E Learning Strategic Thinking

The Ins and Outs of Getting an e-Learning Initiative Started in Higher Education

College of Arts and ArchitectureThe Pennsylvania State University

Friday, February 27, 2009

Who we are......

Visual Arts

Theater

MusicLandscapeArchitecture

Integrative Arts

Art History

Architecture

E-LearningInstitute

MissionTo work with the disciplines

represented in the College of Arts and Architecture to

become a leader in e-learning and instructional technology in

the Arts and Design


e-Learning Institute Goals

Support the design and development of e-Learning courses within the College.

Simulate research in the digital arts and design as they relate to e-learning and instructional technology.


University’s Charge to the College of Arts and Architecture

Serving General Arts Credits to Students(Every Student Must Take two to graduate)

Demand is Greater than 14,000 + enrollments Annually(New freshmen 7,000+ at UP, 7,000+ at Campuses)


Three Delivery Approaches

• Face-to-Face (no face-time reduced)

• Technology enhanced (minimal face-time reduced)

• Blended (significant face-time reduced)

• Online (no face-time)

% of face-time reductionFriday, February 27, 2009

Current Online Status

24 online courses producing 7,990 Enrollments -- 45% (16,903) of all UP GA Enrollments

5 of 7 Academic Units have at least one online course

2 blended courses

11 delivered through ELMS


Plan For GrowthProvide at least one online course for each discipline

Shift Strategically toward Programmatic Development

• 1 Digital Arts Certificate (9 courses, 5 new)

• 1 MPS in Art Education (5 courses, 1 new)

13 new online courses, 1 blended planed for development in next two years

2 planned for revision


Need

Increase Revenue

Reduce Curricular Drift

Improve Efficiency of Instruction

Increase Enrollment Capacity

Goal

Reliability

Scalability

Reusability

Sustainability

Model

People

Process

Platform


People


People: Driving PhilosophyThe creative design process is only as strong as the team that has been assembled


Core ID&D Team

Director

Sr. Instructional Designer

Instructional Designer

Instructional MultimediaSpecialist

Program Manager

InstructionalTechnologySpecialist

e-LearningSupport

Specialist

CurriculumPlanner


Rotating Team Members

Core Team

CollegeAdmin.

Faculty

Dept. Head


Process•


Process: Driving PhilosophyA well defined process provides a mechanism for effectively communicating and coordinating team activities resulting in the development of high quality courses


e-Learning Institute ID&D Process

Process Phases

Phase 1design specificationCreation of a course design specification document outlining course delivery expectations.

Phase 2instructional designCreation of an instructional design document detailing the course pedagogical structure.

Phase 3Prototype developmentDesign and development of a fully functional sample lesson.

Phase 4ProductionCreation of the course based on the prototype and the instructional design document.

Phase 5Quality Assurance reviewReview of the course to ensure it meets specific design, development, and delivery quality standards.


Setting Expectations With The ID&D Process

Phase 1

(5%)

Phase 2

(15%)

Phase 3

(20%)

Phase 4

(50%)

Phase 5

(10%)

Total

(100%)

12 Month 3 (weeks) 8 (weeks) 10 (weeks) 26 (weeks) 5 (weeks) 52 (weeks)

9 Month 2 (weeks) 6 (weeks) 7.5 (weeks) 20 (weeks) 3.5 (weeks) 39 (weeks)

6 Month 1.5 (weeks) 4 (weeks) 5 (weeks) 13 (weeks) 2.5 (weeks) 26 (weeks)


Platform


Platform: Driving PhilosophyEmpower faculty and designers by providing a stable, reliable, scalable, easy to use technical infrastructure ultimately improving the course design and delivery process


Evolution of Needs

Static

Dynamic

ID Reliance

Independence

Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5

Creation of Course Content


What Were We Seeking?

