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FW: We could not have accomplished this without the help and support of Claudine Keenan, who is provided to us through SunGard Higher Education and Ralph Bartini in our media department who helped with developing the videos that are part of the coursework. This was absolutely an example of creative and effective teamwork. This could not have been done solely by the faculty themselves or purchased off the shelf. This has required three years of very intensive effort on the part of a team of people.

IMS Global: Have you compared the learning outcomes of students who participated in the online program with those who matriculated through the traditional program?

FW: Yes, we have and actually, they are doing as well or better than the students in the traditional program. For example, in the Fundamentals of Nursing course, offered during the first semester, the one-day-a-week students scored in the ATI assessment in the 97th percentile. Their traditional cohorts scored in the 59th percentile. In the ATI body systems assessment, the online students scored in the 99th percentile. So we believe that students participating in the online program, in fact, may be doing even better than their traditional cohorts. Keep in mind, however, that we did require somewhat different entrance standards for the online program. We did expect students to have some familiarity with computers and with the subject matter.

IMS Global: What about student satisfaction with the online program?

FW: We assessed student satisfaction on a regular basis with five-week, ten-week, and fifteen-week surveys. The results showed that students liked the program and appreciated the opportunity the on-line learning offered. We were working against a timeline to get the program up and running and a little slow in bringing one of the courses fully online. As a result, there were some complaints, but the frequent surveys allowed us to address issues as they developed. As expected, there were some glitches as we moved along. But we were quick to correct those problems as they were identified. It is still a work in progress.

IMS Global: Is the online nursing program the same length as the traditional program?

FW: Yes. For both tracks, it's a two-year program.

IMS Global: Does your success with this online nursing program encourage you to want to offer more online programs?

FW: Well, we already offer a full array of courses online. What we're looking at is consolidating courses in some way into an "e-learning college." We're now past the technology pioneer stage. We're past the initial stage where faculty are exploring online teaching, and I think that's probably true of most schools in the US. It's time now to look back and assess where we are and how we can design a coherent approach to online teaching. For example, with the faculty, administration, and our SunGard partner, we developed a manual of standards for designing online courses. The policy was approved by the Board of Trustees. The manual is continually updated, but every faculty member, full time or adjunct, who expresses an interest or is recruited to teaching online, will be given a copy of the manual, which includes the expectations for design and what goes into a successful course. It's really a manual of best practices for online courses.