Presentation given at the 2009 Designs on eLearning conference. The presentation outlines the design of a fully online ESL program that was slated to launch at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

1. 1
English Language Education for
Art and Design Students at a
Distance
Scott Dinho
Coordinator of Educational Technology
Savannah College of Art and Design
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
This presentation introduces a new fully online program at SCAD-eLearning. It is a
program to teach English language skills to admitted SCAD students, whose current
English language proficiencies are not at a high enough level to successfully participate in
SCAD courses.

2. 2
Presentation Overview
• SCAD Overview
• Need for a Fully Online English as
a Second Language Program
• Program Design
• Future Plans
• Questions
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
We’ll begin by looking at the history of the
Savannah College of Art and Design
(SCAD)—what it was, what it is, and
where it is going.
Then, we’ll look at why a fully online
English as a Second Language program
is needed at SCAD.
We’ll next look at the overall design and
feature of the program. Then, we’ll finish
by taking a brief look at immediate future
plans for this program as well as new
program options that may be created as a
result of this program’s development.

3. 3
SCAD Overview
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design

4. 4
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
The Savannah College of Art and Design
celebrated thirty years of operation during
the 2008 – 2009 school year.
The college has come a long way in a
very short amount of time.

5. 5
In 1979, SCAD was…
• 71 students
• 8 major programs
• 7 faculty members
• 1 building
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD started in one building and offered
its first classes during the 1978 – 1979
school year.
The building, now known as Poetter Hall
(pictured) is still an active part of the
Savannah campus housing the Graphic
Design program, Admissions, and a store
where student and faculty work is sold
(Shop SCAD).

6. 6
In 2009, SCAD is…
• Over 9,300 students from 96
countries
• 45 major-degree and more than
50 minor-degree programs
• More than 600 faculty members
• Over 80 college buildings
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Thirty years later, the college has
experienced tremendous growth both
locally and internationally. The one
building has now expanded to
encompasses three degree granting
campuses (Savannah, Atlanta, and
eLearning) as well as several permanent
and temporary off-campus program
locations such as the permanent site at
Lacoste, France.

7. 7
The University for Creative Careers
• 2008 graduates
– 8 out of 10 working in field or admitted to
graduate school within six months
• Alumni
– More than 16,000 alumni working in
creative professions
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
This expansion has both driven by and a
result of a commitment to train student for
creative careers. This emphasis has
created a sizeable alumni network who
are active in creative industries.
The reputation of this alumni network both
attracts more students to the college and
employers to the college looking to
employ their next SCAD graduate.

8. 8
SCAD-eLearning
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Fully Online Degree Programs
– 5 Bachelor of Arts
– 11 Master of Arts
– 3 Master of Fine Arts
Spring 2009 Quarter
– 127 individual class sections
– 101 different courses
– 18 college departments
– 1,222 individual students
– 1,712 total class “seats” filled
SCAD-eLearning was created in 2003
to both accommodate the growing
student populations at the physical
sites and to reach out to those who
wanted a SCAD education but were
unable to permanently or temporarily
relocate.
SCAD-eLearning is a fully online
campus, meaning that student may
start and complete the entirety of their
degree program at SCAD-eLearning.
They also have access to the same
student support services as students
at the campuses.
In the six years that SCAD-eLearning
has been in operation its rate of
growth has been similar or ahead of
the growth rate of the overall college.

9. 9
Need for a Online English as a
Second Language Program
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design

10. 10
English as a Second Language
• English language instruction for students
whose native language is not English
• Communication skills rather than writing and
literature
• Required for those students whose English
language abilities are not sufficient to begin
English-based coursework
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
To understand why the college has a
need for an English as a Second
Language, we must first understand what
we mean by English as a Second
Language (ESL).
ESL programs are for any person whose
first language is anything other than
English and wishes to learn English as a
second (third or fourth) language.
When learning English where English is
not the primary language, these programs
are often called English as a Foreign
Language (EFL).
SCAD is a English-based institution so
students attending SCAD must have a
high level of English language proficiency.

11. 11
SCAD Students
• Nearly 10% of SCAD
students are from
outside of the U.S.A.
• SCAD actively
recruits in more than
40 countries each
year.
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Student with limited English proficiencies
are most likely to come from our
international student base. Currently,
SCAD is actively recruiting in many
different countries resulting in nearly 10
percent of the student population being
based outside of the U.S.A.

12. 12
SCAD International Students
Top five countries of permanent residence:
– South Korea
– Taiwan
– China
– India
– Mexico
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
As English is the primary language in
many countries (a highly taught second
language in many others), simply having a
large number of students from other
countries does not in itself mean a need
for ESL instruction.
However, the countries where SCAD is
getting most of its foreign-based students
are not one where English is the first
language.
Even though students from these
countries may have been studying English
from a young age, many may have only a
conversational grasp of the language but
not the sophisticated abilities that they will
need to be successful in an academic
setting.

