11. Growth in E-Learning: The Language of FTEs

North Seattle College's first Distance Learning "Full Time Equivalent" enrollments
(Based on data compiled by the NSC Distance Learning Office)

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

The NSC Distance Learning Office preferred what we considered to be a "true" measure of the growth in "Distance Learning" by counting the total number of DL course enrollments each quarter.  For example, one student taking three DL courses would be counted as three enrollments.  This approach disregarded the total number of "credit hours" associated with each course (such that a three-credit course counted the same as a five-credit course).  We considered total course enrollments ("seat count") as a more "pure" way of gaging the full extent of interest and participation in distance learning.  

Justifications could be made for instead counting total course credits (regardless of specific numbers of students and courses) or total "headcount" (regardless of the number of courses and credits that each student takes) as alternative approaches to measuring the growth of distance learning.  And, in fact, generally the colleges do prefer presenting enrollments in terms of total credit hours taken each quarter.  This measurement is usually reported as a quarterly or annual "full time equivalent" (FTE), so here is a brief primer on what that term means.

A quarterly FTE ("full time equivalent") is equivalent to 15 "credit hours", considered a "full-time load" of credits for a student.  Most courses consisted of 5 credits (5 hours of classroom instruction per week over the course of 10 weeks plus an exam during the 11th week), although science courses with labs often counted for 7 credits because of an additional 2 hours of lab attendance each week.  A fair number of courses also consisted of only 3 credits because they required only 3 hours of classroom instruction per week.  However, I observed that courses were mostly standardized to be 5 credits after 2000.  There were exceptions, for example one or two credits associated with field trip classes or other special types of instruction.

Clearly, counting hours of "seat time" associated with "classroom instruction" is not how "distance learning" works!  This artificial and antiquated measurement of learning no longer fits with the more individualized and diverse ways that students access their instructional resources.  At the moment, however, I don't believe we have another way to "quantify" learning in most academic settings.  An "exam" or written "exposition", typical for professional and technical certification, is also not a simple way to gage learning.  An instructor is a key evaluator, in all cases.  Regardless, we need to go with our current reporting framework.

Back to credit hours and FTEs!  As stated above, a quarterly FTE is equal to 15 credit hours of instruction per quarter.  So, a "full-time student" (one taking 15 credits in a term) is equal to one FTE.  Three part-time students, each taking one 5-credit class, together are counted as one FTE as well.    

To be continued...

10. Growth in E-Learning: The Early Years Statewide

A page from a Washington State Board survey of Distance Learning activity
(Based on data collected and submitted by individual community and technical colleges)
CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR AN EXPANDED VIEW

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

Ron Baker, Director of Distance Education for the Oregon Community Colleges, led the project to compile data on distance learning in both Oregon and Washington during the mid-1990s (e.g., 1994/1995, 1995/1996, 1996/1997).  This compilation was based on surveys completed by the distance learning operations at each community college.  By the time that I began as distance learning coordinator in Fall 1997, there was direct coding into the Washington State computer system that supplanted this survey approach.  These pre-coding surveys allowed us to capture what was happening early on, even though some of the final data we retroactively collected didn't always perfectly match up with the survey reports.  We owe Dr. Baker a great deal of gratitude for the "heavy lifting" that he and his co-workers provided as they foresaw that distance learning was not a passing phenomenon!

The voluminous survey results, consisting of hundreds of pages and charts, are archived at the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.  My notes and a few sample pages (click on them for an enlarged view) indicate that Distance Learning was undergoing a significant modality shift across many Washington State community and technical colleges (CTCs) in the late 1990s at the same time as at North Seattle College.  The charts above and below were created from data submitted by each college's staff over three academic years: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters of 1994/1995 through 1996/1997.  I believe submissions of college survey forms were discontinued after the 1996/1997 academic year or perhaps the following year because they became unnecessary.  At North Seattle College (and probably all other CTCs), we coded our various categories of distance learning classes directly into the State system rather than submitting survey forms at the end of each year.  

What do these early state data show?  As can be seen in the charts above and below, correspondence courses and telecourses were the popular distance learning modalities of the mid-1990s, in terms of both the number of classes taught and the number of students enrolled.  Use of the internet (categorized as "Online/Computer Conferencing") grew dramatically over these three years but still represented a minor component of the distance learning suite of modalities.  "Two-way videoconferencing" (later called "Interactive Television (ITV)"), with one college sharing a live class with other colleges with students able to join together via the "K-20 Network", was also gaining popularity during these years.  This "experiment" in live distance learning did not continue for much longer because of logistical co-scheduling challenges among colleges (even among the Seattle District colleges themselves).  In a sense, ITV revived much later in 2020 when live classes were offered across the internet via "Zoom" and similar synchronous conferencing technologies.

