by Distance Learning

Are you a Course/Programme Administrator?

Course/Programme administrators are responsible for the week-to-week support and management of distance students and papers.

These administrative officers are key people, as the success of a distance learning paper depends heavily on efficient administration and student support both departmentally and centrally.

In the image above, the Course/Programme Administrator is represented by the green sphere. That person keeps everything together! As a member of Otago's distance learning community, their work is essential to the success of the papers and programmes they support and to the high quality of student and staff experience. 

The following is a brief outline of the tasks involved in providing administration for distance courses. Each department will have specific ways of operating but these tasks are relevant to all distance courses.

Enrolments

  • Respond to course enquiries from potential students, referring them to a course advisor where appropriate.
  • Enrolment: Monitor students’ progress in completing enrolment procedures and following up those who are not course approved. See relevant information here.

Course Organisation

Course material:

  • Coordinate course content editing.
  • Update the administrative guide, including additional resources.
  • Manage the publication and distribution of course material.
  • Order textbooks and request and organise eReserve articles from the Library.

Audio and Video conferences:

  • Organise the audio/video or web (e.g., Zoom) conference teaching programme.
  • Make bookings for the audio/video or web (e.g., Zoom) conference network.

Online learning systems including Blackboard & Moodle:

  • Rollover papers from previous Semester and update information.
  • Facilitate access for students and lecturers.

Residential schools/Block courses:

  • Book venues and catering, lecturers’ flights, & accommodation.
  • Provide information to students and lecturers.

Assignments:

  • Manage assignment receipt and record assessment marks.
  • Record the receipt of assignments, distribution to markers and return to students.
  • Record internal assessment marks and notify students of their results.
  • Provide/plan new staff orientation

Student Administration

• Respond to enquiries relating to the administration of their paper(s) by enrolled students.

  • Respond to requests for student support during the course.
  • Assist with course evaluations carried out through the Quality Advancement Unit.
  • Assist with exam activities: timetables, exam papers, and post exam queries.

Marketing the Distance Programme

  • Marketing of distance papers is generally the responsibility of programme coordinators, however many administrators become involved in the promotion of their papers to prospective students too.
  • Marketing will generally be concentrated around August to September to generate enrolments for Semester One in the following year, and again in April/May for Semester Two enrolments.

There will be a myriad of other responsibilities and tasks that distance learning administrators undertake. Each paper, programme, department is different!

Please contact the Distance Learning Office (distance.learning@otago.ac.nz) to let us know about how your programme/papers are administered and we will add those tasks to this list!