MSVCC Annual Report 2018

• Issues and Controversies: Issues Database - Provides current, in-depth, and objective information on contemporary issues. Coverage begins in 1995. • Question Point 24/7: Student Support - provides an around the clock reference service, built by a cooperative of participating libraries. Libraries agree to answer questions for each other in real time, using our virtual reference software. The Cooperative helps supplement your hours of service by being available to your community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. • SIRS Researcher: Issues Database - Social Issues Resources Series for trending pro/con leading issues. MILD GRANT The MSVCC Innovative Learning and Design Mini Grant is awarded to eLearning Departments of the 15 Mississippi community colleges for projects designed to support the Strategic Initiatives of the MSVCC. Each college may be awarded up to $15,000 annually for supplies, equipment, consultants, technical assistance, registration fees, and travel. MS-SARA | NC-SARA The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is an agreement among member states, districts, and U.S. territories that establishes comparable nation-wide standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. The reciprocity allows participating Mississippi colleges and universities to offer distance programs and courses to residents of member states without seeking state- by-state approval, and is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA is overseen by a National Council (NC-SARA) and is administered by four regional education compacts. QUALITY MATTERS A faculty-centered, peer review process designed to

certify quality of courses and digital components. QM is an internationally recognized peer-based model that has received national recognition for its approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement of online education and instructional design. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Webinars and courses are offered through the MSVCC Academy on a wide variety of topics such as: Canvas, instructional design, teaching best practices, educational web applications, and contracted vendor services. Academy offerings are coordinated by the MSVCC and the MCCB and are primarily taught by highly-qualified community college eLearning personnel; however, Partnership Series sessions are often facilitated by the vendor. To accommodate the various needs of the MSVCC, courses and webinars are offered both day and evening, online, face-to-face, synchronous, asynchronous, self-paced, and at various conferences and workshops throughout the year. RESPONDUS Respondus Lockdown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within a learning management system to ensure academic integrity in the classrooms, assessment labs, or during proctored examinations. Respondus 4.0 is a tool for creating and managing assessments that can be printed to paper or published directly into Canvas allowing instructors to set point values, select number of questions, and create variations of test banks with the click of the mouse. SMARTERSERVICES SmarterMeasure quantifies a learner’s level of readiness to study online and/or in a technology rich environment by measuring non-cognitive variables of Individual Attributes (motivation, procrastination), Learning Styles, Life Factors (time, support resources), Technical Skills and Competency, On-screen Reading Rate and Recall, and Typing Speed and Accuracy.

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