Distant Voices: Distributed Learning at Royal Roads University

A personal touch and ongoing technical support yield high student retention for a school dedicated to distance learning

By Susan

ecelia David leads a team well versed in the intricacies of Ccomputer programs and net- working configurations, but her “to do” list won’t be found on any hard drive or Palm Pilot. Instead, when adding to her list, she selects a large piece of chalk and faces a blackboard covering one wall of the office she shares with the rest of the Computer Service team at Royal Roads Univer- sity in Victoria, British Columbia. Her computer is reserved for emergencies only — pastel Post-it notes form a halo around the monitor, with mes- sages like “Must do before noon today!!!” and “Check on this by 4 p.m. at the latest.” David’s many “notes to self” are part and parcel of her job as a systems analyst and coordinator of the help desk at Royal Roads. But where a typi- university help desk assists stu- dents as they work in an on-campus computer lab, her group deals with requests from Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and as far afield as the Philip- pines and South America. That’s

30 EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY • Number 4 2001 because Royal Roads is a new breed of send and receive educational obvious interest in ensuring that we educational institution, one that states materials, keep our retention rate as high as pos- its goal of “increasing access to post- check in to the Web site designed sible. To date, it’s 90 percent — a cred- secondary education through distance for each course, ible achievement for a university that learning technology” in its mission communicate with fellow class- has distance learning at its core. (For statement. David and the other 5 full- mates and the instructor via news- background, see the sidebar entitled time and 2 part-time staff who keep groups, “The Royal Roads Story.”) the help desk running 13 hours a day run custom-designed software for serve as the “911” center whenever peer and self-test evaluations, A New Mandate emergencies flare up along the Infor- conduct research, and, Created on June 21, 1995, by the mation Highway. yes, type up assignments before Government of British Columbia “We have to make sure that students they are delivered into an instruc- through the Royal Roads University get the technical support they need tor’s electronic “drop box.” Act, our institution has an unusual both on campus and at home or work Of course, education has always mandate: to be a special-purpose uni- — wherever that may be,” said David. availed itself of the latest delivery versity offering market-driven applied Support in this case can mean any- mechanisms. When computer tech- and professional programs developed thing from helping students log in to a nology first began to be incorporated in partnership with industry and work- course or access an online discussion into distance learning programs, the place advisory boards. As such, our group to teaching them how to use assumption was more or less, “If we learning model was designed to hold applications like Microsoft Word and build it, they will come.” And come particular appeal for mid-career profes- Excel to installing Ethernet cards and they have. The proliferation of dis- sionals who want to advance their cables on their laptops. “We really try tance programs at the university skills through graduate studies while to go the extra mile,” she added, level has been nothing short of phe- balancing the demands of family, “because in a distance environment, nomenal in recent years. According work, and lifestyle. It certainly seems the ease with which technology can be to the International Centre for Dis- to be working — in a little over two used may mean the difference between tance Learning in the United King- years, our MBA program has become a student staying in a course or drop- dom , one of the largest in Canada. ping out.” 96 institutions across Canada now The university offers two undergrad- To ensure that staff provide the offer a distance learning component uate degrees (in commerce and envi- right sort of help at the right time, the towards a university degree. More are ronmental science) and a variety of Computer Service team regularly sure to follow. While the trend still graduate programs, including master’s monitors both usage and rates of satis- provokes controversy in some quar- degrees in environment and manage- faction with the services provided. ters, there can be little doubt that ment, leadership and training, conflict Requests for assistance come in as university distance education is here analysis and management, business about 550 e-mails each month, with to stay. Indeed, the line between dis- administration, and distributed learn- an equivalent number of telephone tance and traditional instruction is ing (a program focused on learning calls and walk-ins. Students express becoming somewhat blurred as class- systems and training technologies). In their appreciation through glowing room instructors discover that edu- addition, myriad executive programs reviews: a recent in-house survey cational technologies can greatly that run throughout the year can pro- showed a score of 4.8 out of 5 when it enhance their teaching, too. vide credit toward degree programs. came to the level of satisfaction with Today, the question is how to deliver Because of its mandate, the univer- the help desk. online education effectively. One mea- sity focused on technical infrastructure The very fact that Royal Roads has a sure of effectiveness is an educational right from the start. This has enabled centralized, technical help desk under- program’s success or completion rate; us to develop courses that maintain a lines one of the key differences but distance learning has frequently practical level of conformity to certain between it and a more traditional uni- fallen short of traditional classroom standards. (In other words, we don’t versity environment: our learners and instruction in this area. While univer- reinvent the wheel every time a new faculty rely heavily on technology. A sity distance programs tend to do bet- distance course is developed.) We use a Royal Roads student depends on the ter than those for K–12 students, the centralized project management Internet and his or her personal com- drop-out rate remains higher on aver- approach involving an instructional puter for more than the occasional age than for their counterparts in the designer, a Web support person, a research-oriented Web surfing and classroom. librarian, a copyright expert, and a word-processing functions. Here, stu- As the coordinator of distributed content expert (usually a faculty mem- dents use the technology to learning at Royal Roads, I have an ber). Developing a course is very much

