Bridging to Excellence: reimagining Distance Learning in Baccalaureate Completion

Bridging to Excellence: Reimagining Distance Learning in Baccalaureate Completion
Panel with reps from Univ of MD University College, Western Governors, Walden University, National American University and Excelcisor College

Students often have anxiety around transferring after more intimate com coll experience, who will know their story and help them through? Look for universities that have relationships with the community colleges (as opposed to the ones who market primarily to the student), who develop relationships with students before they transfer.

Makes sense for students to focus on online universities for completion, since they are often working and placebound.

Realizing that online isn't for everyone, All of the fully online colleges have a class that the student don't pay for, but they must complete prior to starting the program. This helps them know ahead of time whether they will be successful. After students complete, advisors are there to help them complete.

UMDC also has a free course on researching online.

Studies show that the number one barrier to CC completion is lack of transferribility of credit. It is really important to start mapping students as early as possible so students are taking the right classes to transfer. They also look at prior learning, competency, CLEP, etc.

Oddly raised the issue of MOOCs. I see this as more evidence of conflating MOOCs with online learning. All of the colleges will give credit for CLEP exams, etc that students can take after taking a MOOC to demonstrate their learning.

Flipped admission process - this is a new idea for me! Colleges mining the MOOC for students who show promise and inviting them to apply to the college, giving them financial aid, etc.

AACC will have a series of 5 seminars