Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (courtesy of NEASC)
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Support OptionsAll iDL courses utilize the cutting edge Adaptive Blended Learning methodology, providing each student with personalized learning strategies.
iDL offers a complete turnkey service using professionally administered fault tolerant servers, running the iDL deployment software. This software provides each student with personalized service which is at the heart of the iDL system.
If your organization wishes to bring this deployment service “in-house”, this can be arranged.
With the iDL turnkey approach your college can select a program or individual course and be teaching it (and earning revenue) within two to three months.
iDL is SCORM compliant which makes it easy to exchange information with college systems such as Blackboard.
Adaptive means that each IDL course automatically adapts to each student's learning needs. (For a more complete description, please see the Adaptive Learning section.) Blended means that the course provides for a blending of in-class teaching with online instruction. Typically, the entire course is available online and the professor can decide which sessions to teach in-class and which to teach online. Additionally, the professor can use a portion of the online media in class without the need to organize and set up separate media.
When the entire course is available online, makeup classes are a snap. This can be very valuable with adult learners, where the pressure of a job or the need to travel an be very disruptive.
If desired, the blended portion can be provided in one fast paced weekend a month. This further allows working students to participate in meeting the professors and fellow students.
In extreme cases, when a student is laboring on a particular concept, this will show up in the reports made available to the professor. For example, if a student is continuously failing a concept quiz, the professor is alerted to take remedial action. That remedial action may require individual one-on-one tutoring with the professor - on that specific concept.
Each course provides an area online which the professor can use to communicate with each student, individually or as a class.
Like other online courses we provide Chatrooms, but the iDL chatroom is significantly different and better. All too frequently chatrooms degenerate into a forum for students who have not bothered to learn the course material. With the iDL system, the professor can limit access to only those students who have taken and passed the required section. This means that every participant in the chatroom is prepared for a meaningful discussion.
iDL provides technical support for all technology based inquiries and problems. The standard coverage included in our pricing is from 9am to 5pm EST (Monday through Friday with exception to holidays. Full 24/7 is available when required.)
IDL wants to partner with you and is committed to your success. We will work with you regarding new course development, course conversion and current course acquisition costs.
There are no annual fee commitments. IDL charges a technology usage fee which is based on a per student, per course basis; thus, reducing your exposure to fixed monthly and annual dues. The usage fee covers a number of technology and content licensing royalties, as well as hosting and support services. There may be other service related costs for branding, customization and initial setup.
IDL would be happy to work with you to discuss creative reimbursement models that fit your business plans.
Our unique "Try-before you-Buy" allows each student to experience a preliminary portion of the course before he or she enrolls and to understand just how it is better than other online courses, This virtually eliminates early drop outs and refunded tuition.
A candidate who has tried signed up for "Try before you Buy" is obviously a first rate prospect for enrollment. Such candidates maximize the valuable time of your academic counselors, and boost recruitment
IDL is also prepared to assist in the process of recruitment by providing expertise in web design for your college and information for each prospective student.
Many colleges find the need to assess the development of their students, using separate assessment tests. IDL has a different approach. We take the relevant course and allow the student to proceed directly to the first quiz. He or she will then continue to advance from quiz to quiz until they fail to reach a passing level. At that point they are then sent back to take that section of the course in which they failed. After which they can again proceed to the next quiz.
This has two benefits: First, it means that qualified students can complete the course/assessment in a fraction of the time. Second, it means that the student receives immediate remediation. This is particularly valuable with older students, who feel that they might be "rusty" in a given area. It is also valuable for students with diverse backgrounds, who may not be familiar with the terms used but are otherwise proficient in the field in question. Thus we not only assess the student, but we bring the student up to a definitive standard.
IDL records every keystroke from each student. We are therefore able to provide a wealth of detail. Our reports permit the professor or administrator to "drill down" to find information about the progress of each student, what learning style they used, how the fared in quizzes, as well as what happened when they retook a quiz. This information can be invaluable in meeting the needs of accreditation agencies who want to see how students are actually learning.
Because iDL operates at the detail level with each student, we provide unparalleled access to information about each student. Faculty have access to a series of reports which allow then to dig deep to discover details regarding the performance of each student.
Each student also receives continuous feedback on his or her progress through the course. This feedback encourages them to persevere and recognizes progress.
Because IDL approaches pedagogy from the teacher’s viewpoint, we have a wealth of experience about the special needs of academia. We assign an experienced academic to listen to and address the special needs you and your institution may have. In our approach, we recognize that "one size does not fit all" for each student and we similarly recognize that each college has its own distinctive approach and image to protect. iDL is committed to making each program and course both financially successful and pedagogically effective while creating courses that reflect the best ideals of your institution.
When it comes to service, IDL offers unsurpassed speed, flexibility, and cost. Examples