As President Bob Kustra noted in his recent State of the University address, enrollments in summer online courses increased this year, making up more than 40 percent of all summer 2015 credits. More than 11,300 students enrolled in at least one Boise State online class between summer 2014 and spring 2015, according to eCampus Center’s annual report. Of those students, nearly 2,800 of them were enrolled solely online.
Chandra Reyna, a senior earning a bachelor of science in psychology and sociology and a bachelor of arts in ethnic studies, appreciates the opportunity to take eCampus courses.
“I really enjoy online classes because they allow me to be more flexible with my schedule,” she said. “I am a mother of three, so being able to take one class online each semester gives me more time with my family while still having the on-campus experience.”
eCampus Center provides services to support online students, including a self-assessment questionnaire to help students determine whether online learning is a good fit for them, an orientation to online learning at Boise State, and tutorials and support resources. The Blue Blog and a Facebook page give online students both information and encouragement.
In addition to supporting students taking online courses, eCampus Center collaborates with faculty to prepare courses and teachers. This aligns with the university’s goal to facilitate the timely attainment of educational goals for our diverse student population by bringing classes to students using advanced technologies and multiple delivery formats.
The following faculty participated in the Summer 2015 eCampus Course Design and Development Seminar or the eCampus Course Design Phase to develop an online course:
Scott Armentrout, PSYC 101 General Psychology
Helen Barnes, BAS 300 Communication in the Applied Sciences
Franziska Borders, GERMAN 101 Elementary German I
Annal Frenz, HONORS 498 Honors Seminar
Patricia Hampshire, ED-ESP 515 Early Intervention, Birth to Three
Leslie Madsen-Brooks, HIST 100 Themes in World History
Janet Reis, IPE 320 Healthcare Coordination in the Healthcare System
Carrie Semmelroth, ED-ESP 541 Secondary Transition
Mary Shawver, ASL 101 American Sign Language 1
Michael Strickland, ED-LLC 346 Children’s Literature
Janet Willhaus, N-SIM 502 Operations in Healthcare Simulation
A few seats remain open in the fall offerings of these and other professional development opportunities in the eCampus Quality Instruction Program (eQIP). The 12-week eCampus Course Design and Development Seminar begins Sept. 8, and the 8-week eCampus Course Design Phase on Sept. 21. Interested faculty should contact eQIP coordinator Crystal Nielsen by noon Tuesday, Sept. 1.
For more information about eCampus courses or the eCampus Center, visit ecampus.boisestate.edu.