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MCC Daily Tribune

MCC Leads the Way in Online Learning

On Wednesday, December 6, Andrea Gilbert and Tom Capuano led a SUNY-wide webinar on the MCC model of course development using the Open SUNY Course Quality Rubric (OSCQR).

The process the Virtual Campus team developed and implemented over the past year changed much of the course development processes. Colleges are under pressure from Middle States and SUNY to assure quality online courses that meet the accessibility standards. To achieve these goals, MCC has created a template for universal design that honors the legislation and guidelines set forth while still maintaining academic freedom of the faculty. SUNY has been looking for a model to share, and MCC has delivered.

Using the mantra "We are better together", the Virtual Campus team created a process that includes Faculty, Instructional Designers, Librarians, and members of the Students with Disabilities Office to create a more holistic approach to online course development. This more unified approach is designed to give faculty the support they need, ensures course quality and accessibility aligned to SUNY and Middle States standards, and makes for a better experience for students and faculty.

"Course accessibility and ease of navigation are some of the primary factors in student retention in online courses" says Dr. Larry Dugan, Director of the Virtual Campus. "This team approach that the team came up with just makes sense! We have some incredible faculty here at MCC who are nationally known for their contributions to their fields. Why not give them all the support they require so they can focus on the content of the course."

Attending the event were representatives from campuses from across the state; Nassau, Buffalo State, and Alfred, to name a few. Dr. Deborah Spiro put it best in her review: "I just want to let you know that the webinar today was absolutely fabulous!! ... We can't wait to "sink our teeth" into all these resources."

Andrea Wade
Andrea C. Wade, Provost and Vice President, Academic Services
12/08/2017