Number 4 2001 • EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY 31 the vitally important human connec- tion — one of the key reasons for our remarkable retention rate. The Royal Roads Story At the graduate level, students are From 1940 to 1995, the federal government operated Royal Roads as an introduced to their chosen field of study in the first of what will eventu- officer/cadet training establishment, later known as Royal Roads Military Col- ally be as many as three residencies on lege. The college was closed in 1995, only to reopen later in the year as the campus (typically, a residency lasts newly formed Royal Roads University. Created on June 21, 1995, by the from three to five weeks) over the Royal Roads University Act by the Government of British Columbia, the insti- course of a two-year degree program. tution’s mandate is to be a special-purpose university offering market-driven Even before students arrive, they are applied and professional programs developed in partnership with industry/ preselected into teams according to cri- teria such as location, gender, profes- workplace advisory boards. It grants degrees in a variety of undergraduate sional background, and so on. We gen- and graduate programs, and also offers shorter executive education pro- erally assign 5 students per team and grams. The university’s academic programs focus on four key themes: 30 to 50 students per cohort (the term entrepreneurial management, leadership and learning, conflict management used for a group of learners moving and resolution, and environmental sustainability. toward the same degree at the same Royal Roads currently has the equivalent of about 1,600 full-time stu- time). A team lasts throughout the life of the program and completes a sizable dents enrolled in its programs. More than 2,100 credit and noncredit stu- number of assignments together — dents were served in the past year alone, and the university has graduated much as most work-related projects in close to 1,400 students since its first convocation in 1998. Master’s degree “real life” involve team participation. programs are delivered through a combination of Internet-based distance When a cohort arrives on campus, learning and short, on-campus residencies. Undergraduate programs are students attend a two-day bridging ses- also available online. sion with David and her team on how to use the software and communica- Although a public university, Royal Roads is dedicated to the goal of self- tions systems required to complete the funding. It has made important progress toward that end, halving the per- program. Typically, a student will centage of revenue derived from government funding (from 80 percent of access a Web site for each course and revenue in 1996–97 to 37 percent of budget in 2001–02). Royal Roads is use discussion groups to communicate well below the Canadian university average of 55 percent of revenue from with other team members. government grants. Students will also meet many of the department’s faculty members, includ- Royal Roads’ Web site is . ing the core faculty (who are based on campus) and a number of distance fac- a team effort that draws on each mem- posed to, the complaints are immedi- ulty (who, like the students them- ber’s expertise. We also ensure that ate and forceful. selves, may be located any number of software and Web sites conform to time zones away). minimum and maximum technical Getting It Right Several courses begin at this stage, as specifications so that learners can The university uses a team-based dis- do team projects. Perhaps just as access materials without too much tributed learning model that integrates important, the students will partici- anxiety. a number of technologies to provide pate in a variety of social networking Interconnectedness is so critical to the capacity for activities and interac- opportunities made available by the the Royal Roads learning structure that tion in both asynchronous and real- department, including golf tourna- it forms a component of each student’s time modes. Besides our emphasis on ments at a nearby course, ocean kayak- “contract” with the university: a getting the technology right, however, ing along the shoreline that skirts the learner must own or have ready access Royal Roads has made a point of get- 565-acre campus, and so on. In other to a minimum assortment of computer ting the people part right, too. The words, the very first component of this hardware and software (see the sidebar university offers its degree programs “distance program” comes down to “What It Takes to Tune In”). Last, but within a framework that combines plenty of old-fashioned, face-to-face not least, we provide a high level of short, intensive, on-campus residen- interaction. support for all of this through our help cies, with the balance of required work Following a student’s initial resi- desk. Students appreciate the service, completed through Internet-based dis- dency, the first distance learning ses- but they also expect it — when some- tance learning. This combination is sion begins. Before leaving the univer- thing doesn’t work the way it’s sup- unique, and, to my mind, it provides sity, students receive their course

