ANGEL IMPACT Awards 2006 - Exemplary ANGEL Course

Program Title:

Macroeconomics (ECNM 151): Increasing Online Course Cost-Effectiveness

Award Recipient:

Lorain County Community College
Elyria, Ohio

Program Contributors:

David Amos, Linda Bake, Marc Bakst, Sandy Crobar, John Crooks, Andy Dovci, Mark McVey, Mary Jane Palmer, Joe Querin, Betty Rhodes, Steve Stein, Mike Substelny, Rey Torres   

Program Description:

Macroeconomics is one of Lorain County Community College's top ten highest enrollment courses. Lorain CCC redesigned ECNM 151 using ANGEL with the expectation that the new ANGEL-based course would be more cost effective and would serve two and a half times the number of students traditionally served in the face-to-face class and four times the number of students served in a prior online system. One instructor is able to teach 100 students in a section (with some teaching assistance).

To provide a statistical comparison, parallel sections (a section delivered using ANGEL and an on-campus section) were offered. Students used the same textbook and were taught by the same instructor. The course was designed to embrace Chickering and Gamson's "Seven Principles of Good Practice" and the best practices documented in "Quality Learning in Ohio and at a Distance" published by the Ohio Learning Network.

Statistical analysis of course outcomes indicated no significant difference in the success rates of the two modes of delivery and that class size did not impact learning. The redesigned online course reduced the cost per successful student 25 percent as compared with the traditional on-campus course. The college also demonstrated the class cost 50 percent less per 100 seats than the equivalent seat count in the non-redesigned online course sections.