall review the submitted materials and make a final recommendation regarding the appropriate category of ownership to which the work should be assigned. The author of the work shall enjoy the right to be present at all Committee meetings and may negotiate with the Committee as an agent of the University. The Committee's final recommendation shall then be forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval.
The Patent/Copyright Officer is responsible for registering the copyright for works in which the University possess an ownership interest. The University shall be responsible for enforcing its copyright or patent interests. Authors of electronically published materials for use in distance learning may make such decisions and take such steps to protect works they own. Any one of the authors of a joint work may register and enforce the copyright in the names of all owners, provided they account for the same to all joint authors.
Liabilities may be incurred with respect to the inclusion of materials in electronically published course materials other than materials created by the author. It is the policy of Northeastern State University that all faculty, staff and librarians comply with the law, including copyright and privacy laws; therefore, it is the responsibility of the author of electronically published course materials to obtain all permissions and releases necessary to avoid infringing copyright or invading the personal rights of others. The Patent/Copyright Officer shall assist the author in obtaining copyright clearance.