There are other features in these charts which are interesting but won't be discussed here.  Funding sources (state-, contract-, and self-support) are distinguished for financial purposes.  And early distance learning efforts included a range of now-expired categories such as "audiographic" (interconnection of graphic display devices at multiple sites) and "audioconferencing" (usually accomplished through standard telephone lines).  

Twenty-seven community and technical colleges participated in some form of distance learning during the 1996/1997 academic year.  Regarding student enrollment, distance learning accounted for about 2% of all system-generated FTEs ("full-time-equivalent "enrollments, a way of compiling all credits received by full-time and part-time students).  During these three survey years, the number of distance learning classes increased by 45% and the number of distance learning enrollments increased by 12%. 

Specific to North Seattle College, comparisons of distance learning enrollments for 1996/1997 show that NSC was eighth in the state in telecourse classes taught (38), with Spokane Falls (146), Skagit (97), Pierce (82), Spokane Community (72), Seattle Central (64), Bellevue (62) and Edmonds (39) colleges leading the way.  In "Online/Computer Conferencing", NSC was third in the state, with Skagit (38) and Edmonds (17) offering more such courses.  With respect to total distance learning activity, NSC was positioned eighth in the state in number of courses offered during the 1996/1997 academic year. 

My previous post showed how, at North Seattle College at least, the online learning modality grew dramatically in 1997/1998 and 1998/1999, and then far-surpassed telecourses by the 1999/2000 academic year in number of courses taught and number of students (seat counts) enrolled.  No doubt the same was happening at many of the other community and technical colleges in Washington State.  However, I do not have notes specific to this information.   

At the conclusion of the commentary accompanying the survey report, we find the following prescient statement, one that Ron Baker penned nearly 30 years ago and that has strongly guided our own philosophy and developmental approach for North Seattle College's distance learning operation throughout all these decades:

" Distance education as a 'separate initiative' of the Washington community and technical college system is evaporating.  Distance education technologies and methodologies are increasingly becoming fused with all forms of educational practice.  It may be more important and beneficial to the Washington Community and Technical College System in the future to focus on the continuum of distributed multimodal educational practices, rather than distance education as a singular adjunct activity." 

9. Growth in e-Learning: The Early Years at NSC

 
Members of North Seattle College's Enrollment/Registration/Admissions Team
Colleagues who collaborated with our e-Learning team (circa early 2000s)

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

What constitutes a "distance learning / e-learning class"?  "Distance learning" and "e-learning" are somewhat distinct terms, the former including more than just "online" classes, and the latter potentially including "non-distance" classes such as the "web-enhanced" campus ones.  As demonstrated through the charts presented earlier, the growing number of fully and partially online courses in the first decade of the 2000s dominated the data and eventually replaced most of the earliest categories in "distance learning."  The "e-learning" term became the more popular (and accurate) descriptor for courses utilizing web-based technologies that did not necessarily involve physical distance from campus.

However, prior to 2000, North Seattle College (NSC) offered a variety of non-traditional classes that opened up learning possibilities for students beyond the usual in-the-classroom format.  These early "distance learning" options primarily included:  Telecourses (based on weekly televised programs), videocassette-based courses (involving the rental of videocassettes with recorded programs and lessons), and multiple-location live courses using interactive television ("ITV classes").  Another popular early "distance learning" modality was the correspondence course (based on reading a textbook with emailed assignments and communication).  NSC did not widely adopt this latter "distance" format, known for its generally very low completion rate, although it was a strong component of Seattle Central College's program.  NSC also offered a few courses with distinct "distance learning" categories such as "flex-time/CD ROM" Elementary Russian and "computer tutorial" Microeconomics. 

The first "distance learning" class offered by North Seattle College was a telecourse in Spring Quarter 1994 entitled "History 210 -- The Pacific Century".  Seventeen students enrolled in this first (and only) distance course during that "lead off" term.  In the following term (Fall Quarter 1994), five telecourses were offered, increasing to eleven classes a couple quarters later (Spring Quarter 1995).  Over the span of just a year, "distance learning" enrollments grew from those 17 student "seat counts" in the 1993/1994 academic year to 590 enrollments in the 22 total telecourses scheduled in total during the 1994/1995 year.   Clearly, many students were finding that such "distance learning" fit their life situations or/and their learning preferences.  In Spring Quarter 1997, the first online course was offered ("HEA 150 Health & Human Sexuality", taught by Trish Root, with enrollment of 14 students), and "distance learning" really took off from there! 