✤ Digital E-Learning Content Management System

✤ System used to develop, deploy and share course materials using open source technologies

✤ Features designed by instructional designers to support the ID&D process


Keys to Success

✤ Keep content separate for design

✤ Each course offering should be able have its unique look and feel

✤ Instructional elements should be sharable

✤ Faculty need to be able to edit their own materials

✤ Project communication must facilitated by system


ELMS (e-Learning Management System)

CommunityModules

ELIModules

CustomThemes

+ + +

PHP &MySQL


Key Features of ELMS✤ Drag-and-Drop items between resources

and course structure

✤ Add new course pages with a few clicks

✤ One standard interface for all content creation, design and content organization

✤ Context menus relative to what content you are editing / creating

✤ Course navigation determined by outline

✤ WYSIWYG content editor

✤ User management / Angel Integration


ELMS Technical Structure


ELMS Structural Overview


What Does it Take to Get Started with ELMS✤ System

PHP, mySQL, Drupal 6.x installed, Custom Drupal Modules

✤ End Users

Web browser capable of handling JavaScript

✤ HR Resource Recommendation

Programmer familiar with Drupal and PH

Graphic Designer on staff with CSS expertise

IT support with knowledge of Drupal installations



Establish Yourself Through Strategic Planning

Policies

IncentivesHR Growth

Design and Delivery ApproachStructural Approach

Environmental Scan

Enrollment Scale


Environmental ScanDevelop an e-Learning Strategy that Fits Your Culture and Mission


e-Learning Delivery Options

World Campus(External to University)

e-Learning

Cooperative(24 Campuses)

UP


Potential Online EnrollmentsSpring 2009

UPWorld Campuse-Learning Cooperative

Enrollment Potential

UP 4535

World Campus 615

e-Learning Cooperative 390

Total 5540


Revenue PotentialPer 100 Students


Identifying an Online BalanceSpring 2009

0

1,250

2,500

3,750

5,000

UP e-Coop WC

615390

4,535

Enrollment Potential

$0

$150,000

$300,000

$450,000

$600,000

UP e-Coop WC

$563,795

$76,050

Revenue Potential


PoliciesHelp Set Expectations by Establishing Policies and Procedures to Support Effort


Protecting Yourself with Policies

✤ Protect Intellectual Property

• MOU and Courseware Copyright Agreement

✤ Deal with Copyright

• TEACH Act vs. Fair Use

✤ Plan for Continuous Quality Improvement (e-LCQUI)


Design and Delivery ApproachDevelop an Instructional Design and Development Approach that Fits Your Culture


Risks and Challenges With Traditional Approaches

✤ LMS/CMS’s Change

✤ Outages -- Planned and Unplanned

✤ Creative Design Limitations

✤ Limited Sharability of Content

✤ Limited Media Integration


Course Content Course Communication

OR


Published Content

Course Interface Faculty Content


Interface Design Standards


Structural ApproachCreate a Structural Approach That Will Help You Communicate Course Development Expectations


Units

Weeks

Lessons

Modules

etc......

Courses are a series of instructional sequences


An instructional sequences is a series of pages

1 2 3 4 5

Lesson


A page is the lowest level learning object in a course

Page


A page can be categorized as

Content

Assignment

Landing Page

Directional

Course Orientation

SyllabusList of Readings

Page


Content

Lists

Submit

Poll

Pages are constructed by integrating instructional elements


Enrollment ScaleIdentifying a plan for scaling enrollments will pay dividends in the future


100 100 100

Underlying Assumption1 Instructor/TA:100 Students

Instructor

TAs or Adjunct

Students

100 100 100 300

+

100

+++

300 300

Add Sections with Instructors

Add Sectionswith TAs

Add TAs to Increase Section

Size

+ +

100 100 100

++

300

Add Sectionswith TAs and a

Master Instructor

+


HR Growth

Develop a Model for Determining Future Human

Resources Needs


ID Resource Justification ModelWorking Assumptions

ID&D Task % of Time Allocation Hours Spent Per Week

Course Development 30 12

Pilot 15 6

Maintenance 5 2

Total 50 20


ID Resource Justification Modelby Course Load

New Course DevelopmentPIlot OfferingsCourse Maintenance

*

*

* Represents the need for a New ID


ID Resource Justification Modelby Hours Spent Weekly

New Course DevelopmentPIlot OfferingsCourse Maintenance

16

46

7890

98106

114


IncentivesDetermine What is Motivating the Faculty and Administration and Develop Appropriate Incentives


What are Peoples Incentives for Undertaking e-Learning✤What is the motivation for there interest

• revenue

• build in efficiencies

✤What are the incentives to undertake

• financial

• freeing up time


E-Learning Faculty Fellowships

✤ Engage and support faculty in the collaborative development scholarly materials

✤ Can take any of three forms

1. Create e-Learning courseware or programmatic e-Learning offerings

2. Help revise existing e-Learning courseware

3. Investigate how teaching and learning can be improved through the use of technology
