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

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. Deliverables • A Study “White Paper” defining how academic support will be accomplished at SPSU. • Implementation plan • Budgetary and funding impact and requirements

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Distance Learning Strategic Plan • Increase online and blended learning. • Expand access to SPSU programs throughout the State of Georgia and beyond. • Build online and on‐campus learning environments that enable collaborative, student centered learning.

19. 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

20. 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