The following series of charts shows how "distance learning" took shape during its "formative" years at North Seattle College from Spring Quarter 1993 through Spring Quarter 2000.  Clicking on a chart will lead to a "pop-up" expanded view.   This "unofficial" data, tracked by our distance learning operation, may not fully match up with other records because of the reasons explained in the last post, but the divergences are secondary and do not alter the observations and interpretations here.       

"Distance learning" curriculum grew from one telecourse in Spring Quarter 1993 to over 100 various "distance learning" courses taught during the 1999/2000 academic year.  As shown above, 20 to 30 courses were eventually offered each standard quarter during these early years, and somewhat fewer during the Summer Quarter.

As charted above, total "distance learning" enrollments ("seat counts") reached a plateau just below 1000, primarily in telecourses and videocassette-based courses (more on these modalities in later posts) during the mid-1990s, and then enrollments climbed dramatically with the introduction and appeal of the online learning modality, especially beginning in Spring Quarter 1998.  

The chart above shows that enrollments in online classes at North Seattle College grew from those 14 students in that one course in Spring Quarter 1997 to nearly 1250 enrollments in 70 online classes during the 1999/2000 academic year.  Some of the online courses also included rental of videocassettes or broadcast of Annenberg media through the Seattle Colleges television channel.  The strictly "videocassette" courses (without online instruction but with videocassette rental or television viewing and a limited number of in-person campus meetings) peaked at 38 across the 1995/1996 academic year and then began to drop, with 12 such courses taught in 1999/2000 (and the same or fewer after that).  This modality now represented only about 15% of "distance learning" curriculum.  "Distance learning" was about to be renamed to "e-learning", a better way to describe how instruction was occurring.   

Regardless of the growth and method of "distance learning", individual class sizes remained relatively constant over the years.  Despite the vision of state administrators that such a teaching mode meant that hundreds of students could be taught in one class by a single instructor, the reality was that one instructor could handle fewer -- not more -- students in "distance learning" classes.  Individual attention to each students was generally more intense and time-consuming in order to achieve the same level of learning success (data on this later).   For good reason, class "caps" for online courses, for example, were set at 25 students, below the usual class caps of 30 or more.  Accounting for natural attrition after the first couple weeks of a term, average enrollment in a "distance learning" class remained around 20, as shown by the summary chart above.  The growth in "distance learning" was not a reflection of an increase in student-to-faculty ratio, but a result of increased numbers of "distance learning" offerings. 

Of course, this expansion of "distance learning" from telecourses and videocassette-based classes with limited in-person campus meetings (and, at other colleges, from long-established snail-mail correspondence classes too) to internet- and media-based learning options was a phenomenon occurring across the state.  While we were tracking our own enrollments (the first page of an early data table shown below), official state data were capturing this phenomenon at all the community colleges around Washington State.  The next posting will provide a look at these data.      

8. Growth in e-Learning: A View from 30,000 Feet

North Seattle College's campus front steps circa 2003
(Photographer Erik Braziunas)

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

This first look at how Distance Learning / e-Learning grew at North Seattle College (NSC) will introduce some ideas that will be further detailed in future posts.  Tracking the history of class enrollments was very important to NeLSC's (North's e-Learning Support Center's) mission.  I routinely plotted these enrollments after each term (quarter), building the 23-year "unofficial" charts that are shown and described below.   

ENROLLMENTS AS A MEASURE OF E-LEARNING SUCCESS

In an earlier post, I mentioned that NeLSC's daily goal was to help faculty and students successfully utilize their classroom technologies. Were faculty and students accomplishing their objectives and thus satisfied with their teaching/learning experiences in distance learning / e-learning "classrooms", whether such classrooms were fully online, hybrid (partly in-person / partly online) or "enhanced" (that is, having a full schedule of campus meetings but supported by required use of an integrated "online learning management system")?  

One immediate way of measuring whether e-learning seemed to be working was to determine if faculty and students were continuing to "sign up" for such classes.  We had ways to measure faculty and student satisfaction through surveys, completion-rate studies, grade comparisons, and, most importantly, direct faculty and student feedback, but I felt that charting enrollment trends gave us an easy and direct way to check on e-learning's appeal and validity.

WHY CHOOSE "SEAT COUNTS"?

Enrollment data and trends can be presented in different ways.  One way is to count the number of students in e-learning classes, regardless of whether they are registered for one class or several.  Another way is to present the data in FTE fashion, meaning "Full Time Equivalence", aggregating all e-learning credits taken in a quarter by full-time and part-time students into an equivalent number of full-time students taking a full load of 15 credits. 

