Between Two Worlds

Tools ContEd can Create to Help Our Institutions Adapt to Changes We See First

with

Reg JacklinRobert Wensveen

What tools can we create to help our institutions adapt to changes we see first?

Schedule

0:00 to 0:20 Introductions and overview presentation0:20 to 0:45 Small Groups0:45 to 1:00 Open discussion & wrap-up

ContEd: Between Two Worlds WorkshopVersion 6, May 23, 2012

Disclaimer

Except where otherwise noted, these are our own observations and opinions, formed from the viewpoint of those immersed in Continuing Education at the University of Calgary

The Rest of the University(Reg)

The Rest of the University in the Past:• It was isolated, “Ivory Tower”• It was tradition bound, slow to adapt• There was an attitude of complacency

• “..because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Upgrades to IT systems were not high priority and often didn’t happen. • Many admin systems were running with

antiquated computer platforms• Policies and procedures were often based on

internally defined processes rather than industry best practices

The Rest of the University Today• New communication technologies connect it to the world as never before• Research is more international than ever before • Competitive pressures from the entire world• Day-to-day worldwide collaboration

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Online Courses

“… But Harvard and M.I.T. have a rival — they are not the only elite universities planning to offer free massively open online courses, or MOOCs, as they are known. This month, Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan announced their partnership with a new commercial company, Coursera, with $16 million in venture capital. “

New York Times, May 2, 2012

The Rest of the University Today

• New pressures (alluded to in the writeup on keynote speaker Ken Coates’ presentation)• Technological changes• Social changes• Globalization

• New methods of finding grants, students, researchers

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

“Overall, 80 researchers agreed to take part in this project; they represented 80 universities from 15 Latin American countries. Approximately half of these researchers were recruited by Facebook.”

Pereyra-Elías, Reneé; Mayta-Tristán, Percy; Epidemiology, May 2012 - Volume 23 - Issue 3 - p

500; Recruiting Researchers through Facebook

The Rest of the University Today

• “Community Engagement” and “Transparency” are the new-buzz words• But they don’t have the experience at it that ContEd does

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Eyes High Initiative: • To define UofC as one of the top 5 research universities

by 2016• Fully integrate with the Community:

• Community Engagement web presence: http://www.ucalgary.ca/community/

• Downtown Campus• Instil Community Pride – enhance public dialog• Alumni – foster relationships across the globe

• Aboriginal Education & research: http://www.ucalgary.ca/aboriginal/

The Rest of the University Today – Under Pressure from

• New, better, cheaper technologies• Social Media• Videoconferencing• Communication bandwidth• Storage

• Science, engineering, technology, commerce, humanities blurring into each other

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

The very existence of organizations with names like “Scientific Innovation Lifecycle Management” is significant. http://accelrys.com/micro/scientific-innovation-lifecycle-management/close-the-gap.html

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

University of Alberta could do more to shed its ivory tower image – Edmonton Journal Headline, January 13, 2008

“… Of course, as an autonomous institution, the university didn't have to connect with the city. But the reality is each has a stake in the other's success.”

The Rest of the University Today – Under Pressure from (continued)

• Pressure from the public

ContEd

Yesterday and Today

(Robert)

ContEd Yesterday and Today – Change Experts – Well Connected to the Changing World

• Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (the more things change, the more they stay the same)• for ContEd, dealing with rapid change is no change

Examples:• Time to market of new programs tied to global events (i.e. Y2K,

financial crises, political events)• High penetration into communities of ages over 26 and younger than 18

• seniors programs• travel study• professional upgrading• Chinese seniors program• summer camps

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

ContEd Yesterday and Today – Knows Its Business

• Most students and instructors are business persons• Our students expect a higher degree of accountability for facilities,

instructional quality and customer service• Instructors are often our best marketing tool • Cont Ed is a business unto itself:

• Course-based accounting - achieving true Net Revenues • Highly competitive market• Large investments in Marketing• Quality, quality, quality

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

ContEd Yesterday and Today – Reading the Pulse of the World• In close contact with current state of the world, including commerce,

humanities, engineering, technology

Examples:• Use of social media (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube)• Frequent feedback from instructors and students • Run your own business – live and dies by your decisions • Student registrations & feedback determine what’s important

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

ContEdConnecting with

the Rest of the University

(Reg)

• HIstorically, received software and rules updates from IT and / or admin• Had little to say back

ContEd: Between Two Worlds WorkshopContEd – Connecting with the rest of the University

• Historically paid little attention to ContEd• IT and Admin sent out

updates, rules

Historically, communication was largely one-way

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Has potential links to the rest of the university

e.g. People who are simultaneously some or all of students, instructors, staff, academics

