The program has information and technology resources adequate to fulfill its stated mission and goals and to support instructional programs. Information and technology resources include library resources, student access to hardware and software (including access to specific software or other technology required for instructional programs), faculty access to hardware and software (including access to specific software required for the instructional programs offered) and technical assistance for students and faculty.
C5.1. Briefly describe, with data if applicable, the following:
Library resources and support available for students and faculty
Creighton's three libraries (Health Sciences Library, Reinert Alumni Library, Ahmanson Law Library) provide information and training resources to on-campus and online students and faculty. The current physical collections of the libraries include 899,847 physical objects. The campus also has access to nearly 100,000 serials, mostly e-journals. In the past 5 years, there were over 3,000,000 full-text downloads of journal articles and over 500,000 views of e-books. Theses and dissertations have been digitized and are housed in the Creighton Digital Repository. There were also 67,000 full text downloads of Creighton theses and dissertations in the last five years. The libraries are open over 100 hours a week.
Assistance and support from the Library experts are available 84 hours a week. Librarians also offer workshops on research tools, methods, and strategies and are available for one-on-one consultations.
The libraries also expanded the inter-library loan program and made this service available for free to all students, faculty, and staff. A designated library liaison is assigned to each of the schools and colleges within CU.
Student access to hardware and software (including access to specific software or other technology required for instructional programs)
All CU online students are required to have a desktop or laptop computer that meets or exceeds the requirements listed on the Student Technology Requirements page (see ERF C5.1a). Academic Coaches advise new students of the required technology hardware and software upon registering them for their first term of courses.
The online platform used by the MPH program and all other academic programs at CU is Canvas (rebranded as Blueline). Like most online learning management systems, the Canvas/Blueline platform manages nearly all course-related content and activities, including course syllabi and assignment calendars; course and weekly learning objectives; access to readings, media, and materials; assignment expectations, submission of work, evaluation rubrics, and grades. Blueline also allows multiple options for individual or group interaction, including an integrated messaging system, posting of course
announcements, reciprocating assignment feedback tools, student groups sites, and peer review tools.
The MPH program also uses Blueline to host an online Student Resource Center (SRC) that MPH students can access at any time to view program-specific information, including faculty biographies and contact information, book lists, course schedules, practicum resources, career resources, and public health resources and organizations.
Individual courses, as warranted, offer students access to course-specific learning technology and software. As examples, MPH 604 provides students access to an online short course on developing health behavior logic models. Advanced instruction and opportunities for self-assessment are provided, augmenting the existing instruction and assessment of the course. In MPH 606, students have access to Navigate 2, a technology with enhanced learning opportunities for students, self-assessment quizzes, and an expanded resource list for topics covered in the course’s required textbook. Numerous MPH courses provide students access to discipline-specific simulation software, computer animations, interactive learning technologies and more.
Faculty access to hardware and software (including access to specific software or other technology required for instructional programs)
The university’s learning management system for distance courses and programs, Canvas (Blueline), is a powerful platform that offers a variety of instructional and feedback tools for faculty. Discussion boards, online gradebooks, quizzing, options for grading with annotated and media feedback, ability for student created and shared media, and collaborative workspaces are all examples of Blueline features that MPH faculty use in their courses. Canvas/Blueline also offers an integrated plagiarism deterrence tool called Turnitin.
Though most course delivery is asynchronous, there are some courses that may require limited
synchronous video conferencing. Faculty like to meet “virtually” with students or hold “virtual office hours”
using video conferencing technology. Zoom is the university’s online, web-based conferencing service and allows participants to share audio, video, and their own screen or desktop. Zoom meetings can be held on a desktop computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices. Faculty may create video clips for use in their distance courses by using Panopto, which is branded as BlueCast.
CU continues to make improvements in terms of access and availability of cloud-based software. Since summer 2015 all faculty, staff and students have been provided access to Qualtrics, an online survey software. The expanded access proves to be beneficial to students and faculty for scholarship and research projects.
Technical assistance available for students and faculty
The Division of Information Technology and Library Services has contracted with vendors that now provide 24/7 support for faculty, staff and students. Support for Blueline and current web-conferencing solution is provided 24/7 for students, faculty, and staff. Students can contact the Information Technology and Library Services support hotline 24/7 for password resets and to submit a ticket for support of other technical issues that might arise.
Through the instructional design process, The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) staff of instructional designers, an instructional technologist, and graduate assistants collaborate with faculty to select the tool(s) that best support each course’s learning objectives and provide training and ongoing support for using the tools. Canvas/Blueline offers easy navigation and increased student and student-to-faculty interactivity. To assure mastery of use, all student-to-faculty complete an online training course offered by the TLC in the use and application of Blueline before teaching online for the program. In addition, the TLC offers online Blueline orientation for all MPH students.
C5.2. Provide narrative and/or data that support the assertion that information and technology resources are sufficient or not sufficient.
In a survey conducted of all faculty (n=12) in fall 2019, 100% of faculty indicated that they were able to successfully teach their courses with available instructional technology. 10 of 12 indicated the university resources alone were enough; 10 of 12 also indicated that they augmented their courses with external learning technology. No weaknesses in software access or information technology were noted.
Instructors have access to a variety of instructional software, all of which is at a reduced cost or no cost at all. Faculty and staff are supplied desktop computers or laptops and access to printing, copying, and other office equipment. Staff, faculty, and students may receive support from the university’s full-service Division of Information Technology and Library Services and troubleshoot technical issues from the university’s technical support helpdesk.
Since the MPH program is 100% online, all students must meet the minimum technology hardware and software requirements upon enrolling in courses. (see ERF C5.1a)
The Teaching and Learning Center provides various training opportunities throughout the year to orient new instructors to best practices in online teaching as well as opportunities for seasoned faculty to keep their skills current with evolving technologies and platforms. The University’s Quality in Distance
Education Policy requires that all faculty who teach online demonstrate competency in online teaching.
Faculty who do not demonstrate competency, or have insufficient experience in teaching online are required to complete the Introduction to Digital Learning and Academic Technologies Certificate Course, which provides instructors an introduction to online teaching at CU. The self-paced course provides a basic overview to the Canvas/Blueline learning management system, best practices in online pedagogy, as well as course design and quality assurance.
C5.3. If applicable, assess strengths and weaknesses related to this criterion and plans for improvement in this area.
Strengths
• CU, through its libraries, digital repositories, the Teaching and Learning Center, and via Canvas/Blueline, provides the MPH program with a wealth of information and technology resources available to faculty, staff, and students.
• The Department of Information Technology and Library Services is highly responsive to the technology and resource needs of students and faculty.
• The online MPH program is supported by a dedicated team of instructional designers in the TLC.
Technology training is available for faculty, staff, and students.
• Most software and access to technology for MPH courses is available for free to students and faculty.
• Students also benefit from course-specific software and learning technology provided by faculty in conjunction with Creighton’s support services.
• 100% of the faculty report sufficient resources to support their courses, and thus the mission and goals of the program.
Weaknesses
• None identified