13. 13
SCAD Campuses
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
While the college’s reputation for training
students for creative career has attracted
many students, SCAD’s physical growth
has also been a major contributor to the
need of a fully online ESL program.
SCAD began in 1979 with its Savannah
campus. In 2003, it added eLearning and
by 2005, it had expanded to another
physical campus 300 miles away in
Atlanta, GA (noted by green marks on this
map).

14. 14
SCAD-Hong Kong (Fall 2010)
• First United States
university to open a
degree-granting campus
in Hong Kong
• Only university in Hong
Kong focused
exclusively on art and
design
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD looks to open its third physical
campus (fourth overall) in the fall of 2010
by becoming the first U.S-based college
to to open a degree-granting campus in
Hong Kong, China.
The college will offer nine undergraduate
and graduate degree programs:
•Animation
•Advertising Design
•Graphic Design
•Illustration
•Interactive Design and Game
Development
•Motion Media Design
•Photography
•Sound Design
•Visual Effects

15. 15
SCAD-All Locations
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
With the expansion to Hong Kong, by the
end of 2010 SCAD will have three
physical campuses (green markers), one
permanent off-campus program site in
Lacoste, France (purple marker), and
several temporary off-campus program
locations (blue markers).
Through its temporary locations, SCAD
will have offered student the opportunity
to study in Los Angles, Mexico, New York,
London, Italy, Turkey, and Tokyo in just
the 2008 – 2009 school year.

16. 16
Current ESL program
• Immersive and residential
– Programs at SCAD-Savannah and SCAD-Atlanta
• Art and design base
• Approximately one year to complete
program
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
The current ESL program that meets the
language education needs of the student
who needs is structured in a manner that
provides students an immersive English
language education with their fellow art
and design students.
In the course of one year, the program
prepares them to not only communicate in
English but to become SCAD students.
This program currently takes place at the
Savannah and Atlanta campuses.

17. 17
Gap
• Global reach
– College expanding across cultural and
linguistic borders
• Student resources
– Relocation to residential ESL program for
one year prohibitive to many applicants
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
As the college’s reputation has attracted
students from more culturally and
linguistically diverse areas and the college
itself has physically expanded into new
areas, it has swelled the number of
applicants who are eager to attend the
college, but who lack the language
abilities to be successful at the college.
The requirement to relocate for a year
prior to entering the college to study
English is difficult for many students who
may not be able to relocate to Savannah
or Atlanta for a full year prior to entering
their degree programs.
Thus there is a gap in the number of
students who need ESL instruction at
SCAD and the college’s ability to meet
that need.

18. 18
Program Design
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design

19. 19
Online ESL Program
• Six levels spread across four courses
• Students progress as a cohort
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
Communicating about
yourself and your world
Communicating as an art
and design student
The fully online ESL programs uses the
same six levels of communication
competency as the residential ESL
program. However, rather than use
multiple classes in each level, the online
program has only four class for all six
levels.
Rather than have separate classes the
focus on readings, speaking, vocabulary,
etc., that meet on separate days of the
week, the fully online program
incorporates each of those skills into one
class that is active all days of the week.
Students in the program progress
together as a cohort, allowing them to
learn from each other, following a system
that moves them from communicating
about their own lives to communicating as
a SCAD student.

20. 20
Online ESL Program Structure
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
ESL 100 OL
Basic English for Non Native Speakers
The program begins with ESL 100.This is
a ten-week course that encompasses
both Levels 1 and 2.
All students enrolled in the fully online
ESL program start out at Level 1
regardless of their English proficiency.
This ensures that all students in the
program have the same basic language
foundations and familiarity with the
technology. The ESL instructor may allow
for some students to move quicker
through the level based on their success
during the level.
Note: All SCAD courses operate on a ten-week
quarter system. All ESL courses
follow that same ten-week quarter
schedule.

21. 21
Online ESL Program Structure
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
ESL 100 OL
Basic English for Non Native Speakers
ESL 101 OL
English In Context
ESL 101 is another ten-week course that
encompasses Levels 3 and 4 of the
program. Like ESL 100, this course
begins with the focus on interpersonal
communication (Level 3) but then
transitions into instruction related to
vocabulary terms related to the study of
art and design (Level 4).

22. 22
Online ESL Program Structure
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
ESL 100 OL
Basic English for Non Native Speakers
ESL 101 OL
English In Context
ESL 102 OL
Art and Design
In Context
ESL 102 is a ten-week course that only
encompasses Level 5 of the program.
This level of the program is focused on
preparing the students to handle the
various communication challenges that
they will face as SCAD students including
topical discussions, critiques, essay
writing, and debates.
This course (like Level 4) uses art and
design as its core subject matter.
However, the focus on the student’s
ability to communicate in completion of
the assignments and not on the
correctness of their statements., beyond
use of basic definitions taught in the
courses. The ESL professor is not a
subject matter expert on the topics being
discussed, nor should the ESL professor
be put in a situation to contradict any part
of the instruction that the students will
receive in their degree programs.