I plotted "15th-day seat counts" as a way of measuring participation in distance learning / e-learning courses.  A "seat" reflects one student "sitting in" one e-learning class.  A student taking three online classes would, for example, count for three "seats."  These counts could be converted directly to the FTE numbers described above if all courses consisted of the same credits (typically 5 credits for most classes).  However, a few special classes only consisted of 2 or 3 credits or even 6 or more credits, and so the official FTE trends will be slightly different than these 15th-day "seat counts."  I was really just interested in "bodies in classes", regardless of credit levels, as a way to gage participation, so that is why I worried less about precisely matching up with formal state-level FTE reports.  The differences are secondary anyway. 

It should be noted that actual enrollment data themselves can adjust over time.  Each quarter's enrollment numbers conventionally stop changing after the 10th school day of a quarter, when students can no longer "register" for a class (that is, be counted in data reported to the State Board).  However, instructor permission still plays a role, and a "final" enrollment count is determined after the 15th day of a quarter (my data choice for these charts).  But some exceptions continue to occur, and minor adjustments (for example, due to late incoming data or re-coding of particular classes) can make official numbers change a bit even when a quarter is over.  Again, such differences will be minor. 

WHAT THESE "OVER-STUFFED" VIEWS REVEAL

The "seat counts" shown in the charts below were based on the 15th-day "final" numbers we determined from the college's official source and as reported to the State Board.   As mentioned above, sometimes a number in the system was adjusted slightly after a quarter ended, and I have tried to catch and incorporate any such changes whenever our charts were updated.  

The charts begin with enrollment of 17 students in North Seattle College's first "distance learning course" in Spring Quarter 1994, and end with the "e-learning" seat counts for the 2015/2016 academic year (after which I retired).  The earliest counts do include some enrollment in non-online "distance learning" courses like telecourses and "ITV" courses (an ITV course being a synchronous multi-campus course taught at one campus and shared live with others through an "interactive television network"), but these latter enrollments are later overwhelmed after 1999/2000 by those categorized as online learning.

In the chart above, the four colors reflect the four quarters during each academic year.  Summer Quarter (blue) was a shorter 8-week term that usually ran from late June into August; Fall Quarter (purple) was a normal 11-week term from late September into December, Winter Quarter (yellow) ran from January into March, and Spring Quarter (green) ran from April until June, with the academic year ending on June 30th and the new one beginning on July 1st.  Enrollments for the abbreviated Summer Quarters were usually much less than for the other three quarters. 

Despite the fact that the seat-count numbers for early years are unreadable (and the later-year counts are nearly unreadable), I believe that these colorful bar graphs provide insight into "distance learning / e-learning" growth at North Seattle College at a "30,000-foot level."  Clicking on the charts will helpfully expand your view of them if you are interested.

The seat counts in the first few academic years are influenced by telecourse enrollments, but, starting with the 1999/2000 academic year, nearly all enrollments shown reflect the accelerating growth specifically in fully online learning classes.  By 2015/2016, around 20 years since the start of distance learning curriculum at North Seattle College, annual enrollment in fully online classes had reached around 9000 seats (excluding the hybrid and enhanced campus categories). An especially dramatic rise in NSC's online learning enrollments occurred during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 academic years. Clearly more faculty and students were finding that an online modality was a viable mode of teaching and learning.  I believe that NeLSC's efforts to prepare and support faculty and students for utilizing the technologies in pedagogically effective ways represented a crucial contribution to the adoption of this modality.

Other colleges around the state and the country were also undergoing shifts in the methodologies of teaching and learning.  South Seattle (Community) College was growing its own online learning program and seeing a similar trend, although not at this level.  Seattle Central Community College, traditionally strong in the correspondence mode of distance learning, was also growing, albeit more moderately, in online learning as well.   Leaders in e-learning enrollments around Washington State were Bellevue (Community) College, followed by Edmonds (Community) College and Spokane Falls (Community) College along with North Seattle College.

A SECOND CHART ADDS TO THE STORY

When hybrid and web-enhanced campus courses were first designed and introduced into NSC's curriculum (and coded as such in the State system) in Winter Quarter 2005, our definition of "e-learning" expanded to include these modalities.  Categorizing learning as strictly "e-learning" or strictly "campus learning" no longer fit well with the myriad blends of modalities and methodologies now being utilized as effective ways to teach and learn.  The classical description of college courses that linked "credit hours" to "seat time" had become outmoded because "seat time" could no longer simply be tied to time "sitting" in a physical campus classroom.  However, at least at the time of my retirement, a better way to describe curricula had yet to be implemented. 

The chart below adds in NSC's hybrid and web-enhanced campus enrollments (the latter being specific to campus courses using the Canvas online learning management system) to the fully online course mode shown in the previous chart.  Distinguishing each of these three e-learning categories of enrollments in each of four quarters for each year means that a total of 12 (count'em!) glorious colors must now be used (with associated seat-time numbers overlain on them).  Readability has become even more challenging!

