2016 Fact Book

16 DISTANCE EDUCATION AT NSU Nova Southeastern University is a pioneer in the area of distance education, having initiated distance education programs in 1972. It was the first university in the United States to offer graduate programs in an online format, with the creation of the electronic classroom. NSU has been offering online programs and programs with an online component since 1983. NSU was also the first to use the Unix system to host online courses, and one of the first to use the Internet to support instruction. At NSU, distance education is delivered using a variety of instructional delivery systems. Modes of delivery to students away from the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus include online course delivery systems, synchronous meetings inanelectronicclassroom, traditional classroom instruction with a live instructor on-site, compressed interactive video, and audio teleconferencing. Some programs use a blended instructional approach with face-to-face instruction coupled with online resources and video components. Others use an online course area exclusively. Some graduate programs require students to attend short intensive instructional units on campus (doctoral studies orientation, summer “institutes,” or a summer conference) as a part of their required program of study. Distance education students have access to educational support services, including the NSU libraries at nova.edu/library , technology support via a help desk, educational resources via electronic classrooms and the Internet, and computing resources on our Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus and at regional campuses located in Florida and Puerto Rico. NSU students can participate in online courses from any location in the world with an Internet connection. Online courses use a Web-based instructional platform as a centralized location for educational materials, course content, and communication—both synchronous and asynchronous. The online course platform enables a wide range of online activities that facilitate frequent student-teacher and student-student interaction. Faculty members and students interact in discussion forums via threaded bulletin boards, via real- time electronic classrooms that support graphical presentations and audio, and through online submission of assignments in multimedia formats. NSU provides an email address and a directory for publishing assignments and resources to the Web for all students and faculty members. The Electronic Library provides access to online databases, many of which contain full-text documents. NSU offers a wide range of online programs. Eighty- three of the university’s online undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs have been certified by the Electronic Campus of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and are offered through this highly successful consortium. The SREB certifies that the online programs and courses it approves for this program are in full compliance with its comprehensive set of Principles of Good Practice. A current list of SREB-approved programs can be found at nova.edu/srec . For a more comprehensive listing of online and distance education programs see nova.edu/distanceed/ . The development and implementation of distance education programs have become increasingly common as many colleges and universities have moved to the online venue. Nova Southeastern University has more than 40 years of experience in the development, delivery, and evaluation of distance education programs that have been used as models by other schools. Distance education students attend classes at times and places that are convenient to the learner—reflecting the mission of NSU. The variety of distance education experiences, coupled with the use of appropriate instructional technologies, provide a successful learning environment. REGIONAL CAMPUSES Nova Southeastern University has earned the enviable reputation for bringing the traditional college experience to students at various campus locations. For students living in Puerto Rico or areas in Florida such as Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, or Tampa, attending NSU has been made convenient at our regional campuses. These campuses are serving students in these locations through the use of SMART classrooms, state-of-the-art computer labs, videoconferencing facilities, and other technological advances and student-oriented services. Diversemethods