Building Vibrant Learning Communities:An Approach to Faculty Professional Development and ANGEL Adoption

Dr. Richard KralevichDirector of Academic Technology Services

Kelly McVeigh Stanley, MSITInstructional Technology Project Manager

Richard CosgriffInstructional Technology Project Manager

Mary Kate BolandDirector of Curriculum & Instruction

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Immaculata University

Introduction

Founded in 1906, Immaculata University (IU) is a Catholic liberal arts higher educational institution located in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Today, IU has more than 150 full-time faculty members and approximately 3,850 full and part-time students.

Three colleges comprise the university:

The College of Undergraduate Studies

The College of Graduate Studies

The College of Life-Long Learning

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Our Challenge…

In 2007, Immaculata University decided to evaluate its e-learning learning platforms.

In addition university’s administration also wanted to take a closer look at it e-learning offerings.

What resulted, was a three part project involving the selection and implementation of a new learning management system.

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The Three Part Project

Our Primary Project Goals Selection: Choose our new platform Migration: Move from WebCT to ANGEL Innovation: Move from a Faculty Adoption to Course Innovation

Ultimately, we wanted an LMS that would serve as a reliable platform, thus enabling IU to create Vibrant Learning Communities.

Selection Migration Innovation

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Presentation Note:LMS Selection and Migration

In the interest of time, we are not going to review our methods for selection or process of migration.

If anyone has questions about our selection/migration plan, we’d be happy to set up a time to discuss those specifics with you.

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The Focus of Today’s Presentation

Innovation Move from a Faculty Adoption to Course Innovation.

This goal featured three enabling objectives…

First:Secure Faculty

Adoption

Second:Lay the

Groundwork for Innovation

Third:Partner to Build Vibrant Learning

Communities

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Benchmarks

Key benchmarks were derived from our previous learning management system as well as new goals set by the institution. We used numbers from 2005 through 2008 as our basis for the new system.

We benchmarked training against: Previous total number of faculty who

participated in LMS training over the past two academic years, approximately 200 learners.

Number of online and web-enhanced courses using the LMS during the 2007-2008 Academic Year, approximately 475 courses.

Number of students enrolled in the LMS for Academic Year 2007-2008, approximately 6,625 students.

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Measureable Goals: LMS Adoption

In order to make our measureable goals easier to quantify and track, we aligned our with our three objectives (adoption, innovation, vibrant learning)

Adoption goals for the 2008-2009 Academic Year were to: House 400 active online and web-enhanced

courses in the first year. That would constitute approximately 80% carry

over from the previous LMS. Design, Develop, and Deliver ANGEL 101,

technical LMS user training. Our goal was to train 300 full and part-time

instructors in the usage ANGLE.

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Measureable Goals: Innovation

A couple of our high-level Innovation goals for the 2008-2009 Academic Year were to: Utilize Quality Matters Rubric to evaluate our highest volume

courses web-enhanced and online courses. Our measurable goal was to review of approximately 60 courses.

Design, Develop, and Deliver ANGEL 102 & 103, technical and pedagogical LMS user training. (Our goal was to train 225 full and part time instructors.)

Re-evaluate our mandatory training program. Increase mandatory training from 1.5 hours to 3 hours.

Create a standardized course shell/template. By creating a standardized template, faculty were able to focus more of their time on content and creativity than, navigation and structure.

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Measureable Goals: Vibrant Learning Communities

A couple of our high-level Vibrant Learning goals for the 2008-2009 Academic Year were to: Design, develop, and deliver a training courses on

innovative training courses. Our goal, have 90% of our full time faculty

participate in this training. Devise a plan by which we can deliver “Just in

Time” pedagogical training to our users.

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Strategies Chart: Meeting our Adoption Objectives

Adoption Strategy Level of Effort Impact at IU

ANGEL 101 Training High

Giveaway (ipods, thumb drives, gas cards) Low

Intensive Summer E-Learning Institute Medium

Departmental Information Sessions High

Endorsement of ANGLE by Senior Leadership Low

One on One Training Sessions High

Customizing ANGEL Medium

ANGEL Newsletter High

Presentations at Faculty Meetings Low

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Strategies Chart: Meeting our Innovation Objectives

Innovation Strategy Level of Effort Impact at IU

ANGEL 102 & 103 Training High

Course Design & Development Support High

Best Practices Presentations and Examples Medium

Mentored Approach for New Online Instructors High

Faculty Panel Presentations Low

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Strategies Chart: Meeting our Vibrant Learning Objectives

Vibrant Learning Strategy Level of Effort Impact at IU

Immaculata formed a Vibrant Learning Workgroup, who defined what Vibrant Learning Communities at IU should look like.