However, what is clear is that e-learning, now defined as (1) replacing, (2) reducing or (3) blending into traditional on-campus in-person learning environments, was demonstrating exponential growth.  If nothing else is readable, at least one can see that, at a "30,000 foot" view, on an annual basis, the college had reached about 30,000 individual class enrollments within this spectrum of learning modes by the end of the 2015/2016 academic year.  This "seat count" was in addition to all the traditional "seats" occupied by students taking on-campus classes but not also using an online learning management system like Canvas (although still potentially using web-based materials like digital syllabi and other technologies like word processing).

The chart shows that the three categories of e-learning (fully online, hybrid, and web-enhanced campus) have similar seat counts to one another each quarter and, therefore, look to be comparably "popular" in enrollment.  These three "categories" reflect portions of a spectrum of technology usage.  Online learning management systems like Canvas were being utilized in classes ranging from fully remote to fully on-campus.  North Seattle College was growing such usage exponentially without yet reaching a plateau. 

Foremost, these trends demonstrate their overwhelmingly successful efforts of dedicated faculty using the technologies that our college adopted.  I also believe that NSC's e-Learning Support Center team played a vital role in preparing and assisting these faculty and their students in achieving their success.  

A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY

Furthermore, I also think that an important "key to our success" was the philosophy and strategy that we espoused from the start.  Because on student transcripts distance learning course credits (whether, for example, from telecourses or online courses) were indistinguishable from credits tied to the campus versions of those same courses, we strongly felt that there must be a matching equivalence in student learning.  The "quality" of distance learning courses needed to match up with their in-person counterparts. That philosophy, or rather "obligation", was a driving force as we worked with faculty to help them design online courses and help them prepare to teach those "distance learning" courses in pedagogically sound ways.  And, to help faculty take on this substantial task, NeLSC also needed to support faculty and their students attentively throughout the quarter's learning process.  

I noticed that some universities demarcated their online courses with special designators to differentiate these courses on student transcripts as if such classes needed special vetting.  We felt "obligated" to ensure the "equivalency" (as much as possible) in our courses, regardless of modality since they appear identical to in-person courses on our college's transcripts.  I think this philosophy drove us in NeLSC to work especially hard with our faculty as they took on the challenging task of creating effective learning environments for our "off-campus students." 

A second "secret to our success", in my view, was tied to our understanding that the tools used for "distance learning / e-learning" were not restricted to "distance learning" environments, distinct from what was happening on campus.  These tools (for example, online learning management systems like WebCT or Blackboard or ANGEL or CANVAS) allowed for a "blend" of learning environments.  Whereas there were conversations at the "district level" about potentially creating a "virtual college" separate from Seattle's north, south and central campus colleges, I contended that such a separation would artificially disunite faculty, training, resources and support services.  

I had seen that another community college in the state had built a distance learning program that employed "distance" faculty independent of the usual division oversight, and that faculty in the two "camps" were in competition and at odds with one another.  In contrast, at our college, in general, the same faculty taught both on-campus and online classes, and this unity further supported the "equivalency" in learning that we strived for.  In fact, many instructors found that teaching a combination of campus and distance courses together during a quarter fit well with their heavy work schedule ... and perhaps with their "sanity" in dealing with the logistics of a variety of college responsibilities and busy lives outside academia.

E-LEARNING AFTER THE PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic changed everything.  Although I retired from overseeing NSC's e-learning operation in 2016, I continued to periodically teach online part-time at NSC as well as at South Seattle College and Green River College for another four years.  When colleges had to switch entirely to remote learning in Spring Quarter 2020 via new technologies like Zoom for live (that is, synchronous) sessions along with asynchronous tools like Canvas, faculty and students had no choice but to adapt to using these e-learning methodologies in a hurry.  I saw how preparing and assisting faculty and students to effectively utilize such technologies was a major challenge for all e-learning support services at all colleges.   

I have used these charts as one way to demonstrate the growing appeal of e-learning for faculty and students and also to assess how well NeLSC's faculty/student preparation and support services were accomplishing our goal of helping provide effective learning environments.   But, as a result of the pandemic's forced universal adoption of e-learning beginning in 2020, I believe it is no longer useful to use enrollment numbers to chart the "natural" growth in technology-use in curricula.  Suddenly, e-learning was artificially "forced upon" colleges, for better or worse, and choice by instructor and student was hardly ever an option. 

I do believe (and will share some projections ahead) that, without the pandemic, in a few years, we would have gotten to a "plateau" in which a full spectrum of learning environments (in-person, hybrid and fully online) would naturally work out and would match up in "seat counts" across the academic catalog.  By "working out", I mean that the many possible "blends" of technology-assisted educational settings would have comparable success and meet the diversity of teaching and learning "styles" that we have in our society.   But who am I to make lofty predictions when I could never have guessed where we would be today back 40 years ago when I sat at my first 128K Macintosh Computer in 1983 and thought how great it was to just not be using my trusty Olympia Electric typewriter with its white-out ribbon!  

