Delaware Technical and Community College Policy Recommendations for Improved Online Courses and Instruction

Delaware Technical and Community College online courses are not properly focused to ensure instructors are effective in improving student achievement. First time online students are not given the proper tools when navigating online courses at the college. The focus at Delaware Tech should be on improving the format which students use when navigating an online course; this would improve success and completion rates in these courses. This paper provides the guide for high quality online development and instruction, quality professional development, and college-wide reform that would result in the improvement of online course content. Analysis of Delaware Technical and Community College, Terry Campus in Dover, Delaware, provides insight to how online courses are developed and taught and the process which instructors must follow to be eligible to teach online. Recommendations for policy are based on the literature and the analysis of the E-Learning Committee at Delaware Tech, Terry Campus. Policy recommendations include (1) altering the course that is used to teach first time online instructors, (2) implementing mandatory training for all prospective online instructors, (3) providing a mentor for first time online instructors, (4) offering different delivery methods for the instructor training course, (5) providing a Blackboard tutorial for online students, (6) providing a Blackboard training course for first time online students, and (7) implementing as a part of the college entrance exam a skills assessment centered around online navigating abilities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]