Odessa College Title V Grant
Expanding Educational Access and Improving Quality of Distance Learning for Rural,Time/ Place-Bound Students
Title V, the Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, is a grant program funded by the US Department of Education, which enables Hispanic-Serving Institutions to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability.
The proposed goals of the Title V project at Odessa College are to:
- Expand degree programs offered at a distance by creating a hybrid LVN to RN program and a hybrid Emergency Medical Service Professional program
- Develop and equip patient clinical simulation labs in Odessa College outreach instructional sites to reach under served rural populations
- Develop a comprehensive online system of academic support and student services
*The Wrangler Express Center is currently piloting online student services delivery via the use of iPad 2, Blackboard Learn™ and Blackboard Collaborate™. Student Services Staff are engaged in professional development regarding best practices for offering online students optimal, quality services, and establishing a strong online presence.
- Expand the College’s distance learning infrastructure so that it may accommodate an increased volume of online learners
- Equip faculty and staff with the technology resources and knowledge to provide effective instruction and support services at a distance
Year Two Activity
Current Projects
Online Readiness Assessment – SmarterMeasure™ Learning Readiness Indicator (Blackboard building block) is being piloted in Title V courses as a diagnostic tool to identify students who are at-risk of not doing well in technology rich courses.
Faculty Development – Cohort 2 of OC faculty are now participating in a 10 week program to experience best practices for online course development and delivery. Participants will be exposed to concepts such as learning theories, social presence, multimedia incorporation and assessment, all while developing their own course using the principles presented.
Early Alert System – Starfish student tracking system continues in the piloting stage.
Course Pilot & Evaluation – The EMSP and Science courses that were developed under the Year One Objectives are currently being piloted, evaluated and modified as necessary.
Network Access – Wireless access points have been purchased for the simulation lab at the Pecos Outreach Center, which will be installed once they are delivered. These access points will allow for OC instructors to interact with students at the outreach center.
In addition to the above-mentioned progress, Title V staff are currently working on a number of proposals. Among those are:
Student Services – Student services training is being planned to provide distance students access to campus-based services using Odessa College's learning management system. In addition, a pilot is being prepared to streamline student services and provide access to place-bound students using mobile technology.
Faculty Development – Faculty training is being prepared as requested by several departments on campus to provide faculty with resources to develop pedagogically sound courses using their own content.
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