7. Colleagues who contributed to the e-Learning Program: Tom On-board ... and Overboard!

Tom Braziunas in AD 2000

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

Before a deeper look into the history of distance learning / e-learning at North Seattle College, I want to share a few personal comments on my own beginning.

I started teaching part-time at South Seattle Community College in Winter 1994, using my geology and paleontology degrees to teach in-person classes (including some telecourses) in physical and historical geology, oceanography, geography and dinosaurs.  Along the way, I was encouraged by two IT (Information Technology) folks, Frances Brooks and Dennis Colgan, to consider designing an online version of the Physical Geology lab-science class.  In the distant past, I had wanted to get into museum exhibit design work and this was something like that.  As Dennis said at the time:  "No one else is doing this in the Seattle College District."  However, there were actions happening at North Seattle Community College at around the same time or shortly after.  More on that later. 

Dennis Colgan with co-workers and colleagues in 2012

 

So, for a stipend of $600, in Fall 1995, I built a several-hundred-webpage class website, complete with lessons, assignments and labs, and with email communication, from scratch using HTML.  The stipend was nominal for the several hundreds of hours that were labored to create that class.  But, by coding in HTML, I gained a good understanding and confidence in web design.  At one point, I learned about "thumbnails" and how these little images could point to full photos of rock samples without needing to build all 20 full-sized rock photos into one webpage that would take minutes to load on 14.4 kbps modems!  With these thumbnails and the advancement of modem speeds (to the "quick-at-the-time" 28.8 and 56 kbps modems!), students (and myself) were now able to wait less and work on class faster.  I used to like to joke that I was "ahead of my time" in creating webpages before the internet was ready for them!

A somewhat later version of the original online physical geology class homepage 

I taught the Winter Quarter 1996 version of Physical Geology 101 lab-science class to on-campus students and a few fully online students simultaneously.  I put together a rock and mineral kit for the online students to borrow from the samples we had in South Seattle Community College's collection.  The online students had to come to campus and take the same text-and-lab midterm and final exams as the on-campus students... and, on average, they performed better than the average of the on-campus group.  I used to say that this meant that the less you heard me teach in-person, the better you learned!  However, I also think that the online group (mostly from Microsoft) was especially tech savvy and also too small a number to be able to make a significant comparison.

The next year, Dennis informed me that a full-time distance-learning coordinator position was opening up at North Seattle Community College, where I had been teaching some geology courses along with ones at South Seattle Community College (as well as holding a research position at the University of Washington).  And, with Jane, I was co-parenting Kristin and Erik, 11 and 13.  I was a busy guy, but especially excited about the idea of working with others to develop online curriculum... and the idea of having perhaps a more stable full-time job that fit with my teaching disposition and desire to stay in Seattle. 

John Backes, Library Dean at North Seattle Community College, interviewed and hired me in November 1997 to start immediately.  The distance learning operation had recently shifted from the Continuing Education division to the Library division.  In a series of meetings with John, with outgoing distance learning coordinator Parker Lindner and office assistant Chris Russ wrapping up their roles in the Distance Learning Office, and with other key players in the Seattle District and the Washington State Board, I was filled in (and overwhelmed!) with all that was happening in Distance Learning at the college and around the state.  My first "to-do list" (see image below), written up on my 46th birthday, was five pages long.  I was also still teaching courses at South Seattle College and contributing to research at the University of Washington.  I was a busy guy (did I mention that?). 

The first page of my first five-page task-list as distance learning coordinator

Two weeks later, John left for a position at Shoreline Community College.  Distance Learning returned to the Continuing Education division under the supervision of Dean Katherine Riley, as it had been.  And Parker and Chris left shortly after that, as planned.  Katherine hired Carol Howe as front-desk office assistant and told me that I needed to stop my teaching (although I had already signed on to teach courses for the Winter 1998 quarter) in order to focus fully on my new role at North.  It was difficult to give up my classes for this new position for which I felt a bit "overboard" and uncertain that it was a good fit, but Katherine's insistence turned out to be a very crucial step that, once followed, opened up a whole new and wonderful career for me!  Since my mentor and supervisor for research at University of Washington, Dr. Minze Stuiver, was also retiring in the upcoming year, it was natural for me to end my contributions to the UW isotope program as well. 

