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Moving the Graveyard: Merging Services for Faculty Development

Anna McFadden Western Carolina University

Robert OrrThe University of North Carolina at Pembroke

EDUCAUSE, Seattle, October 24, 2007

WCU

Teaching & Learning Support at Western- a Brief History

Carolina Colloquy ICUT 1988 - Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence 1994 - merged with University Media Center and

become Coulter Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Integrated Technology into Faculty Center support

First online course developed (MPM) - international

Distance Learning support in Distance and Continuing Education

Computer Center - IT : Faculty Center - TLT

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2003 brings change PriceWaterhouseCoopers report Information Technology Division formed Educational Technologies created from

Faculty Center and Continuing Education staff

TLT & Distance Education technical support brought under Educational Technologies

Faculty Center focus primarily SoTL

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Faculty Concerns Faculty uncertain of service outlets Conflict of approaches, IT vs Teaching and

Learning Spring 2004 Faculty Senate survey on

technology support Faculty wanted one place for teaching,

learning, and technology support. Grounded in academics

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Information Technology Assessment Engaged Faculty Senate Chair and Computer

Science Faculty member Associate CIO with Faculty Center background

appointed for Educational Technologies Interviewed 98% of academic departments Faculty desired one place for services Faculty needed distance learning/ WebCT support High demand for digital media support Faculty prefer hands-on approach

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Fall 2004 – Spring 2005A team is formed Distance and Continuing Education,

Dean Pat Brown DE expanding rapidly - faculty training Concerned with quality

Faculty Senate Chair, Newton Smith Representing faculty concerns Interest in improving student learning

outcomes

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Fall 2004 – Spring 2005A team is formed Director of Faculty Center, Alan Altany

Preserving SoTL initiatives Supporting faculty learning communities

Associate CIO, Bob Orr Meeting technology support needs of faculty Integrating technology into curriculum

development Associate Vice-Chancellor for Academic

Affairs, Beth Tyson-Lofquist Appointed by Provost to oversee Faculty

Center Concerned with responding to faculty needs

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Development Stage Spring 2005 Focused on creating “one stop” for faculty

support Brainstorming possibilities Determined existing resources Determined what other available resources could

be marshaled Decided what else was needed Developed organizational chart based upon

services to support seven dimensions of teaching

Outlined a two-stage implementation plan

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Recommendations Faculty support for TLT and DE in Coulter Faculty

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Combine staffing from Educational Technologies

with Faculty Center New positions

New Interim Director Two instructional designers, one DE, one AA One half-time senior faculty fellow supported by AA Nine staff members from Educational Technologies Eight new faculty fellows (one course release) funded

by DE

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Changes Coulter Faculty Center dual reports

Vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs Associate Chief Information Officer

Retains teaching and learning focus Integrates Information Technology Services in one place - Faculty see

seamless solution Management deals with bringing together

resources and sorting out differences of approach

Dual funding streams

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Changes

Interim Director – Anna McFadden hired following internal search

Advisory Council being re-energized Educational Technologies staff beginning

transition Instructional designer positions hired Eight faculty fellows added

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Phase II

Addition of Instructional Designer for Assessment

Addition of Instructional Designer for Engagement

Faculty Center assumes major role in Quality Enhancement Plan

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Building a University Structure for Quality Enhancement

Faculty Fellows Center Staff

Faculty Learning Communities

Media Center check out and set upContent CreationClassroom SupportEducational Outreach

Instructional Designer

Instructional DesignerFaculty Center

ResearchResearch Support

Educational TechnologyQuality StandardsTechnical TrainingInstructional TechnologyTechnician

Publication MediaFaculty Center

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Conceptual Framework Three bodies of literature

Fostering change in higher education LeBaron(2001)

Fostering change through faculty development Wergin (1994) Hutchings (2000) Palmer (1998) Lieberman (2005) Cox (2004)

Faculty development for online teaching

Downing (2005) Turner (2005) Gordon (2005) Lewis and Abdul-Hamid (2006)

Mishra and Koehler (2006) Content, pedagogy, and technology

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Needs Assessment: Methods, Data Analysis and Results Director’s entry plan Data collection methods What we learned

More support needed for the use of technology in teaching

A need to rethink communication and service delivery

Improved support for new and part-time faculty A desire for “one stop” support

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Response

A merger of educational technologies and the current faculty center

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The Process of Course Development Course development proposal to

Educational Outreach Development with instructional

developer in the Faculty Center Course assessment process - the

OCAT tool Administrative, instructional, and

technical support

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Enhanced support for faculty E-Learning Faculty Fellows- led by Endowed

Chair for Educational Technologies based in the Center

E-Mentoring Website Faculty Learning Community The shift to a new course management

system Digital media services- iTunes University Recognition for e-learning

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Survey Data Results- a leader in SoTL

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Survey Data Results- enhance significant student learning

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Survey Data Results- technology in teaching and learning

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Survey Data Results-serves as a central resource

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Survey Data Results-collaboration and conversation

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Recent Developments

Hiring a Curriculum Design Specialist to work with the QEP

Just awarded an Endowed Chair for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Working with the North Carolina Teaching and Learning with Technology Board to infuse the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in our work

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A Final Thought

An organization must set its sights on “constantly making its future rather than defending its past,” Oblinger (2005)