• Has experience and leadership in many topics the rest of the university finds itself needing

e.g. e-learning

• Needs what ContEd has to offer, but may not know it yet

ContEd – Connecting with the rest of the University

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

• ContEd actively encourages students to return• We put a lot of effort into

keeping students engaged• Evaluations• Marketing

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Little pressure to have students come back for more• But that pressure is increasing as more

competition appears• More institutions• Private schools• Colleges becoming universities

e.g. MountRoyal in Calgary• Worldwide e-learning offerings

ContEd has the pieces the rest of the university suddenly finds itself missing:

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

• Our students demand quality• They have high expectations from

working in business• we expect them to be more

‘vocal’

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Unprepared for ‘vocal’ students: • UofC infringed freedom of speech

by disciplining Facebook commenters (Calgary Herald, May 10, 2012)

• Quebec riots

ContEd has the pieces the rest of the university suddenly finds itself missing:

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

Real-world orientation, academic “street smarts”• Twenty-first century business know-

how• Understand our own business –

what works, what does not• Tuned in to our customers’

businesses

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Financlal and political pressure to be more businesslike• Unfamiliar with the business world

• Particularly twenty-first century business

ContEd has the pieces the rest of the university suddenly finds itself missing:

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

• Techniques and tools for, and frequent and recent experience in:• Adapting to rapid change• Gathering and analyzing

performance metrics• Embracing new technologies and

methodologies• Insights into how various disciplines

interact in the real world

• Unused to rapid change• Relatively little real-world contact• Performance metrics few to

nonexistent

ContEd has the pieces the rest of the university suddenly finds itself missing:

Cont EdThe Rest of the University

Examples

Real-life example # 1: Fluid Surveys

• UofC ContEd adopted Fluid Surveys for student evaluations and statistics approx 1.5 years ago

•The central UofC IT group (UCIT) was investigating a replacement tool for Survey Monkey – we recommended FluidSurveys and made a presentation to UCIT on ContEd’s Fluid Surveys experience.

•The presentation was useful and well received, allowed UCIT to avoid some of the growing pains ContEd encountered implementing FluidSurveys

Appendix A: Real-life Examples at the University of CalgaryContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Real-life example # 2: Recording and distributing internal presentations

• ContEd staff often make presentations relating to technical tools, business procedures, and combinations thereof• Problems associated: varying work schedules, people forget to attend, people

forget what they learned. • Solution piloted in ContEd at the University of Calgary is to record the

presentation and screen in video and audio, generate to DVD format and offer staff the DVD and cheap ($2.00) earphones so they can watch/listen – even in the “bullpen”• Video accesible via our intranet

Appendix A: Real-life Examples at the University of CalgaryContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Real-life example # 3: Helping decision makers understand the new technologies

• ContEd can be forceful about having a seat at the table for making technical decisions that affect them and by extension, the rest of the university.

Examples:• The UofC is upgrading or replacing their eLMS.

• Continuing Education delivers the highest volume of fully on-line courses, and is regularly involved in support issues• Our experience has proved beneficial to the campus eLMS committee• Chris Appleton’s talk tomorrow at 3:00 PM

Appendix A: Real-life Examples at the University of CalgaryContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Appendix B: Examples of Tools we Have or Can Create

Tool #1: Courses and seminars tailored to administrators and / or academics, such as:• Managing the impact of ERP (enterprise resource processes changes (i.e.,

PeopleSoft, SAP)• What is working and has not worked for ContEd in marketing and recruitment

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Small GroupExercise

Small Group ExerciseHow do we create tools to help our universities adapt to changes we see first?

The thrown gauntlet

In the alloted time, create as many high-quality items as possible to go on these two lists:• Changes that we in ContEd see first, and• Tools that we can create to help the university adapt to these changes

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Criteria for Quality

High-quality items are:• Relevant• Understandable• Simple• Useful• Do-able

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Small Group ExerciseHow do we create tools to help our universities adapt to changes we see first?

Mechanics• Each group brainstorms ideas on either or both topics• When a majority of the group agrees the the item matches the quality

criteria, the is added to the flip chart

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Small Group ExerciseHow do we create tools to help our universities adapt to changes we see first?

If you get stuck … suggestions

• Look at the flip charts on the wall for inspiration • Repeat an idea from before. • Make up a nonsense or ridiculous answer.• Paraphrase what a previous person said

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop

Small Group ExerciseHow do we create tools to help our universities adapt to changes we see first?

Open Discussion15 minutes

• Comments, discussion about the workshop• New ideas continue to be captured

At the conclusion of the workshop, the flip charts are photographed and included in the workshop’s final report

With the permission of the participants, the discussion is captured on video, posted to YouTube or other sharing site

ContEd: Between Two Worlds Workshop