Over the years, my role expanded and, through the much appreciated support of those who supervised me, my job description was re-evaluated several times and my position title changed appropriately.  I transitioned from coordinator to manager to director and, finally, to associate dean of e-learning.  Along the way, I received the Trustees Lifelong Learning Award in 2001.  I even was eventually able to occasionally teach online again (especially the dinosaurs course), which provided me with the first-hand experiences (and issues) of using our course technologies that I could learn from and pass on to other faculty.  

In particular, I was thrilled to be "starred" in 2007 in a surprise pop-in visit and "ceremony", complete with confetti (see photos below), led by President Ron LaFayette and many other of my favorite colleagues (including Jean Kent, Jane Lister Reis, Alan Ward, and -- in the funny hat -- David Bittenbender).  More wonderful moments and silly times will be shared ahead. 

Tom being "starred" in 2007

6. Colleagues who contributed to the e-Learning Program: The Team

Tom Braziunas, Terre O'Malley and Joanne Fall in 2007

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

I was so proud to work with the e-learning team members!  Our primary goal was simple:  Help students and faculty feel comfortable using beneficial technologies in their campus, hybrid and online classes, and be close by as assistance was needed.  We called our centrally located space "North's e-Learning Support Center" or "NeLSC" (pronounced "Nell-See"...well, like Elsie, the Borden Cow!).  It started as a small room and eventually expanded into several rooms with a bank of computers in the front area for students to sit with us and step through how to start and participate in their online classes, and a bank of computers in a back area for faculty to sit with us and step through how to make the technologies work well for them and, especially, to brainstorm on the best pedagogically useful ways in which specific technologies could achieve what was desired for their classes.

With appreciation, I watched the e-learning team members exhibit patience and kindness along with expertise in welcoming and assisting those who came in for help, often frustrated with a particular aspect of their technology experience.  Very few students or faculty left without feeling relief and knowing that they had specific humans who would be there when they needed more help.  Over the first decade, we were relocated eight times (!) as construction plans reconfigured the campus, but we finally ended up within the confines of the library building, centrally located with our own entrance and easy to find.  About half the students who stopped by during the first two weeks each quarter asked for directions to find unrelated offices or classrooms, and we were glad to get them where they needed to go.  

Carol Howe, Joanne Fall, Tom Braziunas

Shortly after I began as Distance Learning Coordinator when DL was part of Continuing Education, Carol Howe joined as an hourly assistant.  Carol's role changed over the decades as her technological and training skills increased, and she continued past my retirement.  Joanne Fall joined early on as well as a front-desk receptionist, as a steadfast support person for students, and as our "Virtual College" website designer and maintainer.  Joanne tracked enrollments and updated critical quarterly class information so students knew what to expect before and after registering for classes.  Importantly, Joanne was a reliable presence, opening our support center early every morning regardless of the elements. 

Terre O'Malley

In 2006, as our operation grew, Terre O'Malley joined the e-learning team, and she continued through today.  Our technologies multiplied in that second decade, and courses regularly began using more sophisticated integrated coursewares (like Blackboard and Angel) called "learning management systems".  Terre began as a front-desk office assistant and, through her years of ongoing experience and her dedication to additional technological training, Terre advanced to be our courseware (Canvas) administrator.

Over the decades, the e-learning team has had many remarkable members who have joined for a while and brought special skills to our operation.  As our services expanded, our need for a particular workforce grew as well, and I will mention just a couple teammates who "passed through".  Toby Thompson added to our front-desk student assistance and also our "back-desk" technical expertise for more than a year.  As with all our staff, he brought a special service-oriented background, having taught English to business students in Santiago, Chile, a few years prior to joining us. Amy LaZerte also brought her great customer service and communication skills to our operation for more than a year.  Amy came to us with great detail-oriented organization and a commitment to resourceful student support and, as importantly, with much contagious energy!  She quickly built on those skills by completing workshops on emerging technologies and best pedagogical practices for online learning.  She also brought a special passion for sustainability that helped us create a "green" e-learning center.  

Mark Anthoney

From Spring 2012 to Summer 2013, Mark Anthoney served as our operations manager / instructional designer.  With his Masters background in Library and Information Science and in Communications Studies, and his collaboration skills and his expertise in instructional technology, Mark had an immediate impact as demand for our e-learning support services was quickly expanding.  Mark's calm and thoughtful approach fit well with how we conducted faculty workshops and one-on-one assistance to new online instructors.  Mark helped take many waiting tasks off my desk and our "pile of needs", and I really enjoyed Mark's ready adjustability!    However, wearing two hats was indeed a challenge, and Seattle University offered a position that nicely focused on Mark's instructional designer side and took him from us.    

