liberal arts online

The Liberal Arts Online• Rebecca Frost Davis, Ph.D.• Program Officer for the Humanities• National Institute for Technology in Liberal

Education• rdavis@nitle.org

Higher Education Critique

National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education

http://www.nitle.org

Liberal Arts Online• Educational Models

– Liberal education– Distance education– Online education

• Lessons Learned from Previous Experiments – Shared Academics– Global Education

• Current Technologies and Strategies

Definitions of Liberal Arts Colleges• “What’s So Liberal about Higher Ed?”

 Jo Ellen Parker, Academic Commons– the study of the liberal arts and sciences– pedagogical methodology: active

learning, faculty/student collaboration, independent inquiry, and critical thinking

– preparation for democratic citizenship and civic engagement, including skills central to effective citizenship

– a specific institutional type — the small, residential, privately governed, bachelor’s granting college

Distance Education“Distance education or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom.”

--Wikipedia definition for distance education

Online Learning• Distance Education

– University of Phoenix: more than 430,000 students

– Open University (UK): more than 250,000 students

• Attractions– Expanded reach (non-traditional

students)– Cost-savings– Efficiency

Unbundling

Figure 1 from Patricia Neely & Jan Tucker. “Unbundling faculty roles in online distance education programs.” The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 11.2 (2010).

A Way to Fix Education?• "College, except for the parties,

needs to be less place-based”—Bill Gates

• Gates & Hewlett Foundations Focus on Online Learning (NY Times)

• No Significant Difference• Hybrid courses

Engaging Students?

--Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR) 2009 Study of Undergraduates

90% of Students use Social Networking Sites

Does Technology Engage Our Students?• National Survey of Student Engagem

ent (NSSE)– Pu-Shih Daniel Chen et al. “Engaging

online learners: The impact of Web-based learning technology on college student engagement.” Computers and Education 54 (2010) 1222-1232)

– positive relation between technology and student engagement• the level of academic challenge• active and collaborative learning• student-faculty interaction• a supportive campus environment

• Liberal arts colleges not using technology

Citizenship in a Networked World• Web 2.0 and Participatory Culture• Future of Learning Institutions in a Di

gital Age, Cathy Davidson and David Goldberg, 2009

CASE STUDIESShared Academics and Global Education

Shared Academics• Sunoikisis, Virtual Department of

Classical Studies– Intercampus Team Taught Courses– Program Evaluation and Model Design,

PIs: Susan Frost, Emory University & Deborah Olsen, Virginia Tech

– Evaluation Report and How to guide available at:

– http://www.colleges.org/techcenter/Archives/reports.html

Sunoikisis Evaluation Conclusions• Furthers a core goal of liberal

education• Successful collaboration of

formerly competitive colleges• Unbundling of instructional

components to pool instructional resources

Sunoikisis Lessons Learned• Hybrid model: include asynchronous

interaction• Need for collaboration lead• Models for academic credit

– Sunoikisis: Each campus offers course– CGMA: GIS in Mediterranean

Archaeology• DePauw University, Millsaps College, Rhodes

College, The College of Wooster• Rotating teaching responsibilities and course

offering

Sunoikisis Challenges• Challenges

– Poor student engagement with faculty and students on other campuses

– Need to adapt teaching & learning to virtual classroom

– Technology infrastructure– Inadequate recognition for faculty work

Global EducationSmall Liberal Arts Colleges• Residential, Local• Close Personal

Interaction • Face-to-Face Focus• Traditional study

abroad with complete immersion in another culture

Globally Networked World• Always connected• Access to global

resources & information

• High-speed digital networks

• High-definition video

Pitzer College and global study• Collaborative coursework with South

Africa– Based on study abroad relationships

• Synchronous class sessions• Intercampus collaborative projects

Distance & Time

Challenges• Logistics

– Room scheduling– IT support after hours

• Intercultural understanding– Value of grades

TECHNOLOGY TODAYNew Opportunities

New Strategies• High-Definition Videoconferencing, S

hared Academics and the Liberal Arts College, Eric Jansson, NITLE

Telepresence EvolutionThen:• $50,000+ stationary

solutions• ISDN/non-standards

network connectivity• Dedicated support model

Now:• Solutions ~$3000 for

mobile unit• IP/Standards-based

for interoperability• Plug and play model

Quality of the ExperienceThen:• Standard definition

(704x480 pixel density) video quality

• High latency• Out of sync audio and

video

Now:• High definition

(1280x720 pixel density) video quality

• Low latency• Life-like audio/video

experience

Virtual Language Learning Project (VLLP)• Consortium for Innovative Environments in

Learning (CIEL)

• Enrich language learning opportunities for students of all its schools;

• Enable faculty to connect expanded virtual and immersive place-based language learning;

• Increase the Consortium’s capacity for aligned technological infrastructure, and the ability to support high definition videoconferencing among all campuses and international field sites.

Shared Academics• American University of Paris• Eugene Lang College• Programs

– Global Cities– Global Communications– Global Literary Studies

• Transatlantic Seminars

Changing Expectations & Practices• The MISO Survey is a web-based

quantitative survey designed to measure how faculty, students, and staff view library and computing services in higher education.– http://www.misosurvey.org/

• Course Management Systems• ProfHacker• Digital

Humanities and Liberal Education

Technology Ecosystem• Eric Gordon and David Bogen,

Designing Choreographies for the "New Economy of Attention”– Managing the Backchannel

• Synchronous & Asynchronous

Anya Kamenetz, author of DIY U discusses her ideas with leaders from the NITLE Network.

Strategic Areas for Collaboration• Using digital technologies to expand

opportunities for students via international partnerships, service learning, and study abroad

• Creating more flexible approaches to tenure and promotion aimed at supporting risk-taking and innovation

• Using an evidence-based approach to blended learning and balancing the residential model with use of digital environments

• Creating heightened exchange and connections between institutions to leverage unique strengths within a collective

Finding a Place for Liberal Arts in a Networked World

National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education• The National Institute for Technology in

Liberal Education (NITLE) helps liberal arts colleges and universities integrate inquiry, pedagogy, and technology. With its NITLE Network members, NITLE works to enrich undergraduate education and strengthen the liberal arts tradition. Established in 2001, NITLE is the key organization for liberal arts colleges and universities seeking to engage students in the unique learning experience that liberal education provides and to use technology strategically to advance the liberal-arts mission.

• www.nitle.org