23. 23
Online ESL Program Structure
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
ESL 100 OL
Basic English for Non Native Speakers
ESL 101 OL
English In Context
ESL 102 OL
Art and Design
In Context
ESL 193 OL
Composition
ESL 525 OL
International
Graduate
Writing Seminar
In the final level of the program the
students are allowed take credit
coursework in their degree programs (or
foundation / liberal arts class if they are
undergraduates).
While they take their required classes, the
students will progress in the ESL program
by taking one of two classes.
ESL 193 OL Composition is for
undergraduate students. It is the same
course as ENGL 123 only taught by an
ESL professor and with ESL program
support. Student earn credit toward their
degree program by taking this course.
ESL 525 OL International Graduate
Writing Seminar is for graduate ESL
students and focuses on the students
ability to write long form papers.

24. 24
Online ESL Program Structure
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Transfer to Savannah or Atlanta
ESL program
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Degree
Program
ESL 100 OL
Basic English for Non Native Speakers
ESL 101 OL
English In Context
ESL 102 OL
Art and Design
In Context
ESL 193 OL
Composition
ESL 525 OL
International
Graduate
Writing Seminar
As an alternative, students in the fully
online program are allowed to exit the fully
online program after ESL 100 (Levels 1
and 2), come to Savannah or Atlanta and
enroll in the residential program for the
remainder of their ESL coursework.
Due to the differences in the program
structures and the cohort nature of the
online program, students are not allow to
mix programs or move back and forth
between programs.

25. 25
Course Materials
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
The course materials are arranged like
our other fully online courses. They
consist of pre developed media-rich
HTML pages that are delivered through
Blackboard. Each unit page has been
developed by a subject matter expert and
an instructional designer. A media
designer builds the pages and creates the
multi-media interface.
The example shown in the slide is from
Unit 7 of ESL 101 where students are
presented with vocabulary related to
discussing color. Each term has a
definition, visual reference, and a link to
an audio pronunciation.

26. 26
Interactive Language Lab
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
The backbone of the courses that is
utilized from Level 1 through Level 5 is
the interactive language lab.
In this lab, the students are exposed to
language lessons and challenges that
incorporate all aspects of interpersonal
communication. They also received
immediate and corrective feedback that
allows them to continually improve. The
system also provides the professor with
data regarding how well each student in
doing so he or she can modify the
program to meet the student’s needs.
This program is currently using Rosetta
Stone as the interactive language lab.

27. 27
Peer Tutoring and Conferencing
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
The program does not stop at labs and
prewritten assignments. By making use of
Web conferencing software, the students
are able to interact directly with other
students and their professor.
Each course requires weekly conversation
with “peer tutors”—current SCAD
students. The conversations have
requirements that match the lessons
being learned by the student making the
conversation into a time for growth and
reinforcement of the lessons learned
during the unit.

28. 28
Other Program Features
• Blogs (both text and video based)
• Student presentations at each level
• Remediation offered between terms
• Regular conferences with professor
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Additionally, the course utilize student
blogs where they respond to prompts.
These start as written blogs but later
become video-based to stretch their
presentation skills.
The students are required to make a
presentation at the start and finish of each
level. These presentations build upon
each other moving the students closer to
being able to communicate in a academic
style.
Regular conferences with the professor
and the number of feedback and
assessment opportunities allow the
professor to identify which students
require remediation so that the students
can have a difficult time in a course but
not fall back from his or her classmates.

29. 29
Future Plans
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design

30. 30
Student Recruitment
• Currently focused on
China to match
expansion to Hong
Kong
• Pilot group for Fall
2009 with first new
cohort in Winter
2010.
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
While the program was designed to
handle students from various language
backgrounds, recruitment for the program
is currently focused on China to match the
college’s impending expansion to Hong
Kong.
A pilot cohort is the first order of business
for the program. Plans originally allowed
for pilot group in the Spring but these had
to be delayed.
Pictured in the slide is the new ESL
information brochure for China.

31. 31
Other Languages
Structure of English program adaptable to
other languages
– Faculty / staff professional development
– University extension
– Undergraduate foundation classes
– College credit courses for high school
students
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
Beyond ESL, the development of the
program has given confidence that other
language programs can be developed for
fully online offering for a multitude of
different purposes.
These new programs may also allow for
SCAD-eLearning to touch new audience
such as staff members who normally
wouldn’t take a SCAD course. High
school students who are potential SCAD
students, and community members who
would not have a connection to SCAD but
require fully online language instruction.

32. 32
Questions, Comments, and/or
Suggestions?
Scott Dinho
Coordinator of Educational Technology
Savannah College of Art and Design
www.scad.edu/elearning
sdinho@scad.edu
912-525-8028
Designs on e-Learning International Online Conference 2009
September 1, 2009
© 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design
If you have questions, comments, and/or
suggestions beyond those posted in the
discussion forum, please contact me.