DARTS : Distance Education

UMS Internal Reporting Definitions for Distance Education 

by Bill Gilfillan

The following is the current UMS Internal Reporting understanding of what distance education is and how it is coded for reporting purposes. At the University of Maine System (UMS), distance education is a term used to describe a class that is delivered at an off-site location or is delivered using electronic communication or technology. In the case of a class that is delivered using technology, the source of the information (instructor) and the learners are separated by time and/or distance, or both.

DEFINITIONS

Distance Education Student
A student enrolled through any campus taking at least one class for credit marked as "Distance Education".

Distance Education Class
Classes that are delivered at off-site locations or are delivered using electronic communication or technology. An off-site location means anywhere other than the seven campuses, Lewiston/Auburn College, and UMA Bangor. The following are the different kinds of distance education classes that are offered at the University of Maine System.

Classes offered using online (web) technology and having no designated meeting time.

Classes offered using ITV technology and meeting at a designated class time.

Classes offered using video conferencing and meeting at a designated class time.

Classes offered using video tape and having no designated meeting time.

Classes offered using video stream and meeting at a designated class time.

Classes offered on-site with an instructor in the classroom at an off campus center and meeting at a designated class time.

Hybrid or blended classes that take advantage of one or more technologies to reduce the number of face-to-face class meetings. Even though these classes may include some face-to-face classroom meetings, they are considered to be “Distance Education” classes.

Interactive Television (ITV) Class
Classes that are broadcast to televisions at campuses, centers, and sites using land lines and meeting at a designated class time. Over-the-air Educational Broadband Service spectrum microwave signals are no longer used. These sites include the following locations:

Seven Campuses

UM
UMA
UMF
UMFK
UMM
UMPI
USM

UMA Bangor
Lewiston/Auburn College
Gorham
Hutchinson Center
Eight University College Centers

Bath/Brunswick
East Millinocket
Ellsworth
Houlton
Norway/South Paris
Rockland
Rumford/Mexico
Saco/Biddeford

Over 45 high school sites

Video Conference Class

Classes offered using video conferencing (polycom or compressed video) and meeting at a designated class time. This type of class requires specialized equipment and connectivity and is therefore not available at all locations.

Online Class

Classes offered using online (web) technology and having no designated meeting time. This type of class requires the student to have a computer with access to the internet.

Video Stream Class
Classes delivered over the web in video format at a designated class time. This method of delivery is rarely used at the UMS. This type of class requires the student to have a computer with access to the internet.

Video Tape Class
Classes recorded on to video tape and having no designated meeting time. This method of delivery is rarely used at the UMS. This type of class requires a video tape player.

On-Site Distance Education Class
Classes offered on-site with an instructor in the classroom at an off campus center and meeting at a designated class time. These centers include the following locations:

Hutchinson Center
Eight University College Centers

Bath/Brunswick
East Millinocket
Ellsworth
Houlton
Norway/South Paris
Rockland
Rumford/Mexico
Saco

Distance education can be categorized as either synchronous or asynchronous.

Synchronous - Synchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and his or her students are located in different places but meet during the same time. ITV, video conferencing, and video streaming are forms of synchronous distance learning.

Asynchronous - Asynchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and the pupils are located in different places and the class has no designated meeting time.  Online (Web) and video tape are forms of asynchronous distance learning.

DISTANCE EDUCATION CODING

There are two basic ways to identify the delivery mode of a class. One way is to code the class with an INSTRUCTION_MODE. The other way is to code the class with a CRSE_ATTR (Course Attribute) and a CRSE_ATTR_VALUE (Course Attribute Value). The INSTRUCTION_MODE field is coded independently of the CRSE_ATTR fields and in some cases they are not consistent.

The information in the table below was gathered as part of the 4/18 EAB data questionnaire.

There are two types of distance education classes.

One type includes distance classes that are listed in the Distance Portal and are marketed by University College. University College provides an array of services for these classes. Distance classes appearing in the Distance Portal and marketed by University College are coded and reported on using the CRSE_ATTR and CRSE_ATTR_VALUE fields.

The other type includes classes that are distance classes that are not listed in the Distance Portal and are not marketed by University College. Distance classes not appearing in the Distance Portal and not marketed by University College are coded and reported on using the INSTRUCTION_MODE field.

Distance Classes Appearing in the Distance Portal and Marketed and Serviced by University College

All distance education class sections should be coded with a CRSE_ATTR of DIST.

The CRSE_ATTR_VALUE attached to the DIST Course Attribute should be ITV, VIDEOCONF, ONLINE, BLEND, or ONSITE.

The Course Attribute Value of ONSITE is used for courses that are being offered onsite at University College centers.

If a class section is either ITV or VIDEOCONF (compressed video), then the broadcast section of the class section should have a second CRSE_ATTR of BRD. The CRSE_ATTR_VALUE attached to the BRD Course Attribute will be BROADCAST.

Broadcast classes are considered distance education classes.

Distance Classes Not Appearing in the Distance Portal and Not Marketed or Serviced by University College

Distance classes not appearing in the Distance Portal and not marketed by University College are coded and reported on using the INSTRUCTION_MODE field.

The following describes the fields used for identifying and reporting on distance education classes.

The three primary tables used for reporting on distance education classes include UM_D_CLSS_ATT_V (Class Attribute View), UM_D_STD_ENR_VW (Student Enrollment Table), and UM_STD_ENR_CENS (Student Course Census Table).

Crse Attr

      BRD                          Broadcast Section

      DIST                          Distance Education

Crse Attr Value

      ITV                            Interactive Television

      BROADCAST           Broadcast Section

      VIDEOCONF            Video Conferencing

      ONSITE                    On Site

      ONLINE                    Online

      BLEND                     Online & Class Meetings

Instruction Mode

BL                   Blended Class

RE                  Receive Class

WB                 World Wide Web

TV                  Interactive Television

VC                  Video Conferencing

VS                  Video Streaming

VD                  Video Tape

TW                  Interactive Television/Web

Distance Flag

            B                     Broadcast

            R                     Receive

            BLANK

Dist Attr Flag

            Y                     UC DIST

            BLANK

Imode

ITV                              Interactive Television

VIDEOCONF              Video Conferencing

ONLINE                     Online

ONSITE                     On Site

BROADCAST           Broadcast

BLANK

DIST CLASS

            UC DIST

            OTHER DIST

CLASS DELIVERY MODE

            Distance ITV

            Distance Video Conference

            Distance Online

            Distance Onsite

            Distance Blend

            Traditional Class

UNIV CENTER FLAG

          Y

         N

LOC DESCR

       This field contains the description of the site where each class is located.

SITE CATEGORY

      Distance Online

      Campus

      Site

      UC Center

      Campus Center

REGION

            This field contains the description of the region where each class is located.

The following shows examples of how classes should be coded for distance education classes that are listed in the Distance Portal and are marketed by University College using course attributes and course attribute values. Other distance education classes are coded with an instruction mode as described above.

For a detailed description of the coding of distance education classes, please see the Distance Education Calculations page and the Coding Distance Education Courses and Students page.