Building a Multifaceted Unit to Support Efforts for Online and Blended Learning

David Edwin StoneDirector, Educational Support and Online Learning

Southern Polytechnic State University

Email: dstone@spsu.edu

Six Sigma Study on Facult Support (2007)

• Champions – CIO and VPAA• Customers (Faculty)• Stakeholders

– Academic Support Center (Extended University)– Division of Information Technology (Instructional Technology)– University IT Advisory Committee– Center for Teaching Excellence

• Other:– Distance Learning Task Force– SPARC– Continuing Education– Outreach (STEM Competitions)

» Future City, BEST Robotics, Science Olypiad, etc.

Study Scope• Academic Support for the areas related

to course delivery• Classroom software• Classroom technology• Distance learning software• Professional development• Training• Classroom and distance learning support

Objectives• Define faculty’s academic needs.• Document current academic support processes including

delivery, personnel and funding.• Examine “best practices” of academic support at

comparable institutions.• Establish SPSU academic support responsibilities.• Document new/revised academic support processes.• Establish how current involved organizations (stakeholders)

will interface.• Academic Support (EU)• DoIT• CTE

Deliverables• A Study “White Paper” defining how

academic support will be accomplished at SPSU.

• Implementation plan• Budgetary and funding impact and

requirements

Data Collection

• Data collected via:– Interviews with teaching and learning centers in the

state– Literature review on faculty development– Interviews with exemplar institutions – Input from faculty via appointment by each Academic

Dean– Review of Center for Teaching Goals to ensure

preservation of CTE goals– Input from the Best Practices Subcommittee of the

Six Sigma Course Delivery Support Study

Office of Faculty Support and Development

• Final Reorganization Occurred in 2010• Reports to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs• OFSD Comprised of 3 units

– Educational Support and Online Learning• Distance Learning Leadership

– Distance Learning Task Force• Distance learning metrics and data• New technology pilot projects

– Faculty Growth and Development• Center for Teaching Excellence• Faculty training on advising, new faculty orientation, etc.

– Instructional Design• Management of the course development process• Teaching Academy for Distance Learning• Faculty assistance with online learning development

Distance Learning Administration• Managed through the same channels as the rest of

the academic programs– Same population of faculty teach online as on-campus– Academic departments manage faculty

• Distance Learning Task Force– Provides avenue for academic programs and others to

resolve distance learning operational issues.• Educational Support and Online Learning and

OFSD works to implement initiatives of the VPAA and to support academic programs in distance education efforts.

Financing Growth• We have an “eRate” tuition that is below

out of state rates and above in-state rates

• Used to fund growth and support activities

• We budget a variety of distance learning expenses through the differential

Reinvestment Prior to 2010• Course support for individual faculty based on

credit hours generated– Funds to buy distance learning related equipment,

software or other resources– Funding for student assistants, etc

• Funding managed by the Distance Learning Task Force:– Course design and redesign funding– Academic Program marketing

• Rewarded individual faculty efforts

Issues with pre-2010 fund distribution• Support funds distributed based on individual needs and

wants• Difficult to mange the coordination of fund pooling,

making hiring students and graduate assistants challenging

• Expenditures not aligned with department or academic school priorities– Course Development– Equipment and software

• Funding decisions became increasingly politically challenging as the number of programs and quantity of courses grew

Additional Drivers of change for the funding model• Long term course development and

maintenance needs• Must be able to support the continuous

improvement of course standards• University wide budget concerns and

declining departmental funds• The need to more closely link certification

and course assessment to the funding model

Internal Funding Model to Support Growth

• In Spring 2010 the Dean’s Council approved a new funding model for online learning. – $18 per credit hour generated distributed to

academic departments. • Only online sections of courses generate funds.• Must have been through our assessment process

within the past 3 years.

• Additional diferential funds allocated to marketing and new program seed money.

Course Development process• Course development agreement

managed by OFSD• Requires signatures of the department

chair and dean• Payment for development of courses up

to the department chair or dean• Payment made after successfully

passing the assessment

Instructional Design Unit• Provides faculty assistance with course development.• Instrucitonal Design• Use of technology

– LMS– Web Conferencing

• Course review process– SPSU Online course rubric

• Media creation and capture– Production facilities– Lecture capture– Podcasting

Center for Teaching Excellence• Teaching Brown Bags• Scholarship of Teaching• Professional Development• Hosts Technology Workshops• Coordinates USG Professional

Development for SPSU• Advisor Training• New Faculty Orientation and Mentoring

Educational Support and Online Learning• Distance Learning Task Force• Distance Learning Strategic Plan• Online Learning data collection and

analysis• Classroom Technology Standards• Student Technology Fee• Online Learning Technology

Distance Learning Strategic Plan

1. Increase online and blended learning.2. Expand access to SPSU programs

throughout the State of Georgia and beyond.

3. Build online and on‐campus learning environments that enable collaborative, student centered learning.

One unit focused on • Enabling capacity for online learning• Supporting the development of new

practices for student learning• Alignment of multiple units focused on

faculty growth of development• Direct connection to academic affairs

strategic initiatives

Specific initiatives supported• SPSU and Technical College System of Georgia

articulation agreement (A.A.S to B.A.S)– Coordinated focus on faculty development of B.A.S.

courses– Seed funding and resources allocated strategically

• Course review process• Distance Learning Strategic Plan• Implementation of Faculty Advisor training

program