High

Seminar: Brought in noted E-Learning Expert and author Dr. Karl Kapp to present and facilitate a half-day seminar for our faculty.

Medium

Workshop: Creating Vibrant Learning Communities Medium

Workshop: Technology Tools for Communication (Discussion Boards, Wikis, & Blogs)

High

Building a Community of Interactive Learners Medium

Workshop: Leveraging Multimedia Technologies(Captivate, YouTube, Vimeo, TeacherTube)

High

Workshop: Trends in Technology Enabled Learning Medium

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Keys to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

So how do we define Vibrant Learning Community? A Vibrant Learning Community is a group

whose members regularly engage in sharing and learning, based on common interests.

Vibrant Learning Communities…o Communicate effectivelyo Connect learners, educators, and content in a dynamic

web of inquiryo Employ techniques and tools that help build a growing

sense of purposeo Create cohesion across universityo Enhance the academic focus and create opportunities

for learning beyond specific course objectiveso Are critical for achieving campus vitality and ongoing

academic inquiry.

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Building Vibrant Learning Communities, January 2009

Dr. Karl M. Kapp, author of Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning and professor of instructional technology at Bloomsburg University was invited to present the keynote address.

Full-time faculty was invited to participate in one of four break-out sessions.

Reaction to this workshop was so enthusiastic, that the Dean of the College of LifeLong Learning invited the team to present a modified version of the workshop to 65 adjunct instructors.

As a direct result of this presentation 10% of those in attendance requested new ANGEL accounts and training.

Response was overwhelmingly positive. One instructor wrote, “I thought that your enthusiasm about the endless use of technology in the classroom was key in your presentation. You made me want to venture out and try some new things!”

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Keys to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

Why Create Learning Communities?” They create a friendly and open

atmosphere among students and faculty and facilitate learning.

They expand learning and interactions beyond the classroom.

They make for happier, better adjusted students which aid retention and helps with recruiting.

Makes for happier and more engaged alumni who welcome the chance to be a part of the community even after they graduate.

Creates fun, enthusiastic learners and is fun for the faculty member as well.

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Tips to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

Tip One: Learning Communities start in the classroom. Begin with a policy of including each student in discussions. Create small groups and allow frequent student-to-student

interactions. Create reverse mentoring by teaming up different students

with each other for projects. Use a problem-based learning approach to pull students

together. Idea of learner generated content.

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Tips to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

Tip Two: A Renewed Emphasis on Collaborative Learning

Fostering a technology enabled community of learners

Educators as facilitators of information and masters of dynamic technology, not as encyclopedias of knowledge.

Leverage technologies that take students on educational journeys beyond the chalkboard.

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Tips to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

Tip Three: Leverage Technology

This changes everything!

http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/

Collect, manage, and cite your research using Zotero

http://www.zotero.org/

Mobile Live Video Sharing for Everyone, Qik http://qik.com/

Learn French, Italian, and Spanish with Babbel

http://www.babbel.com/

Edit photos online at www.picnik.com

Socially network using Scour, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn

GeoTag those friends using GeoBeats, and GeoIQ.

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Tips to Building Vibrant Learning Communities

Tip Four: Tip Three: Extend the Classroom Experience Web 2.0 tools are being used everywhere and can be create

foundations for a learning community. Wiki’s Twitter http://www.go2web20.net/ You should even encourage students to create "YouTube

moments" to extend the classroom and build a community.

Stream audio anytime, anywhere - Pandora

http://www.pandora.com

Podcasts by the thousands

http://epnweb.org/index.php?openpod=2#5

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Results

Projected generation of approximately $4 million in revenue from online courses for the school year 2008 – 2009.

Support the offering of approximately 550 web-enhanced and online courses, involving almost 4,680 students and generating about 14,040 credit hours for school 2008 – 2009. This exceeds our first far exceeded our first year goal.

Enabled ATS to produce and maintain high-quality teaching and learning environments.

Aided in the research and design of additional online courses and programs.

Maximized the capabilities of the university’s learning management system.

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Results

Enable over 350 faculty and staff to learn and implement a state-of-the-art learning management system including: Implementing the eLearning Institute to provide staff development

and support and to move interested faculty from adoption of technology to innovation.

To date over 50% of the full-time faculty have been trained in course management software use, and more than 25% of active adjuncts, resulting in 25% of full-time faculty teaching either Web-based or online classes. This exceeded our benchmarked goals

Conducting over 160 one-on-one sessions designed to help individual users with applications such as WebCT, Contribute, Photoshop, PowerPoint, ANGEL, and Web 2.0 technologies while avoiding over $100,000 in training expenses.