32 EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY • Number 4 2001 packages, which might include text- receive from their instructors, and ported by staff and faculty, enables books and other materials such as their satisfaction with individual learners to engage in debates and dis- videos and CD-ROMs. The demands courses, for example. From this input cussions, work collaboratively in on the learners’ time during the dis- we know that the team structure is crit- teams, and recognize and use the tance sessions will vary depending on ical to keeping students focused and expertise and experience of their fel- an individual’s familiarity with the motivated. low learners. “In this, they mirror the subject matter, but most students “Studying alone day after day can be reality of the new global marketplace,” spend about 10 to 15 hours per course an isolating and mundane experi- he said, “one in which colleagues — each week. ence,” noted Gerry Kelly, president of from far-flung national and regional Student feedback is necessarily more Royal Roads. “Our vision was to build offices — come together initially to comprehensive at Royal Roads, with a learning community in ‘real time’ — identify complex challenges and later, much of it done online. We ask for stu- one that could operate both on and dent input on what they like and dis- away from campus.” like about the structure of their pro- Kelly believes that the toolbox of grams, the quality of feedback they online instructional strategies, sup-

What It Takes to Tune In To keep technical systems running delivering courses that are too “beta.” as smoothly as possible, Royal Roads One person in the department is dedi- itemizes the computer hardware and cated to innovation, and we have reg- software configurations required to ular discussions concerning the pros participate in the university’s distance and cons of when to bring a new learning programs. This list forms an technology on board. This year, for important component of each stu- example, we looked at using video Internet Explorer 4 as a Web browser dent’s “contract” with the university streaming, which has great instruc- and a connection to an Internet Ser- — in effect, the learner guarantees tional value. For the time being, how- vice Provider that includes that he or she has the equipment nec- ever, we’ve decided to hold off HTTP protocol for Web access essary to meet course obligations and because the technology remains NNTP protocol for news access obtain the degree. beyond the bandwidth capacity of Pop/SMTP protocols for e- For its part, the university provides many students’ equipment. access technical support to faculty and stu- According to the 2001–2002 calen- Telnet protocol for telnet sessions dents through the help desk (which dar, a student must have the following FTP protocol for file transfers runs 13 hours a day), but only for con- minimum computer hardware and Ability to send and receive these five figurations specified in the list of mini- software configurations: protocols to and from Royal Roads mum requirements. Royal Roads does Pentium 200 processor University servers not, for example, support Macintosh 32 megabytes of RAM A variable number of hours of con- computers (as several learners have 3.5-inch HD diskette drive nect time per week, depending on discovered to their detriment after Super VGA monitor course content and the preferred assuming that they could work around Mouse method of study the specifications). Sound card, microphone, and Unlimited e-mail and newsgroup The list of requirements is amended speakers posting capability (that is, no post- annually in the university (for 8X CD-ROM drive ing size restrictions) new students only). The Information 56K or cable modem See the university’s Web site at Services and Resources department at 100 megabytes of free disk space for recom- emerging technologies while manag- Office 97 (US English Version) mendations regarding new equipment ing developing technology to avoid In addition, all learners must have purchases.

