The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Child Care Credential program has won the Online Learning Consortium’s, John R. Bourne Outstanding Online Program Award. This award recognizes an outstanding online certificate, degree or continuing education program offered by an OLC member institution. The ideal recipient of this award would be an institution who houses a degree, certificate or continuing education program that has a proven record of excellence, as demonstrated by its success in providing expanded access, learning effectiveness, and high levels of student and faculty satisfaction, in a cost-effective manner.
The award criteria used to judge a program included:
Access: The program has improved access to education by expanding opportunities and/or reducing barriers.
Learning Effectiveness: The program demonstrates effectiveness in producing learning outcomes, which are consistent with learner needs and representative of the distinctive quality of the institution.
Cost Effectiveness: The program is provided in a manner that is cost-effective for the institution and provides educational value for learners and other stakeholders.
Student Satisfaction: Learners who complete the program or substantial portion of it express satisfaction with their learning experience, including course rigor and fairness, instructor and peer interaction, and provision of support services.
Faculty Satisfaction: Faculty who teach in the program find the online teaching experience to be personally rewarding and professionally beneficial.