Facilitating Teaching and Learning in the Global Campus
Michael Lindeman (Director Program and Course Development, Global Campus, UIUC)
Iris Stovall (Director of Instructional Development and Support, Global Campus, UIUC)
Iris and Michael discussed the extensive preparation, partnerships, policies, and practices behind the new (early 2007) Global Campus initiative, an ambitious program which aims to deliver high-quality online courses to a broad audience of off-campus students, local, statewide, and across the world. Global Campus is designed as a partnership with campus departments and colleges, who provide subject matter experts, guide the curriculum, maintain student admission standards, instructor qualifications, as well as some key instructors. The Global Campus provides expertise in online course development and teaching, student services, some instructors, as well as Global Campus faculty support and training.
The Global Campus approach to instruction is aimed at insuring quality as the primary goal. This is achieved by having the subject matter experts teach the course they design and oversee at least once a year. Subject matter experts serve, then, as Master Teachers for anyone else teaching that course. Departmental faculty are also encouraged to teach with permission of administration (overload payment), and the adjunct instructor credentials are determined by the faculty lead for each course.
The evaluation of courses and programs is carried out by the Global Campus Instructor Services and the faculty subject matter experts. Training and support for Global Campus instructors includes a four-week training course, working alongside an experienced mentor during their first course, and additional online and face-to-face support and materials.
The Global Campus will begin with courses in E-Learning and Nursing, and seeks to expand quickly in 2008.
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