Kathleen Chambers

Starting in March, 2014, Kathleen Chambers began working as our e-learning instructional designer.  What a pleasure it has been to work with Kathleen!  She is a strong team player who contributes hard work and refreshing, constructive ideas to support our team-centric approach to our services.  Kathleen brought a tremendous level of expertise, energy and enthusiasm to our operation and our college.  I greatly appreciated her ability to work independently, effectively, patiently and collaboratively across our entire campus community.  Kathleen is very much goal-oriented but people-focused.  When working with faculty and staff, she made sure to carefully listen to needs as well as share ideas.  Many of Kathleen's ideas advanced our e-learning services in ways not otherwise possible, and specific strategies and projects will be detailed in the history ahead.  Kathleen continued as an unparalleled leader in e-learning at North Seattle College after I retired in 2016.  

Kathleen in off-work mode

5. Colleagues who contributed to the e-Learning Program: The Admins

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

I was lucky to have direct bosses, vice presidents and presidents throughout the decades who supported our growth and efforts in distance learning / e-learning.  The distinction between "administration" and "faculty" is often a "soft one" because many administrators originally came from the classroom.  And some few continue to wear more than one hat, teaching part-time while also overseeing a division or program (myself included).  I have appreciated the special support, personal guidance and program advocacy of so many administrators, whether as my direct "bosses" or as higher-tiered college leaders.  

NSC's e-Learning Program (and my own career) benefitted from the leadership of people like Dean Katherine Riley, Dean Tom Griffith, Dean Phil Roche, Vice President Pete Lortz, President Mark Mitsui and President Warren Brown, to list just a few.  Their names will appear many times in the e-learning chronicle posted ahead.  Here I just want to shout out a personal appreciation for several of these dedicated educators (who will also appear in the history shared later as well).

Jacqueline L. Mundell

Jacque Mundell was the "Dean of Instructional and Information Support Services" at North Seattle College in the early 2000s, and she was my direct boss during that time.  Jacque was already a noted leader in library administration when she came to NSC as sort of her career "finale".  Jacque was always thinking "beyond one college", wanting to share out the strategies and techniques for what worked well toward the seamless integration of student and faculty support across a college's services.  With Coryl Celene-Martel, we published "An Organizational Model for Instructional Support at a Community College" (2003, Information Technology and Libraries, Vol.22, Issue 2, 61-67).  Jacque, Jean Kent and I also attended multiple national conferences on pedagogical uses of technology in education, getting together at the end of each day to share notes and brainstorm on how to apply what we had learned in workshops and presentations while it wss fresh in mind.  It was especially fun and effective to "nerd out" in this way!  Even after her retirement, the three of us would periodically have fun lunches together to talk about the latest best classroom uses of technology and, in fact, Jacque and Jean subsequently designed (for the American Library Association) free online workshops on educational technologies like Photoshop Essentials.  Jacque died in 2018 at age 77, and I miss her.  

  

Dr. Ronald Hugh LaFayette

Dr. Ron LaFayette served as North Seattle College's president from 2001 to 2009.  His presidency was just one of his many recognized accomplishments in higher education, especially his efforts toward creating pathways for non-traditional students and those with disabilities (especially the hearing-impaired).  Ron truly was a lifelong learner and a believer in the potential for new technologies to serve campus and distance learners.  After his retirement, he periodically dropped by the e-Learning Center to share with us the latest technologies that he had tested out and thought might be helpful to our faculty and students (and they were!).  He continued to bring forth ideas that went beyond one college or district. Ron was working on a multimedia wiki to anthologize the history of the Seattle College District for a broader sounding board.  He was compiling interviews and documents to form a useful archive and, through the unique technological power of the wiki, he was designing ways to allow others to readily contribute their memories and reflections from their times at the colleges.  Ron passed away in 2014 at age 71 before he was able to launch this project. 

Dr. Mary Ellen O'Keeffe

Dr. Mary Ellen O'Keeffe had several leadership roles, as Executive Workforce Dean, Vice President of Instruction, Interim President at North Seattle College, and Interim Vice Chancellor for the Seattle College District.  In every position, Mary Ellen was at the forefront of system-wide projects that were designed to enhance student access, support and success.  These endeavors harnessed the power of data-driven technologies to create pathways for students toward reaching their specific goals.  Some of these projects will be described later, but here I just want to mention something that Mary Ellen modeled for those of us who were supervised by her.  At a Thanksgiving-week meeting of her deans and directors, Mary Ellen took time to share around the table her gratitude for each one of us, describing a specific quality and work ethic she admired and appreciated.  To be personally valued in front of one's peers had a strong impact on me, and I think it also demonstrated Mary Ellen's deep commitment to share credit with everyone she worked with. 

Finally, a photograph that I treasure from an undated college event long ago.  These three guys loved what they did, and were fortunate to work with so many others who did as well!

Jack Bautsch, Tom Braziunas and Ron LaFayette