FLVC should create working groups or assign tasks to existing groups to identify effective practices.

FLVC’s Members Council on Distance Learning and Student Services frequently charters working groups to explore topics and to report their findings to the membership at large. The Task Force recommends creating effective practices working groups for the following areas, or assigning these tasks to groups already in existence:

• Effective practices in student services for the online learner • Effective practices in faculty services for online learning

• Effective practices in faculty collaboration in the development of online courses and shareable electronic materials

• Effective practices in academic services for online learning • Effective practices to enhance workforce alignment

The working groups should create guidelines as to what materials are appropriate for the effective practices repository as well as how materials will be evaluated for inclusion.

• _{Task 1 - Identify effective practices in student services for the online learner.} Once student services are better represented within FLVC’s structure, a new or existing working group should be tasked to identify areas for increased collaboration in student services. This group should also identify effective practices. The following activities should take place:

 Investigate large private enterprises that are able to offer extensive consulting and infrastructure support for online initiatives. It is possible that a key reason they have not entered the market to provide online student services is the lack of interest by Florida institutions.

 Assess the ability for current online services to become shared resources and determine if cost-effective practices are possible.

 Begin collating effective student services practices from Florida’s postsecondary institutions and others across the nation to begin developing a statewide repository.  Recommend means to assure that institutions promote use of the repository and

adopt effective practices.

 Recommend means to recognize faculty and institutions that implement effective practices.

Any recommendations for change in providing statewide student services for the online learner should be provided to the Members Council for consideration. Identified effective practices should be placed in the repository.

• Task 2 - Identify effective practices in faculty services for online learning.

FLVC should assign a new or existing working group to identify effective practices in faculty services for online learning. This group should identify effective practices in faculty support services and compile them into a central repository. Within the repository, a community of practices by faculty services discipline should be established. The group should also explore ways to incorporate student feedback on online sources and faculty member effectiveness. Any recommendations for change in statewide faculty services for online learning should be provided to the Members Council for consideration.

• _{Task 3 - Identify effective practices in faculty collaboration in the development}

of online courses and shareable electronic materials.

FLVC should assign a new or existing working group to identify effective practices for faculty collaboration. This working group should focus on topics such as:

 How to increase faculty collaboration in master course development

 Procedures for denoting peer reviews of any courses provided through FLVC’s distance-learning catalog

 How to accommodate and process any online materials that have a Creative Commons license and therefore must be shared

 Recommend means to recognize faculty and institutions which implement effective practices

Any recommendations for change in statewide faculty collaboration for course development should be provided to the Members Council. Identified effective practices should be placed

• _{Task 4 - Identify effective practices in academic services for online learning.} FLVC should assign a new or existing working group to identify effective practices for academic affairs. This working group should focus on activities such as the following:

 Conduct a review of the Universal Design for Learning model across the state or develop a more comprehensive approach to integrating current practices and technologies for students with disabilities.

 Clearly define the standards needed to tie the learning and teaching to the strategic plan from the classroom level to institutional leadership.

 Identify new methods of engaging students (e.g., use of gamification, social media, eTextbooks, and online resource centers).

 Identify more student-driven services for engagement or service learning in the community.

 Recommend means to recognize faculty and institutions which implement effective practices.

Any recommendations for change in statewide academic services for the online learner should be provided to the Members Council for consideration. Identified effective practices should be placed in the repository.

• Task 5 - Identify effective practices to enhance workforce alignment.

FLVC should assign a new or existing working group to identify effective practices for aligning postsecondary programs and courses to workforce and employer needs. This should include practices such as the following:

 The use of labor statistics or other market demand indicators to guide the university and college systems in their strategic planning processes, including a description of how new online programs can be aligned with state and regional employment needs  The creation of business advisory boards or business partnerships to support the

identification of new online programs, leveraging and replicating effective practices among the institutions’ online programs

 Recommendations for how university and college online program offices should consult with external or business advisory boards during the development of new online degree programs

 The potential formation of new advisory boards to provide advice on the use of internships and job placement needs

 The assignment of a workforce coordinator for the online program areas to oversee activities related to the alignment of online programs with employer needs