EPC Spotlights the University of North Texas 
Submitted by Dr. Arlita Harris, University of North Texas

The Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) was established in 1998 as a service to assist faculty with the development and delivery of distributed learning at UNT. The Center combines technology resources with expert consultation and personnel, in an effort to provide faculty with a "one-stop" guide to technology-based courses. U.S. News and World report recognized UNT’s program for distance and e-learning in the magazine’s Oct. 16 issue. 

The mission of the Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) is to assist faculty in the development and delivery of high-quality instruction through distributed learning technology. CDL provides UNT faculty with many services including: 

• Consultation - how to design courses, accomplish deadlines, program and course approvals and course administration.

• Production - assistance on all aspects of production including media design, production schedules and cost analysis.

• Marketing – assistance to departments in promoting their distributed programs and courses in a variety of media and licensing them to other universities, colleges, and corporations.

• Copyright - information on copyright issues such as Fair Use and Teach Act and faculty and student rights.

• Videoconference – support for videoconference classrooms and supplemental learning through links to remote sites.

• Administrative Guidance for Departments - guidance to department chairs and program coordinators who are currently offering or are interested in implementing distributed learning courses or programs.
  

The CDL helps faculty members maximize the University's human and equipment resources. Because of the  success of CDL, UNT is now the largest provider of online credit courses among Texas public universities, with almost 1,000 distributed learning course sections each semester and 25% of the student body online. 

Patrick Pluscht, Director of CDL and TxDLA Board Chair, leads an experienced staff of instructional designers, programmers, and specialists who are also involved in TxDLA work. You will see some familiar faces at the CDL staff website.

UNT has become a leader in establishing policies for distributed learning. Under the guidance of Phil Turner, Vice-Provost for Learning Enhancement, UNT has developed a distributed learning funding model and out-of-state teaching fees which encourage the enrollment of students who could not attend UNT because of distance limitations. Through this model, 83% of the tuition is returned to the offering college or school. 

UNT has also encouraged faculty to develop and deliver courses through distributed learning with intellectual property agreements which pay royalties to faculty whose courses are taught by others. CDL also markets courseware to other universities and organizations, with funds from license payment funds returned to the departments, enabling them to hire additional graduate students, pay royalties, and provide additional services. 

Through Learning Enhancement Grants and other supplemental funding, CDL has been able to encourage the development of additional online and blended courses and programs. UNT’s annual Outstanding Online Course and Teacher Award recognizes the best courses and online teachers. Distributed learning courses are listed by faculty at UNTeCampus (http://www.untecampus.com) so students can obtain needed information before registration. 

This fall, the University of North Texas launched a Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (CTLA) under Dr. Turner’s leadership. The CTLA is building on blended learning course projects completed by the CDL to implement the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan. The QEP includes the redesign of up to 5 large enrollment undergraduate courses each year for 5 years. UNT is also proud to be one of 42 founding organizations of the National Center for Academic Transformation’s (NCAT, http://www.thencat.org/RA.htm ) Redesign Alliance led by Carol Twigg. 

As part of an exciting new initiative, UNT has been tapped to participate in the Texas course redesign project. Recent legislation (HB1) contains language directing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to implement a project to redesign, implement, and assess up to 25 entry-level lower division academic courses to improve student learning and reduce the cost of delivery. The THECB will implement the project in two phases. The first phase will include the identification of three pilot courses to be redesigned and taught in the fall of 2007. In the second phase, an RFP will be created to be issued after an intensive awareness campaign in the State and will invite proposals to redesign, implement, and assess courses during the 2007-08 through 2010-11 Academic Years.

For more information, visit the CDL website at http://cdl.unt.edu.