Number 4 2001 • EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY 33 thanks to technology, work from a dis- entails more work on their part than want the maximum number of study tance to execute projects and interact as classroom instruction. That’s partly tools and aids.” To that end, Duff virtual teams.” because the latter not only provides worked with the Distributed Learning “I think the high retention rate at economies of scale, it also offers more Unit to develop a CD-ROM for learners Royal Roads is definitely related to the cues for the instructor about who is to take home after their first residency. team structure,” confirmed Deborah “getting it” and who is not. It provides video clips of him talking Wickins, the manager of MBA programs “With distance education, silence about key content areas, plus self- at the university. “Peer pressure goes a usually means trouble,” said Chris Duff, assessment exercises in accounting. “I long way to getting students to com- a chartered accountant and core faculty don’t have training as an actor,” Duff plete their assignments, but team mem- member who teaches accounting in the commented, “so this was highly exper- bers also provide each other with a great MBA program. “You have to be proac- imental. But I was pleasantly surprised deal of support and encouragement. We tive as an instructor in this environ- at how positive the learners were about hear this over and over again.” ment because you can’t ever put a stu- this product. We’re hoping this As an example, Wickins mentioned dent in the position to say, ‘Nobody resource will appeal to a range of learn- that when one student is over- contacted me; I was left to rot.’” ing styles and give students another whelmed at the office with work, Duff had to follow his own advice way to understand key concepts and other team members will frequently when his accounting course swelled to information.” pick up the slack on a Royal Roads more than 100 students during his first Like Wickins, Duff pointed to con- team assignment. “Of course, when a summer session. Where a classroom flict resolution as one of the trickiest team has one or two members who ratio of 20 students to one instructor is issues involved in distance learning. abuse this system, it can become a real considered desirable, Duff sailed into “It’s much harder to resolve a problem problem,” she admitted. “In response, uncharted distance territory. He had to by e-mail if someone is really angry. In we have developed an online peer contract another individual to help fact, the medium seems to magnify evaluation application that allows mark assignments, but even so he anger,” he added. “If a student learners to provide feedback on how worked seven days a week and missed expresses frustration, I’ll usually call well the team is working.” his summer vacation in order to keep them on the telephone, simply to Wickins also pointed out that when pace with student queries and requests lower the level of hostility right off the problems of any sort arise, distance for feedback on assignments. “I would- bat.” adds another wrinkle to the resolution n’t want to do that again,” he said in ret- Having taught in traditional class- process. “You just have to think about rospect, “but we surveyed people after room environments before (at the what ‘virtual resolution’ means,” she they had completed the course, and nearby University of Victoria), Duff added. “It’s not really resolution at all. they said they received good service.” believes the personal touch is even Learners’ feedback often concerns com- Since then, the university has intro- more essential in distance programs munications issues, and conflict and duced an extensive five-day program like those offered at Royal Roads. communication are much more diffi- for faculty members that includes a “Even in the classroom, students don’t cult to navigate by distance. You can’t technology bridging session (similar to want to be just a number,” he pointed read a person’s face or tone of voice, that offered to students). Faculty also out. “Here, they come right out and and people can avoid their responsibili- get training in online course develop- say, ‘We want more personal atten- ties by just disappearing and not ment, online facilitation, and how to tion.’ We try and meet that request.” responding to other people’s e-mail and use the library databases. I believe that the human touch is voice-mail. That’s why the benefits of Regarding facilitation, Duff sees the what differentiates Royal Roads from residency and face-to-face interaction human touch as an essential element other distance learning universities. offered throughout the program are so in providing good service. “People From the bonding that develops dur- crucial.” don’t like to ask questions of someone ing the students’ initial residency to they don’t know,” he observed, “so the telephone calls from faculty to the Faculty Support when students are here for their first friendly voice on the help desk phone Most students indicate that the flex- residency, I make sure to participate in line, we do our best to ensure that dis- ibility of completing a degree while the team-building exercises and social tance never means isolation to the life- maintaining “regular life” at home and events. Learners also receive five hours long learners at Royal Roads. e the office more than makes up for some of face-to-face instruction in account- of the pitfalls of a distance education. ing, which helps to establish a per- Susan Chandler (Susan.Chandler@Royal But more convenience for learners can sonal relationship.” Roads.ca) is Coordinator of Distributed mean less convenience for those who Another element behind good ser- Learning in the Information Services and provide the service. At Royal Roads, fac- vice involves technology. “Our learn- Resources Department at Royal Roads Uni- ulty members (both core and contract) ers are not people with a lot of time on versity in Victoria, British Columbia, indicate that distance learning often their hands,” he explained. “They Canada.

34 EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY • Number 4 2001